Good Health

Resolution Revolution!

Cammy Dennis [cammy@ocalasgoodlife.com]

Many of us will begin the New Year with resolutions aimed at “getting in shape” or “losing some weight,” but the unfortunate reality is that most will not be successful. Human beings are wired for safety and comfort—we naturally seek out what brings us pleasure. If junk food and binge watching television provides pleasure, it will not be easy to change those behaviors.

Many of us need a fresh approach, and this requires being mindful about lifestyle changes for the long haul. Try these strategies in 2021.

BE SPECIFIC—Declare a SMART resolution. “I want to lose weight” is not a good resolution. Make your goal specific, measureable, attainable, relevant, and timely will provide a better framework for stayingaccountable. An example of a SMART resolution would be, “I want to lose 10 percent of my body weight in the next six months”. Once your goal is in place, you have a solid start.

KNOWING IS NOT ENOUGH— The notion of “knowledge is power” only works if you apply the knowledge through actions that support your goal. Energy and attention should be dedicated to the process and what we need to do right now that will move the needle on the scale.

EAT MINDFULLY—One of the most successful behavior change techniques to support a healthy diet is food tracking. By recording what you eat, you are forcing yourself to think about the food you consume. This puts you in touch with what, when, and why you are eating. This is not always easy or pleasant, but it works.

Rocky Pizzarello, an On Top of the World resident, was a participant in “Lose for Life,” a weight-management support group offered at Master the Possibilities. In the course of 15 months, Rocky went from 308 pounds to 168, an astounding 140-pound weight loss!

“On the first day of the Lose for Life program, I started logging what I ate and have been doing so for the last two years,” he says. “Fortunately, I had an app, My Fitness Pal, on my smart phone to make this easy. It helped me set my calorie goal, and the daily food tracking provided meal-by-meal guidance to keep me on course.”

SEEK SUPPORT—Research proves that there is power in numbers. When resolving to change behaviors, seeking out like-minded people helps build resiliency so you don’t feel alone.

“I attribute my weight loss success to so many of the things I learned from the leaders and participants of Lose For Life,” says OTOW resident Lois Hull. “Learning to read food labels made me realize I was consuming far more than what is recommended.”

EMBRACE WELLNESS—Exercise and nutrition are extremely important, but physical health is only one piece of a big “wellness pie.” Wellness is a state of being healthy in your body, mind, and soul. We can enhance our feelings of well-being by engaging in activities that are physical, social, and spiritual and by surrounding ourselves with the beauty of nature. When we intentionally endeavor to boost our well-being, we are also more likely to make healthier lifestyle decisions. The goal is to find comfort in wellness practices, making us automatically more active and less likely to seek out “comfort food.”

Change is challenging because it disrupts a set of behaviors that provides us comfort, but the good news is that you can absolutely re-train your brain to push through the discomfort associated with these changes and seek out healthy habits that can profoundly change the course of your life. So start SMART today and create your own New Year’s resolution revolution!

Cammy Dennis is the fitness director for On Top of the World communities and The Ranch Fitness Center & Spa. She lives the lifestyle she promotes and has trained for triathlons throughout the state, aerobics while living in Tokyo, and various weightlifting events.