Congratulations!  2008 is firmly behind us, for better or for worse.

It seems that every year people (including myself) resolve to change or improve on something beginning in January.  Usually we get off to a good start: signing up at the gym, watching what we eat, throwing out those bad habits, and generally opting for nice over naughty.  But what happens that causes us to fall off the band wagon? I think its really about biting off more than you can chew – a resolution nuclear melt down if you will.  What compounds this problem is the fact that we are coming off of one of the worst months (habit wise) – December.  We have used December as a reasoning for our over indulgence ( a little more pie, racking up the credit cards, one more beer) and lack of commitment (staying on budget, staying active, and eating healthy)

So I’ve figured that this year I am going to take it slow- maybe change things gradually.  I have heard that for something to become part of a routine you have to be disciplined enough to stay with it for a minimum of 6 weeks.  So lets give that a shot.  Here is my short list of recommendations for staying on track with realistic resolutions for this year:

• Lose the fat, not the weight.

Yes thats right- this year I will not be concerned about hitting a magic number (unless I am entering a jiu jitsu tournament then I need to adhere to certain weight categories which means being aware of what the scale says in absolute terms).  One pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories and burns no calories- it just kinda sits there.  On the other hand one pound of muscle can burn around 50 calories per day.   Since muscle is much denser than fat if we can replace a pound of fat with muscle we will visually look thinner regardless of what that scale is telling us.  Its similar to the question ‘What weighs more, a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?’  Think about the volume those feathers will take up compared to the bricks.  Try to compliment any cardio excercise with resistance training – even if its at home (soup cans and sacks of potatoes can be creative solutions!).  And trade in those energy drinks, soda pop, and coffee for beverages that help to rehydrate your body without adding unnecessary calories.  I am personally going to be consuming more of our Waist Not Gypsy Gynostemma (Jia Gu Lan) Tea Blend

• Debt is Dumb, Cash is King

I am borrowing that line from Dave Ramsey, a financial counselor, radio host, and someone that has solid principles for keeping and managing your money. It really is common sense and sounds straightforward, but if you can cut up those credit cards and live on less than you make then you’ll be in good shape.  For those that are already pretty deep in the debt hole (and the majority of Canadians and Americans are really feeling it now more than ever) here are some suggestions for prioritizing those bills:

If you can’t pay all of your monthly bills, first pay the bills that are necessary for health, shelter, food and basic transportation. Then pay the secured debts such as your car loan.

Payments on unsecured loans, such as most credit cards, should come last.

Contact your creditors to try to negotiate lower rates.

And most importantly get on a budget and stay on it! A good rule to practice is to create an emergency fund – somewhere north of $1000 is a good buffer.  This has helped us one more than one occasion for unexpected expenses (broken furnace, flat tire, etc) and having $1000 easily accessible and put aside really helps relieve the stress.  If you dip into it, just build it back up when you have a chance.

• Enjoy Life

Whether you like to hike, travel, hang with friends, volunteer, or spend time with your family make sure you put a little more time aside this year to do just that.  It is easy to get caught up in the daily grind that we rarely take time to reflect and focus on the things that are important to us.  Finding some time to do what you are passionate about is a natural way to relieve stress.