by: Dr. Lyndsay Elliott, guest blogger
It’s that time again, time to make and break those wretched New Year’s resolutions. It’s a well-known fact that diets don’t work, and research shows that they lead to weight gain too. So, why not make the commitment to develop a healthy relationship with food, exercise and your body this year?
You’re here on myHealthyOC.com because you have some desire to improve your health and physical well-being. Now is the time to kick that into a higher gear and take the respect for your body to a new level. Anything that adds value takes time to create. Put the time in to create a consistent respect for yourself, so that your body can continue to provide you all of the things that you want out of life.
The old saying goes, “live to eat, not eat to live.” Balance is vitally important to so many things that we do and should be incorporated in the respect we have for ourselves. Enjoy the wine, cheese and desserts, but remember to practice moderation. Is eating INTUITIVELY so much easier said than done? Americans can find five hours a day to watch television, but they can’t take 20 minutes to sit down and enjoy their meal to know how full they are? Then, after they’ve gained weight, they become frustrated and want a quick fix because working out consistently is too difficult? It just doesn’t make sense.
Why don’t you commit to doing something every single day for your body for this entire year? From simple things (like going for a 30 minute walk in your neighborhood or feeding your body real living foods for a whole day instead of something from a box), to getting a relaxing facial (even doing a homemade one!) or longer activities such as reading a great book on self-care (I highly recommend Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole!)
If you decide to set goals, each of the goals should be definable and achievable. If your goal is to be more healthy, instead of telling yourself that you want to “lose 10 pounds,” consider adding in things like “meditate every morning to get centered, 30 minutes exercise three days each week, eat (x) amount of fruits/vegetables/whole grains per day.” If you don’t have a plan to get to a healthy place, you’ll become completely discouraged when the 10 pounds doesn’t fall right off of your body (plus, isn’t long-term health more important than just being skinny?).
Turn off that tv and start thinking of your daily commitments! You can plan some of them out, or pick the morning of. Find a way that works for you, but remember: if you want your body to provide you all of the benefits of life, you have to respect it and make it a priority. Whichever way you choose, make it doable and stay dedicated. You’ll quickly see how beneficial it is!
Dr. Lyndsay Elliott is one of Southern California’s most prominent Psychologists in her field of expertise. Dr. Lyndsay (as her patients call her) maintains her clinical practice in Newport Beach, California. As a food and body image expert for the last 15 years, Dr. Lyndsay is known for her break-through work with children, teens and young adults. She particularly enjoys consulting with parents to help develop a healthy self-image for their children. Dr. Lyndsay empowers individuals with her ease, strength, and experience, ultimately propelling her patients into a new arena of growth, control and balanced living. Check out Dr. Lyndsay’s daily tips and blog at www.DrLyndsayElliott.com, on twitter @DrLyndsay and Facebook at Dr. Lyndsay Elliott, Inc.
