Yes, you have eaten too much, drank a few too many sherberts and had too many late nights. Your energy is low, your mood is like the great British weather. You are about to be bombarded by a load of smug, shiny, and bouncy holier than thou fitness 'experts' who will change your life.
The annual cycle of fitness resolution and failure by February is upon you like a bad case of measles. Obvious to anyone looking in, painful for you and 'don't worry it will soon pass'. Discovering that there is no quick fix to feeling and looking like Brad Pitt in Fight club is a depressing realisation. Half way through your resolution, a leaving do or a wedding or a birthday will mug you, thus blowing your dryathlon. You will forget your kit one night and stay at work late, blowing the gym and the hangover after the birthday drinks will see the healthy eating campaign disappear in a bacon and fried egg sandwich.
It is not all your fault, not quite, you are force fed so much by the over worked and uninformed media that it is no wonder you are glad when February comes along so people are talking about the weather and looking forward to Spring and have forgotten that you should be soaking chickpeas on a weekend.
Right, it is not all doom and gloom as long as you get your head around the fundamental rules of being a happy shiny healthy person. Fitness and well-being are like a puppy okay, they are not just for New Year, they are for life. You have to feed yourself the right things, go for a daily bit of exercise and sleep well.
Somewhere along the line you have to run out of excuses, go to the mirror and take a good look. What ever you see can look better, what ever you feel like, you can feel better and the up shot is ANYONE can be fit and healthy. Even you.
Lets put a few thing right before we start. There is no quick fix, if you are sold one, take it back, if you read about one, put it down. Nothing worth having happened over night, not even winning the lottery. Every fit person you know, see and read about has grafted their backside off, shown discipline and made conscious and informed choices to look 'that' good. Choices you too can make. It really is that easy. There is a secret (revealed later) to your success and once you realise that you want to change then the rest is relatively easy. I believe, that everyone without exception would like to improve something about themselves, as no one is perfect. Importantly, you have to take the long view of your fitness and living healthier. It is where are you going to be in three, five, ten years that matters, not where are you going to being in two weeks of the latest 'Z list' plan or after a week of colonic irrigation in Thailand.
Back to that secret, the secret of your success, everyone's for that matter. It is creating a positive routine and accepting that it is ok and essential to devote an hour a day to you. One hour out of twenty-four is all you need. It is a small amount of time where big things will happen. Equally, and most importantly, we have to accept we are creatures of habit. This fact is going to re-assure you that you can become more energised, lose a few pounds and start feeling fantastic.
No matter what your level you need to get moving in a consistent and progressive manner. There are no excuses, your body is a machine and needs to move and be fuelled properly. It is a fact that working out with others is far more inspiring and motivational, so do not be shy, grab someone you know, hire a trainer or join a sports club.
Back to the hour a day that I feel is needed. This hour can be filled with planning food, stretching, getting kit organised, getting your diary sorted. It is the cumulative process of giving back to yourself that allows progress and the results to happen.
We all have an in built daily routine that keeps us secure inside ourselves. Do not mess or fiddle with this routine too much or you will just abandon the good intention and run back to the old bad habits. Start at the beginning of the day and take a couple of weeks to get breakfast sorted. Once regimented and nailed on you tackle the rest of the day, slowly integrating good choices and eliminating bad. So in six months, you are in the game and feeling proud of yourself.
Lastly, you have to accept that change is just change, it is in us all to improve and become more responsible for our own actions and our own well-being. It is not the government's fault, it is not works fault nor your partner or your kids. It is up to you to be decisive and believe in yourself. Because you can become fitter, healthier and more energised. You just have to want it bad enough.
Happy and healthy New Year