The gyms
are crowded, Weight Watchers meetings are full and diet books and magazines are
flying off the shelves; it's January. It's a new year so it’s a great
time to get started on a whole new you, right?
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| Guess after two kids I'll have to pass on that virgin diet. Now the MILF . . . |
Well, yes.
. . and no. It’s always a good idea to
work on better eating habits, but I would argue that January is one of the
worst months to begin this process.
Motivation
is easy to find in January. You might be
feeling a little softer around the middle after all that holiday (over)eating. Then the media starts their ruthless campaign
to make you hyper-aware of all your body imperfections and the amazing array of
products available to fix each and every one.
Magazine covers and morning news shows assure you they know exactly
which diet and exercises will have you looking like a (photo shopped) super model.
It’s all so
tempting. Could I really have flat abs
and a perfectly toned arse by spring?
Even though I’ve had the same stomach and butt for my entire adult
life? You say you have the
solution? Well, OK then, let me just get
out my wallet (which is thin from its
own Christmas overload).
If you
truly want to eat healthier and add more exercise to your life, the January
overload can actually make it harder rather than easier and, I believe, diminish
your chances of success.
Too many
diet books screaming at you at the same time only makes it harder to figure out
which (if any) of them are right for you.
Most will work, but usually only until you run out of their recipes (around
week 2) or you get sick of eating weird food that you have to carry around with
you because no restaurants are serving it.
As I
pointed out earlier, gyms and Weight Watchers meetings are packed in
January. It is the worst time to get
individual attention or a spot on the best treadmill (the one with the best
view of the TV’s). Both of these are
great places to be, but you will find them much easier to navigate in February
(or any other month). The sad truth is
that the majority of people who flock to the gym or join Weight Watchers are
going to quit within the first month. I
wonder how much of that is unrealistic expectations and how much is crowd
frustration.
So, what
can you do when you are feeling a little too winter flabby? My best answer for January is baby
steps. Just going back to the way you
normally eat, before all party food and baked goods, should drop a pound or
two. If you want to eat healthier, you
don’t need a $30 diet book to tell you to eat more fruits and veggies. If you just add one to every meal in January,
I predict you would drop another pound or two.
Then you are on a roll (and losing your rolls). If you are ready to hit the gym or get group
support to keep you going after the first few pounds, February would be an
ideal time to get started.