E-m-b-r-a-c-e True Health
by Carrie Myers Smith

It’s the New Year, and you know what that means. Resolutions -- those poorly defined, self-defeating promises we make that tend to fizzle after a couple of weeks. This year, rather than making  more fly-by-night pledges, make 2006 a year for real, lasting change. EMBRACE true health by ditching the quick-fixes, unrealistic expectations and excuses. Here are a few tips in an easy to remember acronym to help get you enjoy a fresh approach to embracing a healthy 2006!

E-nvision where you want to go, what you want to do and what you have to do to get there. Be specific and be realistic. Envisioning something you cannot attain will only set you up for failure. Once you define where you want to go, you can start going there. Set specific and realistic goals. For example, if a realistic goal for you is to eat at least 2 servings of fruits and 2 servings of vegetables a day, make sure you go to the grocery story at intervals that ensure you have those things in your kitchen on an as needed basis. Similarly, if a realistic goal for you is to exercise at least 4 times a week, make sure to determine in advance what days you will do so, for how long, what time of day and what type of exercise. A vision without a plan rarely comes to fruition. Map out a plan and put some strategies in place to make the most of your chances of success.

M-irror the habits of people you trust and admire. Who are your role models? What do they do to make sure they eat healthy, exercise, and keep their stress in check? Ask them? Or if they are not friends, read their books, blogs or websites. It doesn't matter what means you choose, the point is to surround yourself with healthy role models and then choose to put their "secrets" to work in your own life.

B-elieve you can change! Change starts in the heart with having a true desire but even more than that, you have to believe you can actually change. If you have a desire to change but don't think it can really happen for you, you have defeated yourself even before you started. Look at some of the other remarkable things you have done in your life over the years. Perhaps you graduated from college with honors, or earned an award in your job. Maybe you have been selected to help make some contributions to your community or perhaps you have accomplished some other goal in your life that has been particularly challenging. Remember that?? Of course you do! If you could do that, surely you can do anything else you set your mind to!

R-emove any known obstacles and excuses you have to changing your habits. Too many times we feel powerless to change our situation. But the truth is, there is almost always something that can be done to reach our goals. How about starting with getting rid of most of the unhealthy food choices dragging you down every day? Or maybe get rid of the people in your life who seem to sabotage every good and positive step you try to take. If you eat unhealthful foods late at night while watching late night comedy, tape the comedy and watch it another time of day when you are less tempted to binge. We all have excuses and the truth is, there aren't many excuses we can't get rid of.

A-ccept what you cannot change, act on what you can. Maybe you can’t change your God-given body shape, the size of your feet or the fact that you have wide hips and curvy thighs. But you can change the shape of those beautiful curves, making them less jiggly and more shapely. If you take a step at a time towards things you can change, you will soon find yourself doing things you never thought you could.

C-ommit to a healthy lifestyle. If you're a Lifestyle CEO, then you have made certain lifestyle choices to empower you and your family to live the life you've always wanted, right? Translate some of that commitment to your health and begin to act on it. Commitment + Action = Lasting Changes. Some people think of commitment as the result of feeling a certain way. "I feel like becoming healthier, so I will commit to exercising every day." The real empowerment comes when you view the situation in reverse. That is, "I am committed to becoming healthier, so I will exercise every day -- whether I feel like it or not." Try altering your way of thinking in this regard and you'll be amazed at what follows. 

E-nlist the help and support of people you love and trust, who will hold you accountable for your choices and actions. It’s easy to “get away with” unhealthy eating choices or skipping workouts when you have no one to whom you’re accountable. Be sure to choose someone who can stand up to you, not someone who will say, "Oh, I know you committed to exercising this morning, but it's OK if you missed it because I know you worked really hard last night on that project for your job." That's not going to do anything but enable you to fail. Instead, select someone who would lovingly say to you, "You know, I know you worked late last night and may not have been able to get up this morning. Can you work out at lunch or after dinner so you can keep your commitment to exercising today?" A real friend doesn't just roll over every time you screw up. A real friend is someone who wants to see you succeed and will risk being "Ms. Not So Nice" in order to help you reach for the stars!!

Envision your goals, mirror positive behavior, believe in your ability to change, remove of obstacles, accept what you cannot change, commit to what you can and enlist some help from some trusted friends. These things combined will have you embracing 2006 as the new and exciting opportunity it offers to set yourself up for success in all you do.

Embrace 2006!

Happy Healthy New Year!

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Carrie Myers Smith, a certified personal trainer, speaker and licensed wellness coach, owns Women In Wellness, a free wellness club. Her work has appeared in many national magazines and her first book, "Squeezing Your Size 14 Self into a Size 6 World: A Real Woman’s Guide to Food, Fitness, and Self-Acceptance," is an award-winning book helping women change their minds about their bodies. Carrie lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her husband and four sons.