Happy 2016!!!

Happy 2016, everyone! Are you as excited as I am? I don't believe in the whole "a new year, a new me" mumbo jumbo, but there is just something so exciting about knowing that your year is starting out fresh and new.

I hope that we are all healthy and happy. I am sure that a lot of you are here simply because you have decided that THIS IS THE YEAR. It is the year that you are going to finally stop eating unhealthy food, the year that you are going to start working out every day, the year that you are going to get your health under control. Well, congratulations!!!

The decision to get in shape is a great decision. But, we all know that it isn't as easy as all of that...If it was easy, everyone would do it. Am I right?

Now, every year, it seems like everyone and his grandmother says that this year they are going to get in shape. And by January 15, they've given up. Why, is that you ask?

Well, thank you for asking, it's because people try to make a huge drastic change to their lifestyle all at once. And it's tiring, and overwhelming, and then they get really, really frustrated, then they eat a cookie, then they give up altogether. Yes, I know that is a run on sentence. I did it for dramatic emphasis.

If you try to jump into a new lifestyle all at once, of course it's going to be ridiculously hard. If you change the way you eat, the way you do everything, you aren't going to be enjoying it. Isn't enjoying life the reason we want to be in shape anyway?

So, how about this year, we slow it down. Get in shape in a realistic manner. I'm not saying to go ahead and eat processed junk and never exercise. I'm saying small transitions.

Now, let's start talking about exercise. Exercise seems to be such a loaded word. Everyone is like I HATE exercise. No, you don't!!! You just haven't found the exercise that you like.

Let's face it. Right now, it's cold out. It's winter. We ALL are cooped up inside and want to be active. Some of us have gym memberships, some of us don't. If you have a gym membership, you can go to the gym listen to some tunes and workout. If you don't, you can do what I love to do: put on some really fun, upbeat music and have a dance party in your living room. You can follow choreographed workouts, which are a lot of fun, get some dance party/workout games for your gaming system and dance it out while trying to get a high score, or just crank up that cd and dance however feels right. All of these are great ways to burn calories and put a smile on your face. And if you're an "adult" like me that owns their own furniture, you can even add some difficulty to your dancing by dancing on the couch!!! Seriously, I do this all the time. I tend to hop on the couch and dance around, the springiness of the couch adds a lot of difficulty, imagine walking on sand, but a lot more fun. After a good 20 or 30 minute dance party, you'll be dripping with sweat and smiling from ear to ear.

Even if you're a big tough dude, you can dance it out. Close the curtains and dance your heart out.

Onto nutrition, since 80% of getting into shape is eating healthy. Don't swap everything out!!! I cannot stress how important this is. I am sure that people will tell you that you have to quit it all cold turkey, that's just wrong. If you do that, YOU WILL have withdrawals. I'm not being overly dramatic. Our bodies actually become addicted to the fats and sugars in processed foods. If you quit it all cold turkey, you will suffer. You will have crazy cravings that seem to get worse, because they do.

Instead, pick a few things that you are willing to swap out. And make the switch. When it becomes natural to you to maintain those items, pick a few more and slowly transition your diet. And once you start eating a mostly healthy diet, you'll start feeling a lot better.

Remember, eat a rainbow. Choose fruits and vegetables of every color to eat. The reason they are different colors is that they are filled with different nutrients.

Eat brown rice, quinoa, and legumes (beans and lentils). This will give you tons of fiber and proteins.

Well, I think this is a great start for the year. I'll see you guys soon with more helpful hints and ideas.