It's fat...I mean, that time of year again

Ahhh..candy canes, fudge, countless cookie trays, turkey, stuffing, eggnog, mashed potatoes smothered in butter. Sound familiar?

It is that time of the year, our bank accounts are empty, but our waistlines are fuller than we would like. After the holidays we start thinking about a new year, and a new change for us. The New Years Resolution is a longtime tradition. We talk about what we want to change, we think about it, maybe even obsessively, but do we actually make that lasting change we long for?

I did a bit of research and found the top 10 New Years Resolutions:

Top 10 Most Common
New Year’s Resolutions:

1 Lose Weight and Get in Better Physical Shape
2 Stick to a Budget
3 Debt Reduction
4 Enjoy More Quality Time with Family & Friends
5 Find My Soul Mate
6 Quit Smoking
7 Find a Better Job
8 Learn Something New
9 Volunteer and Help Others
10 Get Organized

These all sound great to me, who wouldn't want to have a fit healthy body, and great job, great love life, happy family, plenty of money, and all the energy and time to spend that money doing things with that spouse and family that you have always wanted to do. It sounds like the life of a celebrity or a multi-millionaire. But, we can all have a piece of the joy if we start now, by making some lasting changes to our lifestyle.

It all starts with just moving more. Move more you say...maybe you've seen the "Move It" TV commericals, or you've heard Nike say "Just do it". It sounds easy, after all weren't our bodies make for moving? It is much harder in practice sometimes.

In order for any resolution to really stick, it has to become a habit. Habit are created when we do something over and over again, until it becomes second nature. Starting any diet or exercise program is difficult at first, but once you start experiencing how great you feel, you want that feeling more in more. Kinda like a drug, I guess.

When most people decide to "move more" or start an exercise program they make the mistake of going all out right away. They join a gym, push their bodies too hard the first time and end up miserably sore for three days. Sound familiar? The other error they make is not pushing themselve hard enough. They are afraid of getting hurt, or they simply don't know what exercises will benefit them most. The key is to challenge your body gradually and consistenly over time.

I hear it all the time..."Two years ago I joined a gym and I lost 40 pounds, but I stopped going and I have gained it all back plus more." When I ask why they stopped going, it is almost always a simple answer like, "I got busy with work", or "I started to get lazy". We all get busy with work or our kids, or just life. We all have our lazy days, or weeks, but is that really an excuse? I tell all of my personal training clients, to be as consistent as possible with diet and exercise, "most of the time". No one is perfect. We all fall back into old habits sometimes, we have a bad day and we come home and devour an entire frozen pizza, or a quart of cookie dough ice cream. Those that are successful with weight loss, get right back to the gym or the diet and don't allow themselves to be discouraged. It's a marathon, not a sprint!

Break These Habits--Get Fit Fast

5 exercise strategies that can backfire

By Michele Stanten with Selene Yeager , Michele Stanten is the Prevention fitness director. Selene Yeager is a contributing editor to Prevention magazine. She is also the author of Selene Yeager's Perfectly Fit and other health titles.

If you take the time and make the effort to exercise, you want results. Yet, like many active people, you may have some well-intentioned habits that actually sabotage your workouts. Eliminate these common mistakes, and you'll get slimmer, firmer, and fitter--faster.

Too Much Fueling -Many everyday exercisers chow down on energy bars, sports drinks, and recovery bars that should be reserved for elite athletes, says Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, vice president of educational services at the American Council on Exercise. "People think they'll supply magical strength, when all they primarily provide is calories. You can easily eat and drink 700 calories for a 200-calorie workout," he says. "Stick to a simple piece of fruit or some nuts and water if you need a snack."

Once-and-Done Attitude- Many folks mistakenly believe that 30 minutes of exercise on the treadmill is license to take the elevator, park in the closest space, or sit on the couch the rest of the day. "Exercise is cumulative. The more active you are, even when you're not 'exercising,' the better results you'll have," says Dr. Bryant. "Your body is meant to move a lot. So, avoid thinking of exercise as something you do for only half an hour."
There are lots of ways to stay active:

Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator.
Park a little farther away from the mall or grocery store entrance.
When you go out for lunch, choose a restaurant or carry-out several more blocks away, or just simply go out at lunch and walk 10 minutes in one direction and then turn around and walk back.
If you live in a city and take public transportation, get on one or two stops farther than usual, or get off a couple stops before your destination so you have a little walk either before or after work.

Intensity Overload -High intensity is a good thing, but a little goes a long way. "People often think that if they're exercising, they have to work as hard as they can all the time," says Dr. Bryant. "Then they quit because they hurt themselves or they can't keep it up."
Instead, exercise at a moderate intensity that you can sustain for 45 minutes. You'll be more likely to stick to it. Or investigate interval training, where you punch up the intensity for a short periods of time between more moderate exercising.

Driven to Distraction -A little diversion such as TV can make exercise time go faster, but too much detracts from your workout, explains Dr. Bryant. "Any activity that requires too much concentration, such as reading a novel or a long article, demands your focus, so you slow down physically." The better solution: Find something that helps you engage your workout. "High-energy music is one of the best choices."

Rewards Outweigh Effort-"Most people who use food as a reward take in more calories than they've expended," says Dr. Bryant. If you're going to use dessert or a nice dinner as your "carrot" to keep going, then reward yourself less frequently, he suggests. "Once a month, if you've exercised consistently, go to your favorite restaurant, and get whatever you want. For more frequent rewards, stick to CDs, clothes, and other nonfood items."

As a trainer, I often hear members say that they know that they should lift weights, but they don't want to "bulk up". Many often tell me that they really just want to lose the body fat so they stick to cardio. This is a fatal fitness error!

As you age, you lose about 2% of your muscle mass each year. By age 40 women typically lose 1/3 of a pound in muscle each year and gain at least that much in fat. Even men who run regularly can lose nearly 5 pounds of muscle in their upper body over 10 years. Strength training can prevent or reverse this muscle loss. Muscle burns more calories than fatty tissue, so building muscle will help you lose weight and keep it off. In fact, strength training revs up your metabolism by as much as 15%.

So hit the weight room and get the body you have always dreamed about. If you are unsure about how to get started, ask one of our fitness professionals or sign up for a complimentary session with a personal trainer.