Revving Up Your New Year's Resolution

Many people resolve at the start of a new year to grab the health and fitness bull by the horns and take back control. Bravo if you are among such a crowd. My father is among you as well, and I was happy to hear when I called today that he had already "hit the ground running." I had e-mailed him these "Pre-Game Notes" yesterday to prepare him for what is ahead. I think they are quite practical and pretty simple steps to take if you are looking to whittle your middle or just improve your overall health in the weeks ahead. I hope you benefit from my sharing of them.

Prepare yourself.

• Get your scale in working order and take a starting weight measurement. Weigh yourself at a time when you think you can consistently continue to weigh yourself for the duration, i.e. when you first wake up Monday morning.
• If you want, stock up on some healthier snack choices and/or the fixings for bag lunches to give you one less thing to worry about.
• Find or invest in a water bottle so you can keep yourself hydrated throughout the day and during workouts.
• List, mentally or on paper, the reasons you want to take better care of your health. These will be helpful in maintaining motivation. If your reasoning centers around a person or group of people (kids & grandkids, for instance) you could take it a step further and tape a picture of them on your scale to serve as a visual reminder.
• If you want to be hardcore, you could measure your middle, or at the very least, take note of the size of your pants as of right now so you can compare them to the smaller size you'll need to shop for in the weeks ahead.
• Mentally prepare yourself for the change in lifestyle you are about to undertake. Recognize that you are going to have to make different choices and say "No" to some very enjoyable treats (or at least "not as much"). But remember also, its about "everything in moderation," so it is possible to have your cake and eat it too.
• Go to bed early. You're going to need the extra rest.   

Good luck!!