Fitness Newsletter                                            January 2006

In this issue:

On average only about 20% of us keep our New Year's resolutions, and unfortunately, some of the biggest failures are found in fitness resolutions. But don't let the statistics get you down. Here are ten tips to help you achieve success in 2006:

  1. Be realistic. Strive for goals that are obtainable.

  2. Plan ahead. Don't wait until the last minute to set your goals. Really think them through.

  3. Outline your plan. Break you large goal into smaller goals and decide how you will deal with temptation.

  4. Make a "pro" and "con" list. It may help to see a list of items on paper to keep your motivation strong. Refer to this list often to keep up your motivation.

  5. Track your progress. Tracking each small success will help motivate you toward reaching your larger goal.

  6. Talk about it. Tell your family and friends so they can support you or join a club or group where others have similar goals.

  7. Reward yourself. Celebrate your success by treating yourself to something you enjoy. But, be careful of your reward type.

  8. Don't beat yourself up. Obsessing over the occasional slip won't help you achieve your goal. Do the best you can each day, and take them one at a time.

  9. Stick to it. It takes about 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and 6 months for it to become part of your life.

  10. Keep trying! If your resolution runs out of steam, start over again. It's never too late to set and stick to your goals.

Fast Facts About New Year's Resolutions

  • 67% of people make 3 or more resolutions.
  • People make more resolutions to start a new habit, than to break an old one.
  • Top 4 resolutions:
    • Increase exercise.
    • Develop better eating habits.
    • Be more conscientious about work or school.
    • Stop smoking, drinking, or using drugs (including caffeine).

Learning how to listen to your body is essential to living an active and healthy lifestyle. The ability to tell physiological hunger from psychological cravings is one of the keys to maintaining a lean body and learning how to curb your cravings.

Your body will tell you it needs food or a certain food because it's deficient. These are physiological cravings:

  • You feel like you suddenly have no energy.
  • You have a gnawing feeling in your stomach.
  • You're light-headed.
  • You can't stop thinking about meat, or spinach, or even fatty foods, etc.

Eating in response to a psychological craving almost always insures overeating. Some examples of psychological cravings are:

  • You want something sweet after dinner.
  • You want chips while watching TV.
  • You get hungry at the mention of ice cream.
  • You get hungry when you're stressed.
  • You can't decide what you want to eat but feel the need to eat something.
  • You get hungry when you're bored.

Once you decide which type of craving you're having, then make a plan of action. You want to give in to physiological cravings. However, psychological cravings are far more common. Here are seven tips to help when times get tough:

  1. Eat every 3 hours. Even if it's something small. One of the biggest culprits for psychological cravings is falling blood sugar levels. If you keep your levels steady, you simply won't crave the same things. The easiest way to combat cravings is to avoid them in the first place.

  2. Drink water. Dehydration confuses the body and will often make it feel hungry, especially if it's cool out. A small glass of water each hour will keep your stomach full and keep you hydrated.

  3. Wait. Real cravings stay with you but psychological ones don't. If you've eaten enough and are hydrated, putting off a decision for 15 to 20 minutes will help the craving dissipate.

  4. Distract yourself. Along the same lines, if you start doing something else the feeling will usually pass. Make a phone call or read a fitness magazine. Changing your mindset might be all you need.

  5. Keep healthy snacks around. Have a piece of fruit or some raw veggies. If that doesn't help, you'll know your craving is psychological.

  6. Change your routine. Habit can affect a craving, so shake up what you do, even if it's just slightly. Turn off the lights in your kitchen and try not to use that room. Change the lighting of your house, sit differently, get up every so often and stretch, or drink water-do anything different. Forcing simple changes can make it easier to follow through with tougher ones.

  7. Exercise. If you start to exercise and your cravings aren't physiological, you'll feel better almost instantly. If they are physical, you'll never be able to really get into your workout, which is a sign that you need to eat.

Test your nutrition knowledge.
        - Eating a salad as the first course can cut the total caloric intake of a meal. True or False.

In a recent study at Penn State, researchers discovered that eating a low-calorie salad as the first course cuts calorie intake by 12% for the total meal, but be sure to hold back on the dressing. A high-calorie dressing can increase the total food intake by 17%. So load up on the low-cal greens and you will eat less! (True)