By Steve Vucovich
Most people use the first of the year as a way to start a resolution(s) which are intended to add positivity to their lives, their futures. In reality, people start resolutions all throughout the year. Typically these start on a Friday to commence on the upcoming Monday! Or, it's the last week of the month, and their resolution is to start on the first of the next month.
Sound familiar? It rings a bell to me personally as I too have made a few resolutions over the years.
However, the biggest, most hyped resolution time is the first of any year. As such, these resolutions typically have the highest social or personal value associated with them. For instance: spend more time with my family/parents; look for new employment opportunities; finish my degree; take more vacations; save more of my paycheck; get rid of household junk; or exercise, eat better and lose weight.
Probably the largest group of New Year’s resolutions today have to do with one’s health. Why? In my opinion, it's because of the immense amount of data that has shown us how we as a nation have become less healthy. It’s clear that pre-diabetic and diabetic individuals are on a meteoric rise among all age groups. Cardiovascular disease is now seen at an earlier age. Obesity related cancers are on the rise and so too are orthopedic operations on back, hips and knees due to being overweight and inactive.
Our health insurance premiums have been rising at high percentages for years. As usage of health insurance plans increases, so do insurance payments to doctors and hospitals. It’s pretty simple economics.
So if this year is the year that your resolution has weight loss and exercise as a goal, how do you succeed? Well after working for 37 years in the health and fitness industry and speaking to 1000’s of people, success really comes down to one thing: commitment. You either commit or you don’t. You either push through to your end goals or you let other things take priority.
Being overweight is caused by too little activity in comparison to the amount of calories a person consumes each day. If it was easy to back off the calories, then everyone would be at their ideal weight. Overeating must be looked at as an addiction. One definition of addiction is: a dependence on a substance (food) even though you know it causes you harm.
Everyone knows that being overweight is harmful to your body and yet we are seeing vast increases in our population’s clinical obesity rates. Being clinically obese is when a male has a body fat percentage of 25% or more and females have 32% or more. The majority of the U.S. population falls into this category.
How do people deal successfully with addictions? Through commitment. In the case of weight loss and exercise, you commit to eating 100 fewer calories a day. You cut up some fresh vegetables to snack on instead of a candy bar or chips. You take the time that you spend mindlessly on your phone and go to the kitchen and prep some healthy meals and snacks for the week. Instead of watching that hour (or three) of TV each day, you make it to the gym to take an exercise class, strength-train or play basketball, tennis or pickleball.
You commit.
Commit to starting on both your calorie reductions and exercise . Commit to consistency on your exercise program (3 to 4 times a week.) Need some help? Consult experts in these respective fields.
This year, commit! If you do, I guarantee you’ll be healthier, happier and stronger.
Vucovich is the owner of Club Apple in Idaho Falls. For more information, visit theclubapple.com.