The Only New Years Resolution You Should Keep

It’s that time of year where we swear off sugar, vow to be a regular at the gym and announce to friends and family our grand plans to get into tip top shape. It’s that time of year we are right back where we started last January.

Very few of us are setting a get in shape or get healthy goal for the first time. We stand at the precipice of the New Year and declare that “this year is THE YEAR!” And we mean it. We believe it. We have every intention of pulling it off. We don’t set out to fail, but we often do. Should we just say “screw it”? Decide we can just live with this body as is? Accept that this is as good as it gets? Nope. Wanting to be healthy, and let’s be honest: wanting to be hot, is not the problem. The problem is often the bigness of our grand plan.

The goal is big: transform our sluggish selves into the fit, lean, vibrant, energetic, sexy person we’ve always wished we could be. A big goal like that needs a big plan: giving up sugar, alcohol and carbs; working out 6 or more times per week; signing up to run a race or other event; giving up our Friday night drinks with friends; and learning to say no to all your cravings and bad ol’ habits.

It’s tough – but that’s what it takes. We have to be overwhelmed, do a complete overhaul, make sweeping changes.

Right?

Sometimes an abrupt shift is just what we need….but sometimes, most of the time actually, we need to take a slower, more steady approach.  Just look at your gym this week, it’s packed with new faces. Then look again in March or April – it will soon back to the same crowd that was there in December, save a few new converts.  So the big, grand New Year’s resolution to lose weight doesn’t work so well.

But this doesn’t mean we are doomed to feel badly about our bodies and that we’ll never make the kinds of changes that give us the look and health we want, it means we need to change our plan about how to get it. Take a little of the bigness out of it.  

So what’s the only resolution you need to keep? It’s not to never have dessert or never miss a workout. It’s simple, sustainable and will give you quick and lasting results.  Dying to know? It will surprise you: simply do better than you did yesterday.

Today shouldn’t be so hard right? After days of holiday cookies and too much champagne last night, choose a big salad with protein for dinner tonight and take a walk. Today? It’s already better than yesterday. Then the next day, do a little more.  Go grocery shopping for the week and cook more meals in than dining out.  Hit the gym. Then do a little more. Look into a new class, go “more” organic, or drink more water.

Just keep doing better every day, bit by bit and come this time next year you’ll be loving your fit, healthy body; be a regular at your gym; and have mastered 100s of new healthy habits.  

You don’t have to be perfect every day. You just need to be better.

This year, simply resolve to be better. Be better today than you were yesterday.

For tips, recipes, motivation, and more be sure to follow BETTER by Dr Brooke on Facebook! Gonna be an amazing year!

Be Smart About Your Sweeteners

The diet world is filled with mysterious sugar substitutions, and the health world with “natural sweeteners.” Research shows us though, that people experience fewer sweet cravings when they stop using artificial sweeteners, and they don’t of themselves cause more weight loss. But if you want to sweeten and still lose fat, opt for stevia or sugar alcohols and here’s why:

Stevia is from the plant stevia rebaudinana, called “sweet leaf,” it is completely natural, is 300 times sweeter than sugar (a little goes a long way!), and does not aggravate insulin (thus no fat storing message to your body). It has a slightly bitter aftertaste, so if you dislike artificial sweeteners like aspartame, then stick with the sugar alcohols.

 Sugar Alcohols

Found in many low carb or sugar free products, these sweeteners have little or no effect on insulin and are from natural sources. While digestive disruption is not unheard of, if you incorporate them slowly into your diet most adapt without issue.

First, xylitol: derived from birch tree bark or corn husks, it’s typically used 1:1 as a substitute for sugar.  This sugar alcohol (naturally found in fruit) also slows stomach emptying – helping you feel full quicker. It also helps prevent dental cavities, sinus and middle ear infections. Chew xylitol gym and use xylitol nasal spray if you are prone to sinus infections.

Erthritol has a slight vanilla taste, is about 70% as sweet as regular sugar and can help support healthy intestinal bacteria. Sold under several brand names including Zerose, Sweet Simplicity and Truvia (in combination with stevia).

