What is a Fresh Start?
The definition of “start” is to begin or set in motion; this
has never been more fitting than when used in this
context of wellness. Your plan is not to go from 0-60 in
3.5 seconds, but to set in motion a lifestyle change.
Huge changes that are made overnight with an
expectation of success rarely succeed.
Our society has decided that everything should happen
in an instant and when we don’t get what we want
immediately, or see the results we expect right away,
we become discouraged and quit. We almost set
ourselves up for failure from the beginning. A fresh and
successful start is going to begin with baby steps.
The First Step
Your ultimate goal is wellness, and it’s more than just
an absence of symptoms. It is a true expression of
health in every area of your life: physical, emotional
and spiritual. Considering these three categories of
wellness, the first step to a fresh start is to make a list
of the top five areas where you want to improve.
There may be a multitude of changes you eventually
want to make, but success begins by setting small
things in motion. Like a marathon runner, the strategy
is to set a steady pace and go the distance. Consider
the following examples of areas where you may want to
improve and suggestions on how to make lasting
changes with baby steps.
Lose Weight
A recent study by the World Health Organization
(WHO) estimated that 1 in 3 of the world’s adults is
overweight and 1 in 10 is actually clinically obese. This
statistic helps to support the fact that one of the most
common lifestyle choices made is to lose weight. It’s a
wise choice, and definitely an important one, but also
one that is proven to be typically unsuccessful.
Research has shown that 95% of those who lose
weight will eventually gain it back (usually within three years).
This is why losing weight is linked to two
important lifestyle choices: nutritional changes and
physical activity.
Nutritional Changes
The first step to weight loss, this change needs to start
small by increasing your low-glycemic vegetable intake,
the greener the better, and avoiding high-glycemic
vegetables such as corn, potatoes, carrots and peas.
Start by eating one extra low-glycemic vegetable a day;
in a month, add another vegetable to your diet. Within
five months you will be eating the recommended daily
allowance of vegetables and you’ll be feeling healthier
and losing weight. (To be continued….)
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