Moore Mischief

2 Weeks into 2012…Have you stuck to your New Year’s Resolutions?

At the beginning of every year everyone starts to think of all the areas they would like to improve or change in their lives.  I myself do the same thing, but the problem is making these potentially helpful changes stick.  This year I am trying something new.  Instead of writing down a long list of things I want to change in the year, I’m choosing one change a month.  One of the largest downfalls of most resolutions is that we set several goals at the same time, which means you’re not giving any one goal your full attention.  Losing weight and working out is one of the most common resolutions that people set.  Research says that consistency is the key; you need to dedicate at least three consecutive weeks to establish a routine.  Here is one goal that needs dedication for a full month to just establish a habit, and while you will still need to put in effort once it becomes a part of your schedule, it is no longer a chore.

So here is my plan; at the beginning of every month I will assess what I feel needs to be accomplished and work from there.  The great thing about this approach is that each month I accomplish a goal it will encourage me to move forward instead of discourage me for the entire year.  And if for some reason I don’t reach that month’s goal, it has only been a month. Let’s be honest, when setting a goal for the year it’s easy to push it back because you feel you have plenty of time to get to it.

January – Increase my exercise, decrease my stress.

Progress:

-          I started yoga again through my 24 hour fitness membership.  I can’t make any excuses not to go it’s a free class.

-          My wonderful boyfriend and I have been hitting the gym together in the evenings.  While we are not working out side by side, the    encouragement to get out of the house and making the arrangements before has helps my motivation.

-          I started taking breaks and walking around the block with a co-working.  Monday through Friday we take at least 2 ten minute walks, fresh air and a little venting and I feel more balanced when I return to my desk.

-          I joined an arena soccer league that I paid for.  Nothing motivates more than the thought of wasting money when I could be shopping  Now that I have paid for an entire season you better believe that I will be at the games, working out while having fun.

Two weeks in and I’m still motivated…let’s see how the next two weeks unfold and where my next month’s goals will lead me!

Portion Control

It has been two weeks since I have started with a personal trainer and instead of feeling better, I am sore and hungry lol.  One thing I have noticed to be true is smaller portions, more often is working.  Even though I feel like I am constantly eating I’m never uncomfortably full.

Portion Control

So how do you portion control when everything in American is made in portions for four people instead of one?  My little trick is small containers, salad plates and cups instead of bowls.  When I’m packing my lunch I use the smallest container I can find, and if your really paying attention you’ll notice that even that holds a lot.  I went to pack some cottage cheese for lunch and two scoops later I was looking at the container half full going…this is to much!

Salad plates are a perfect tool to keeping your portioning down because you have half the space of a normal plate.  Once you get used to the smaller portion I would recommend taking this one step further and make it so that your food doesn’t touch on the plate…sounds funny but you’ll notice the portion decreases even more once your not piling it on.

Lastly, used a cup as your bowl.  You’ll notice on most cereals, ice cream and bowl used products a serving size is half/full cup.  By using a cup to eat these produces it makes enjoying them easier!

Keep in mind you have to still put healthy items in these portion control containers.  But these tricks are helping me so hopefully they can aid with your goals