Finally, malitol and sorbitol are found in many sugar free products and these two cause the most digestive disturbance (bloating and laxative action) – so go slow.

The Natural Sugars

Natural products are teeming with so called healthy “sugar” – evaporated cane juice, molasses, maple syrup, barley malt, malt syrup, fructose, crystalline fructose, date sugar, fruit juice concentrate, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucanant, turbinado sugar, honey and agave syrup. Touted as healthy alternatives, when it comes to insulin they behave almost just like regular sugar, so they are bad news for fat loss. Two of these sweeteners, honey and agave, deserve a closer look:

Honey is 30% fructose and 50% glucose (white sugar is 50% glucose and 50% fructose). Its insulin response is ideal post workout – just the right amount to lower cortisol, so add a bit to a post workout recovery shake.

With its low Glycemic Index (GI score), agave has received a lot of attention as a healthy sugar alternative. It’s low GI because it is nearly all fructose (90%) and GI only reflects glucose loads in the blood, not fructose levels. This 90% fructose content makes it very similar to a decidedly unhealthy sweetener: high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). A large amount of fructose a problem because it doesn’t require insulin (as glucose does) which leaves it in the bloodstream longer, possibly generating more free radicals. Also, because it doesn’t need insulin for metabolism it can be tough on the liver to deal with a large amounts of fructose.

The Chemical Sugars

In many “diet” foods, the biggies are acesulfame, saccharin (Sweet-N-Low), aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet) and sucralose (Splenda). Acesulfame is terribly lacking in safety research.  Both saccharine and aspartame have at least some research linking them to cancer.

One of the biggest problems with aspartame is its potent neurostimulant properties, as it’s made from aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Its combination with caffeine in most diet sodas, make it a tough habit to kick and causes withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nausea and irritation.

Finally, there’s sucralose (brand name: Splenda), which touts hundreds of studies that show its safety. However, with its close chemical resemblance to common pesticides, I think it warrants scrutiny and caution.

The Coffee Conundrum – Does Coffee Help You Burn Fat?

Keep your morning cup of coffee – it’s loaded with antioxidants and you’ll lose more weight when hopped up on caffeine. No wait – all that caffeine might cause diabetes and is bad for weight loss. What should you do? Opinions on both sides are strong – strong like a piping hot cup of French Roast, and there is research backing both sides of this argument. And it’s an argument indeed – take away a cup of Starbucks from a java junkie and you might not live to tell the tale.

When it comes to weight loss, popular advice based on interpretation of current research poses several problems. First, like any other plant ‘medicine” coffee seems to behave differently that caffeine alone – meaning that’s its other constituents and antioxidants play a role in how one responds (Translation: studies done on caffeine alone shouldn’t be directly applied to coffee and often times caffeine dosed in these studies is well in excess of what the average coffee drinker consumes). Next, studies pertaining to insulin sensitivity and diabetes are done on so called healthy subjects – ignoring the fact that there may be subtle derangements in their insulin function but they are not overtly diabetic or full blown insulin resistant.

Caffeine’s effect on insulin is where coffee plays into fat loss. Here’s what you need to know:

* Caffeine appears to acutely lower insulin sensitivity, but the effect is not chronic. Meaning that in the healthy, exercising individual, coffee drinking does not lead to diabetes . However, it does lower your insulin sensitivity in the short term so avoid drinking it with starches (optimal or allowable and for sure skip the muffin at your coffee break). If you have insulin resistance, diabetes or are not following a lower carb diet, caffeine can make insulin matters worse.

* Raising epinephrine is one mechanism by which caffeine perks you up, a preworkout coffee or tea will allow you to perform better, exercise harder and burn more fat at the gym. Avoid post workout caffeine to avoid thwarting the effects of your Recovery Shake. And  if you have anxiety, insomnia or are at all aggravated from caffeine it’s wise to avoid coffee and caffeinated beverages in general.

* The fat in cream or Half & Half will slow caffeine release into your system making it a better fat burner. But keep it light as to not pile on the calories and saturated fat. 1 tbsp or less is fine.

* Finally, caffeine appears to be less of a diuretic than once thought – meaning it isn’t as significant of a factor in dehydration.

