Tips for the New Year

Well, it’s the New Year -- again.  Time to make those resolutions that we usually don’t keep.  Did you know that a little over 97% of the people who make New Year’s resolutions abandon them within thirty days after starting?  Oy vey!   97%!  With a failure rate like that, why  even bother!?!

The main cause for not keeping our first of the year resolution is setting goals that are unreasonable and just not us!  I mean let’s face facts, how many of us actually get up at 5 a.m. to jog 3-5 miles or head off to the gym for that work-out before work?  Yea, I’m sure there are some out there, but I’m talking to the 97% of us who don’t!  

There is hope for us who fall into that 97% bracket.  And no, it’s not making resolutions to watch more TV,  gain weight and never making it off the couch longer than it takes to get our beverage or make a bathroom run!  Although, those seem to be the easiest resolutions to keep!  No! No!  No!  We are going to make it out of that 97% this year!  

And here are a few helpful tips to help you make a resolution (or more) and actually keep them!

One of the main reasons the 97% folks can’t keep their resolutions is because they set goals that are way too lofty.  So let’s take a look at  Tip #1

Tip #1: Start with small steps.  Instead of resolving to lose that annoying 50 pounds you been packing around since your high school graduation or that “baby fat” you gained with your last child (who is now 30 years old) why not just resolve to skip dessert once a week and exercise once a week.

After these small changes become habits, implement bigger changes and increase your exercise time.

It has been proven that small successes  inspire us to move forward. If we set our goals too high,  we are doomed to failure.

So remember to Start small and work your way up to bigger and better things over time.

Sounds easy enough, I can go without dessert once a week.  And I know I can exercise at least once a week.  Yea, Tip #1 sounds like a winner. 

Let’s see, another reason for not keeping resolutions is not planning ahead.  I was told a very long time ago that you should treat yourself like a business.  Businesses don’t get started nor are they ran successfully without a good solid plan, right?  Same holds true about how you want to improve yourself.  Be the improvement come in the guise of better and healthier eating habits to exercising to being a better person overall.  Let’s take a look at Tip #2

Tip #2: Be specific - Don’t set general goals.  If you resolve to be a better spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend this year, you don’t have a plan, that‘s a good start, but what‘s your plan?  With no plan the chances are it won’t happen.  So think of just one specific thing your spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend would like you to do for him or her.  Keep in mind folks,  “Little Things” DO mean a lot!  Back rubs at the end of the day, picking up your underwear,  taking out the garbage without being asked, washing the dishes once a week, not hogging the remote, etc.

Just resolve to make the effort to do that one thing on a regular basis.

Believe it or not, even the smallest of changes can and do make a big difference in your relationship.

Tip #2 sounds great!  And too, very simplistic!  Personally, I am hoping for someone at my house to make that resolution at being a better person and give me that back rub!  Heck! I would settle for once a month back rubs just so my significant other can keep his resolution! 

Now another reason people don’t keep their resolutions is that they aren’t motivated to take hold of being personally responsible for what they have set out to do.  They think that because no one is looking or knows, they can slack off and eventually just stop doing it.  Having to take responsibility and being held accountable is motivation to keep on keeping on.  Let’s take a look at Tip #3

Tip #3: Have some accountability.   We all need someone who will check up on us. Just knowing someone is going to  ask how we are doing will motivate us to work toward the goal.

So the tip here is, share with a friend what you’ve determined to do and ask them to check back with you each week. Believe it or not, there is a greater chance that you’ll put forth some effort when you’re expecting to give a report on your progress.

Those who attend weekly weight loss meetings and have a friend or partner who supports them in their efforts have stated that their success was due in part of being held accountable for their actions! 

Also, if your goal is to lose weight and begin eating healthier, keeping a food diary each and every day provides motivation as well.  The diary lets you see where you need to improve with respects to your eating habits.

Ahhh!  Accountability thy name is responsibility!  I can attest to Tip #3 with respect to weight loss.  Having someone check on my progress or just knowing I can call my buddy when I am on the verge of an eating binge does in fact keep me straight as it were!  So yea, Tip #3 is pretty nifty!

Okay, so I have the tips to getting things started, I got my goals, I got my plan and I got my buddy system in place.  Oh yea, one last thing to successfully keeping my new year goals is the payoff!  Years ago there was a movie called “Dangerous Minds” starring Michelle Pfieffer.  This movie was based on a true story of an inner-city teacher who was sent to teach kids that everyone had given up hope on.  These where the kids who were considered “throw-aways” a total waste to society.  But this teacher,  determined that no child is hopeless,  set out to teach the unteachable and motivate these kids to actually learn.

