Rule of thumb. New Years Resolutions Beware:)

"This year I am going to......". Famous last words for some of us.

 Declaring change and actually experiencing change are two very different concepts. Our brains are wired to do what is comfortable and familiar. 'Hyperbolic Discounting' is a term used by scientists (Dube 2010), to describe our brain's adaptability to negotiate the present moment to get what we want, maybe a piece of chocolate cake, and, to put off our immediate goal, maybe limiting sugar intake. For example, how many of us have said "I'll start tomorrow"and tomorrow never comes. However, in that "I'll start tomorrow" moment their a sense of satisfaction and even gratification.We get what we want, the cake, and convince our minds that we have stuck to our initial goal of limiting our sugar intake. Perfect, right? No no.

  I believe the following "rules of thumb" will help attain our New Year's wellness goals and, overcome our 'oh so smart and tricky minds'.

1. You know your body best. Their is something J. Rosenthal refers to as Bio-Indivduality, which means your body and your system is unique to you. Unfortunately, their is no one simple fix for all.  So if you are starting a fitness or wellness program, give yourself permission to play with it, see what works with your body and tweak as needed.

2. Make sure your goal is sustainable. Personally I think it's none-sense to start something that is not sustainable. So if you are doing a cleanse for a week and then hopping back on your gluttonous diet for the year, consider this: cleanse and clean up your diet a little bit. Make it goal to be more aware of what you are eating. Maybe incorporate more leafy dark greens or vegetables, when you are making rice always choose brown, take the stairs or walk when you can. These little changes add up over a year and are monumental to your long term health.

3. 80/20 Rule. I don't really believe in diets. 2 out of 100 people are successful on Western mainstream diets (J. Fuhrman). That sucks. So try this, 80% of the time eat relatively clean. 20% of the time have some drinks and dessert or, some salty chips (my fav). If working out more is one of your goals, maybe commit to 3 - 4 days a week rather than 7 days a week. Make it a little easier on yourself and more attainable.

*Find out what works for you. It may take a little longer to get to your desired goal but that's ok because you are doing it at a pace that works with your life. The goal becomes enjoyable and not stressful, it's not taking away from anything but adding tremendous benefit to your life and your health.

Good luck New Year's Resies:)

I hope this helps,

Mich