New Year, Better You!

I'm so sick of hearing New Year, New You. I like myself. I don't want a new me. I've spent the last 26 years learning who I am and accepting that person, so why would I want to change it all up and start over? Rather, how about a better me? Now that's something I can get on board with!  I know what areas I want to work on in my life in 2013 and I challenge you to examine what areas of your life you'd like to improve too. To give you some motivation to make goals for yourself this year, I refer you to my sister's blog, God & Boobs. Earlier this week, I read her post titled, 15 New Years Resolution Ideas and it really got me thinking. You can read her words of wisdom by clicking, here. Like years past, many of you will make weight loss and fitness goals. Lets make 2013 the year to finally achieve those goals! Below, you can find my top five tips: 
1. Find something you love. First of all, it's important that you enjoy your workout. If you enjoy the outdoors, consider picking up a sport like tennis. Pleasure in the job puts success in the work. Try a new class or hiring a personal trainer to keep you accountable. Also, make sure that your instructor is knowledgeable and motivating. So many times, the instructor can make or break the workout! 

2. Commitment. It's important to schedule your workout as much as you would schedule a hair appointment or work meeting. Especially if you like to work out at nighttime, a better opportunity will always present itself. It's important to write it in your schedule. That way, when something else comes up you can say, "Sorry best friend that I haven't seen in a long time, I'd love to do happy hour with you tonight, but on Tuesdays I work out from 5:30-6:30. How about tomorrow night?"

3. Consistency. It's important to be consistent with your workout if you want to have consistent results. There are so many times that women come to my class every day for a week and then disappear. They reappear three weeks later and repeat the cycle all over again. They then ask me, “Why aren't I seeing any results?” In order to see results, it's important to be consistent. Don't burn yourself out by trying to come every day but make a realistic schedule for yourself.

4. Drink Water. Did you know that you are supposed to drink half your body-weight in ounces of water a day? That's a ton of water! Almost all of us walk around dehydrated from day to day and we wonder why we are tired, fatigued, unsatisfied and have aches and pains. If you're like me, you have those days you'll eat a great lunch but still are not quite satisfied. Almost always it's because I'm thirsty! Keeping yourself hydrated will help you to lose weight. It will combat bloating and hunger and prevent injuries such as sprains and cramps. 

5. Numbers don't lie! Remember, calories in vs. calories out. If you are trying to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you take in. Wearing a heart monitor during your exercise will show you exactly how many calories your burning. Using this in conjunction with a weight loss application like, "Lose It!" (my favorite for iPhone and iPad users), might be the scientific breakthrough you were looking for to attain your goal weight. However, I should note that while strict cardio does help to burn calories, if you want to change the shape of your body you need to do some weight training. A pear shape will remain a pear shape unless you burn out that behind! 

For additional motivation, buy yourself a cute outfit. While Lululemon can be quite pricey, places like Old Navy and Target have great options for a cute fitness outfit.  You can do it! 

Nothing like a little neon Nike to keep you motivated!