Don’t wait for the new year to get healthy – Statesville Record & Landmark

At the beginning of every year, people start to make changes. They set goals and establish commitments.

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to be healthy and lose weight. But in the cold months of January and February, it can be hard to go outside and get active.

For now, Mother Nature is on your side.

You don’t have to wait until New Year’s to make a change.

Health and Wellness Director

Set small attainable goals

Goals should start out as something you can reach in 30 days or fewer.

“You only want to lose one to two pounds per week to be able to keep it off,” Cearlock said. “Ten pounds in a month is not an attainable goal.”

But goals don’t have to be about weight loss. You can aim to increase distance when running or increase the weight you lift while strength training.

“Ten percent increase is what we like to encourage people to do every couple weeks,” she said. “You don’t want to go past that because you’ll get injured or you’ll burn yourself out.”

For people who are just starting out, a short, attainable goal can just be visiting a fitness center two to three days per week.

Workout plans on the Internet can be misleading. For people who are sedentary, the plans may not match what an individual can do safely.

Fitness facilities have people who can talk to you about your goals and show you how to properly use equipment.

“If you’re at home, you can potentially get hurt because your form isn’t correct or you don’t know how to do something,” she said. “Personal trainers are great, especially to reach goals pretty quickly.

Joining a fitness facility and participating in group classes can also create a sense of community.

“You’re going to have people who are looking for you, so it’s going to cause a little bit of accountability,” she said. “Also, if you join a fitness center, you’re paying the money. If you’re paying the money, you’re going to show up.”

It’s best to find a friend who has a similar exercise interest. That way, you can set the same workout schedule, be held accountable and have fun together.

But finding someone at your level isn’t always possible, and individuals should not shy away from working out with someone more advanced.

“Let’s say your buddy is way above your level,” she said. “You’re going to work harder because you have something to attain, and they inspire you.”

If you are more advanced than your friends, you are also more likely to work harder because you’re encouraging them.

People often think that running is the best way to lose weight, but any cardio workout can help.

“It doesn’t have to specifically be getting on a treadmill and running three miles or running a 5K,” she said. “As long as you’re moving and doing some kind of cardio, then you’re going to lose the weight.”

Examples of cardio exercises are walking, biking, hiking or playing sports. For women especially, lifting weights is also important.

“It doesn’t have to be heavy; you don’t have to get big,” she said. “But in order for us (women) to burn calories and fat, it is a necessity to do some strength training. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn.”

Remember why you’re doing it

You should never look at another person’s figure and set that as your goal. Supermodel size is not realistic.

“I started out being the mom of two, overweight,” she said. “My original thought was I wanted to be skinny again -— it got boring. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be healthy.”

It’s important to keep your focus on how far you have come and then how far you still need to go. It takes four weeks to make any kind of change to your body and sometimes eight weeks for people to notice.

“The scale is probably your worst enemy,” she said.

Scales may show you are gaining weight, but it could be muscle. The proper way to gauge progress is to take measurements. You can learn how to take measurements using online videos or you can have someone check your body fat at a fitness center.

Iredell Memorial Hospital

Sugar can cause inflammation, and inflammation can lead to various diseases.

A lot of people have a sweet tooth, and businesses have been capitalizing. Places like Starbucks offer sugary drinks with nearly enough calories to be considered a meal.

Sugary calories are often called empty calories because they have little nutritional value. Sodas, sweet tea and desserts all have lots of sugar.

“Moderation is key,” McKinney said. “You don’t have to eliminate it totally, but maybe just cut out the sweet drinks; that would be a good start. Let your tastebuds adjust. Let yourself adjust.

Some people can quit immediately and others have to do it gradually. Either way, sugar is an acquired taste — the more you consume, the more your body wants.

Increase good fats in your diet

Not all fats are bad. While saturated fats are known to cause heart disease, unsaturated fats can actually protect your heart.

“In the ’80s and ’90s, there was a no-fat craze,” she said. “The reason people cut out fat is because it has more calories per gram than carbohydrates and proteins. Now, we’re realizing we were cutting out a lot of the good fats we could have had.”

For example, real butter is better than margarine and regular dairy products are better than fat-free. Avocados and coconut oil are also healthy choices containing good fats.

To see how much saturated fat is in a product, you can simply look at food labels before purchasing.

You can’t outrun a bad diet

You can’t eat a bad diet and expect exercise to help you lose weight and be healthy.

“We hate to even say the word diet,” she said. “It’s something that’s temporary. It’s something you go off of. It’s something you cheat on. We like to promote a healthier style of eating.”

While losing weight does come down to burning more calories than you consume, other nutrients play a major role in your health.

“A weightlifter can lift all the weights he wants,” she said. “But if he doesn’t have adequate protein, he’s not going to build muscle.”

As you get older, you have to exercise harder and still might not get the results you used to. But pairing healthy eating habits with exercise is the best way to reach your goals.

“I think nutrition has a higher impact on health issues than exercise, but they both make an important team,” she said.

It’s important to drink more water in warm weather and during exercise.

“Our bodies are mostly water anyways, and cells have to have water,” she said. “So you are basically just replenishing to make your whole body system work, especially your kidneys.”  

But not everyone needs eight glasses per day like some studies suggest. Some people need more and others need less.

Aside from replenishing, water can also help with your appetite. Sometimes the brain gets confused and releases hunger signals when you are actually thirsty.

“It’s the one thing you have to have,” she said. “It does flush out your system, and it does make you feel full.”

Increase fiber in your diet

It’s hard to get the fiber you need when trying to balance a fast-paced life.

“We don’t always have the luxury of having time to cook a meal,” she said. “We want an easy fix.”

Fiber helps you be healthy in a variety of ways, so it’s important to get the proper amount. This can be achieved by utilizing your local farmer’s market to purchase more fruits and vegetables.

“Try growing some of your own food at home and let the kids participate,” she said. “It gets them active and teaches them how to grow their own food.”

You can also get fiber by adding wheat germ, flax seed and quinoa to your meals.

from myhealtyze http://www.myhealtyze.tk/dont-wait-for-the-new-year-to-get-healthy-statesville-record-landmark/