2010 is only weeks away (yes WEEKS) and we all know what that means… New Years Resolutions. And, if you’re like most Americans here’s what your next two months is going to look like:
· Now through Dec 27th - you’re going to eat junk and treats that are baked for you by your (so called) friends. You’re stressed about money and shopping so you eat crap food on the run. Parties and family dinners will have you consuming huge amounts of calories (this includes booze). And then there’s leftovers.
· Dec 28th through Dec 31st – In a pathetic attempt to shed poundage fast to fit into your New Years Eve ensemble you starve yourself and beat yourself up with guilt over all the calories consumed in previous weeks.
· Jan 1st – Feb 1st – you’ll join a gym or a class of some sort and work out like a maniac. You’ll diet like crazy the way you THINK you’re supposed to in order to lose weight while simultaneously “rewarding” yourself with food after each workout.
· Feb 2nd you’ll pop on the scale to see all the weight you’ve lost to find that after 4 weeks of insane cardio and toning you have only lost 3lbs.
· At this point you’ll be so upset and discouraged that you’ll just give up and go back to the habits that have caused you to steadily gain weight over the past years (starting with a well deserved tub of Rocky Road ice cream eaten while watching SYTYCD and referring to all the dancers as “anorexic bitches” in a self loathing, jealous kind of way to make yourself feel better).

Does this sound familiar? Have you done this before? It’s ok if you have, most have succumbed to this counter productive attempt to lose weight. There’s so much bad information out there how are you supposed to filter through it all and know what works and what doesn’t?

Insanity is, “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

I have a secret to share with you (personal trainers and gym owners cover your ears). Exercise won’t help you LOSE weight! Gasp! Now, before you decide I’m nuts just listen. You have to burn 3500 calories to lose ONE pound of fat. That’s a lot of calories. An average 30-minute treadmill session (and don’t pay attention to the little counter on the screen, they’re not accurate) will burn 157 calories. That’s 12 hours of treadmill time a week to lose one pound. WOW!

Let’s take a deeper look at this scenario though:
· After a workout most people are so proud of themselves for exercising that they ‘reward’ themselves. Thinking they burned WAY more calories than they actually did - this is usually a ‘treat’. One tablespoon of peanut butter has 100 calories, so if you have 2 tablespoons you’ve already eaten more calories than you burned. THINK ABOUT IT!!
· If you’re also ‘dieting’ you’re probably starving your body of vital nutrients, including protein. So you’re body will be ‘eating’ it’s own muscle to provide the necessary amino acids for your body to function. This equals less muscle, which results in lower metabolism, which means you’re going to yo-yo to an even heavier weight when you give up on this futile plan.

Exercise plays a critical role in maintaining weight loss and improving health so don’t even think that I said not to exercise. I’m not saying that at all. I’m telling you that if you want to lose weight it will have to come from extreme changes in your diet.

So what can you do to make THIS TIME different?
· First: If you’re anywhere near St Petersburg, FL come to our FREE Nutrition Seminar at Bay Medical Center to receive a major smack in the face that will make you think differently about the food you put into your (and your children’s) mouth. Call (727) 343-6606 to reserve your spot and check out my online calendar for upcoming seminar dates and times (http://www.fitnessbygemma.com/html/groupschedule.html).
· Second: Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity was, “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” You CAN NOT eat the way you have been eating, live the way you have been living and expect to become thinner or healthier. YOU have to CHANGE, YOU have to LEARN new things, YOU have to LIKE new foods, YOU have to create new HABITS and YOU have to address the underlying issues that may be resulting in behavior that has caused you to become overweight and unhealthy.

Until YOU are ready to change you will not achieve change. And you won’t get there overnight. There are probably YEARS of bad habits, internal issues, misinformation, sugar and carbohydrate addictions, etc that need to be addressed. In order to achieve lifetime success this should be a slow and dedicated process.

“the slower you go, the faster you get there.”

I was listening to a book on tape recently, Queen Takes King by Gigi Levangie Grazer, and there was a great quote in it I want to share with you, “the slower you go, the faster you get there.”

At the end of the day your health is all you have (or don’t have). NOTHING is more important than that. And parents don’t get upset and say your kids are more important. What good are you to your children/grandchildren if you’re sick in a bed or dead?

Please, make 2010 the year to do it the RIGHT way,
not the INSANE way.