Resolutions

(By Slick)

A couple of weeks ago at Zumba class our instructor reminded us that we need to arrive early for the January classes.  As I just started attending classes in October I was pretty much oblivious as to why I would need to arrive early.  I wasn’t the only one in the class confused by this statement. Seeing our blanks looks she said, “You know the New Year?”  Again, blank looks.  Then she said the “R” word…Resolutions. She said for most of January the classes will be double their normal size.  Though good for her business, it makes for a crowded dance floor for the rest of us.  

From various articles I have read on the internet about half of us make resolutions. And about 40% of us are actually successful at accomplishing our resolutions. I make resolutions every year.  I even go the extra step and write them or type as the case may be.  Last year I even made a PowerPoint presentation.  If you haven’t guessed I am a bit of a nerd.  Anyway…every year I promise myself to lose weight.  Usually between 10 to 20lbs depending on my self esteem on that particular day. Yeah to me! I was able to lose 10lbs through a combination of Weight Watchers and the support of my family and friends.  But with the holidays and my knee injury, I have gained a couple of those pounds back.  So again this year ‘lose weight’ is my number one resolution this year.  

I think the key point to accomplishing a resolution is having a plan.  To that effect I have signed up for half a marathon…the ‘Rock ‘n Roll Marathon’ in DC this March.  I have also joined a weight loss competition. The competition runs from end of January to the end of March.  It is a team event and I have convinced my husband and some of my closest friends to join.  The major motivation of this will be accountability.  It would be one thing for me to not lose the weight and disappoint myself; it is another for me to cause me team to lose.  Especially as the winning team comes home $500 richer.  The half marathon and competition will figure immensely in my posts in the next couple of weeks. 

A great thing about my plan is that the time line allows me a chance to re-evaluate my goals and my methods if I am not successful in the next couple of months.  Plus tracking my progress through blogging will help with the accountability factor.  In order to increase my motivation and accountability I will be adding one of those cute little progress markers on the blog.  Don’t look for it yet, have to find one and the official weigh in is not until next week.

Some people out there might be wondering why try, why go through all the effort.  I am trying to lose weight for a myriad of reasons, but mostly it comes down to the fact that I want to be as healthy as I can for as long as I can…and I would rather try and have some small success then watch my butt get bigger, my self esteem grow smaller and my health breakdown.  

If you are part of the half of the population writing resolutions this year, I wish you the best of luck in keeping the resolutions.  Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!