Realistic Resolutions

I like New Year's resolutions in theory, but I hate them in practicality. I think people wanting to change and better themselves is fantastic. Deciding for yourself that a change needs to be made is amazing. No one is making the decision for you. You are making it for yourself. However, let's be real. How many people truly stick to a resolution for longer than a month? A week? A day?

Not many.

Too much too fast.

What happens to people who make the ever popular "I'm going to lose weight" resolution? They start going to the gym every day and after a week they are burnt out because they have never worked out before. Next thing you know they are back into the same routine of doing nothing.

Same thing with your diet. Saying, "Starting Monday I'm never eating (insert food) ever again." How practical is that? Now, I know when I started this blog I went "strict" paleo for a month. I kept to it. However, I had zoned before, I already ate very low grainy carb and loved lean meats. The change was not too drastic for me...it was a natural, challenging step.

I say all of this to encourage everyone to be realistic and practical in their healthy resolutions this year. Truly examine your situation and what your end goal is. What is that throws you off track? Do you need extra "me" time? Do you need to take a different route to work to avoid that donut shop on the way to work? Do you need to try to cook at home one more night a week instead of going out? Some examples:

If your goal is to work out more and you haven't worked out much in your life...shoot for two to three days a week of fifteen to twenty minutes and increase as you get more comfortable.

If you want to start running, but have never really ran any kind of distance before start slow. Run a half a mile three days a week for two weeks. The next week increase to 3/4 of a mile. Two weeks later try a mile. Before you know it you'll be running three miles like it is no big deal without feeling overwhelmed by the idea!

If you want to eat better find that one thing you think is causing you problems and limit it to twice a week (if it is an every day sort of thing). After a few weeks move to once a week and then cut it out completely. You have to let your body adjust. Sometimes shocking it to intensely too fast can cause you to get back into your bad habit and you'll never give yourself a chance to succeed.

I say all of this as I share my realistic resolution:
Eat a healthy, clean breakfast everyday.

For me, if I eat a great, paleo/zone friendly breakfast in the morning I have automatically set myself up for a great day. I already feel better. I am inclined to continue with healthy snacks and lunch. If I wake up and end up eating nothing or something not desirable my day, as far as eating is concerned, can fall off track fast.

2011 will be the year of a healthy, clean breakfast. Eggs, lean meats, nuts and lots of berries and grapefruit!

What is your realistic resolution for 2011?

P.S. I'm also going to try to blog at least once a week. Blogging helps hold me accountable even if I don't know how many people read it. Find something to help hold you accountable and stick with it.

Good luck and happy New Year!