My favorite scene in the movie was where she would ask a question to the class, the person who got the answer right received a candy bar.  This simple act sparked interest in the class and motivated the kids to start learning again.  This teacher knew the importance of pay-offs.  Pay-offs, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant to others, creates a sense of pride for the person who worked hard to reach their goals.

Tip #4: Choose to do something that has a payoff.  Setting goals that will provide a sense of satisfaction upon completion keeps us motivated.  If your goal is to lose weight, then promise yourself a nice piece of jewelry when you have lost a certain amount, make it small, like a pound or two to start off or maybe a nice bottle of perfume for faithfully keeping your food diary that week.  Or for you guys, maybe you could set as your payoff that new pair of running shoes or a new tool or that new grill for summer cook outs, etc. 

You don’t have to spend a lot of cash, the payoff could be something like a nice long bubbly bath with your favorite music playing softly in the background or a movie rental.  Remember to keep it small at first and work your way up!  Determine to do something or purchase something that you’ll enjoy so much that you’ll want to continue doing it.

Well, there you have it folks!  Tips for getting out of that 97% bracket in 2015!  I’m feeling empowered and motivated already! How about you?

May 2015 bring you closer to your dreams and your goals!

Happy New Year!

DANGEROUS DIET: Young girls swallowing cotton balls to lose weight

 A weight loss trend that involves eating cotton balls has health officials issuing warnings for parents.

It seems Americans are obsessed with losing weight or wearing a smaller size, and images from the media reinforce a false perception of beauty.

"I think, especially young girls, don't realize that those models are airbrushed," said Amy Garlove, a pediatrician at Norton Healthcare. "There's a lot of Photoshopping that goes into that."

Young girls are trying to measure up to the glamorous women they see in magazines and on TV. Many times these models often go to extremes to stay thin.

It's an unobtainable -- and dangerous -- goal, and Garlove says social media and websites can make things worse.

"Now in this day and age, we have the added insult, essentially, of the Internet, and so girls can get these ideas from other girls," Garlove said.

Some of those ideas are so disturbing, they're hard to comprehend. There are now reported cases of girls so desperate to lose weight that they swallow cotton balls to curb their appetites.

It's a trend therapists like Dr. Eli Karam in Louisville have begun seeing in young patients.

"This trend really got started by YouTube clips being made of other girls showing how to do this, how to restrict," said Dr. Karam.

The Internet is peppered with dozens of videos demonstrating how to eat cotton balls -- and some even make a game of out of coming up with creative ways to eat the cotton, including dipping them in juice "and then they swallow them with the hopes that it will fill up their stomachs so they will not be hungry."

Marsha Hilgeford, a registered dietitian, says the idea behind the trend is that "cotton would absorb and fill the space so there wouldn't be any emptiness, they would feel a fullness."

In fact, cotton balls are not very absorbent. If one is dipped in a container of yogurt, for example, the yogurt just sticks to it and continues to collect food. It does the same thing in the intestinal tract.

"It's not going to absorb anything," Garlove said. "It may take up space in the stomach for awhile, but it's certainly not going to be anything that is going to keep the patient from still needing the calories and the nutrients that your body has to have to survive and to thrive."

There are a number of dangers associated with ingesting cotton balls -- starting with the potential of choking. The danger grows as the cotton works its way through your body.

If the cotton ball does reach the stomach, it can cause sharp pains for the person who ingested it.

Cotton balls can also form blockages in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to surgery or even death.

"You might as well soak your T-shirt in grape juice and eat it," said Hilgeford.

To make matters worse, there are chemicals in cotton balls that could be harmful.

"Most girls, when they're doing that (eating cotton balls) aren't thinking about that," said Karam. "They're just thinking about the short term -- what will help me, what will make me feel better about myself, what will help me stop eating," said Karam.

Karam says young girls may try the cotton ball diet as a to gain a sense of control in what can be chaotic lives.

It's important for parents to pay attention to eating habits at home. Symptoms to watch for include: anxiety around food, attitude change, and stomach issues.

"Whereas an adult might think this is a very high-risk behavior, you can actually find the reverse, where a young girl could receive support from her peers for doing this.

We often turn to the Internet for information, but sometimes the wrong information can be dangerous. Many of the images seen by impressionable young minds do not reflect reality, and the pressure for a perfect body takes a toll on young women.

"They're trying to keep up with this unattainable goal of being this perfect body type, which doesn't exist because it's all done on computers," Garlove said.

It's the ugly side of the beauty industry.

If you or someone you know has an eating disorder, it's important to get help.

CLICK HERE for more information

Source:  WDRB News