Chicago Running Review

The Resolution is the Revolution. This year instead of a resolution, choose to be a part of a revolution. Revolutionize yourself, and choose to do something that for you, and the people around you is revolutionary. Avoid the challenges of sticking with your resolution. Don’t resolve – revolt to a new you.

New Year’s Revolution: Lose Weight
How to do it right:

Be healthy about it: Work with your physician and other medical professionals to develop a healthy goal weight and an appropriate weight loss plan. Whether you are just starting to work out or you are looking to trim those last couple pounds be conscious of how much you are working out and refuel your body with the right foods and nutrients. Without the right fuel you won’t be able to sustain this increase in activity level.

Set a realistic goal: Set an attainable goal weight with your physician. Commit yourself to a reasonable change in physical activity.

Change more than your activity level: In addition to increasing your physical activity, we suggest you:

• Prepare your own food: Cutting down on how often you eat out for lunch and dinner can dramatically help your cause.
• Drink more water: Replace/reduce intake of sugary drinks & sodas by drinking more water
• Break Bad Habits: Change your routine a little to avoid relapses. Pack your lunch the night before so you don’t resort to eating out. Monitor your portions. Chose to work out before you get home from work so you don’t skip it.

Don’t do it alone: Consult with a nutritionist or trainer regularly about your program to get the desired results.

Everything in moderation: Most people associate this one with food but it’s true for more than just eating habits Don’t expect overnight results, change a few things here and a few things there. Over the course of months you will look back and wonder how you ever lived “that way.”

Create a plan: Take ownership and plan out how you want to accomplish this goal with a medical professional. Here are some things to consider:

• Set mini goals within, that can include incentives
• Identify spots where you will introduce changes into the routine or workouts.
• Plan out your training sessions or meetings with your trainer/nutritionist.
• Plan out your workouts. When, Where, How, With Who etc.

With these tips you will be well on your way to a safe and successful journey but to add a little more inspiration here is Rick’s story of how he lost 75 pounds in 2011.

Rick’s Story:
I started 2011 with several resolutions, even though I do not usually do the whole ‘new year resolution’ thing: Lose 75 pounds, and make exercise a regular part of my life.

In May 2010, I was severely overweight and had just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. At that moment, I swore to do something about it, so I joined Weight Watchers and by the end of 2010, I lost 47 pounds. But I had a long way to go – about 113 pounds more. So I set a goal to lose another 75 lbs by the end of 2011.

One way I planned to do this was to incorporate a lot more exercise and include running as a regular discipline – something I had never even considered doing before!

In January I started working out an average of 5-6 days each week for at least an hour each time just walking on a treadmill.  In February, I added strength training twice a week. In March, I added jogging, and later, running to my exercise regimen. And, in April I trained & ran my 1st 5K.

Since then, I have run: one 15K, two 10Ks, and 10 5Ks and in January 2012, I will be running my first Half Marathon at Disney World!

I lost 63 pounds in 2011, bringing my total weight loss so far to 110 pounds! While I have not reached the 75 pound goal, I still celebrate the accomplishment of how much I have lost as a result of better eating habits, exercise, and running 3-4 days a week. Being 110 pounds lighter is awesome, but more importantly my blood tests for the past 6 months show that I am no longer a diabetic!

My goals for 2012? Lose the final 50 pounds to get to my goal weight, run six half marathons and the AVON Walk for Breast Cancer research, and train for my first full marathon in January 2013. Bring it!

For more on Rick: http://rickpeete.squarespace.com