Pumpkin – A Perfect Carb

Fall is my favorite season…but pumpkin is one of my favorite carb choices year round. 

This antioxidant rich winter squash is full of potassium, as well as vitamins C, K and E. It’s low cal and with only about 13net carbs (7g fiber) it’s a Dr Brooke and Ultimate You optimal carb choice.  While ¼-1/3 cup (i.e. 4-6 bites) of pumpkin with a dash of cinnamon are a quick and easy carb paired with any meal, below are some yummy, interesting ways to enjoy pumpkin.

Canned pumpkin is the easiest but if you’re up for it roasting your own is always an option. If you roast your own you can make yet another healthy, delicious, on plan food: roasted pumpkin seeds.

To roast, remove seeds from pumpkin and pull away any remaining pulp.  Spread out on brown paper bag overnight to dry.  To bake, preheat oven to 160-170 degrees and toss pumpkin seeds in 1-2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp sea salt.  Add a dash of cayenne, chipotle or black pepper if desired.  Spread evenly on cookie sheet (spray cookie sheet lightly with olive oil) and bake 15-20 minutes.  Baking at this low heat of 170 degrees you’ll preserve the healthy fats in the seeds.  

Pumpkin seeds are a crunchy, tasty addition to salads or stirfrys and a small handful make a quick snacks and they are loaded with zinc. Zinc is great for the immune system, for perfect skin and for a healthy sex drive…so eat up!

Protein Pumpkin Muffins

15 oz canned or cooked pumpkin

½ cup egg whites

2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

½ cup chopped walnuts

3 scoops whey

4 packets Truvia or ¼ cup honey  (if not following low carb)

1.25 cups almond flour or hazelnut flour (I mix the two)

Mix all ingredients in bowl, bake at 350 for 20minutes.

These make an excellent snack and perfect when you are on the go – and they freeze easily so make a bunch!

Pumpkin Coconut Curry (Sound strange? It is sooo yummy!)

4 chicken breasts, diced

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 small purple onion

3 cloves garlic

2 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

1 can pumpkin or 15 oz cooked pumpkin

2 cans coconut milk

3.5 tbsp xylitol or brown sugar

1 tsp salt

2-5 tbsp red curry powder

 2tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbsp cinnamon

Dash cayenne pepper, optiona 

Chop small purple onion and garlic finely or puree in food processor and set aside.  In small saucepan combine coconut milk, pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ginger, xylitol or brown sugar, and red curry paste to taste (start with 1-2 tbsp and add more to get desired spiciness).  Bring to boil then simmer for 5-10 minutes, reducing volume. 

When sauce has cooked for at least 5 minutes, add coconut oil, garlic, onion and chicken to large pan. Cook over medium to high heat until chicken is nearly completely cooked.  Next, add pumpkin-coconut milk mixture and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes and then serve over a few handfuls of baby spinach.

Perfectly on Plan Pumpkin Custard

¼ cup canned or cooked pumpkin

1.5 tbsp low fat ricotta

Xylitol and cinnamon to taste

Put all ingredients in small bowl and mix – yum! Makes a great snack or dessert.

Pumpkin Pie Recovery Shake

1 scoop whey protein powder

½ cup canned or cooked pumpkin

1 tsp cinnamon

Xyltiol or truvia to taste, if desired

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Mix all ingredients in blender and drink within 1 hour post workout. A great departure from berries in your shake!

Black and White, Meet Gray

This perhaps doesn’t  apply to us all….but it applies to nearly every woman that sits across the desk from me at my office. Black or white. On or off. All or nothing. I want results and I want them now.

Much of the time we are either turned on 110%, giving our all on a plan or we are feeling out of control and way off track. We go, go, go; restrict, restrict, restrict; exercise, exercise, exercise – this usually gives some quick results, which we love! But then….then we hit the wall, often landing head first in a pint of ice cream.

This radical on and off mentality sets us up for the dreaded – yet oh so popular – yo-yo dieting. We work our tails off – literally – and lose 10 pounds only to gain back 15.  By the time we come to and realize we’ve not only hit the wall, but bounced back off it farther than where we started in the first place, the guilt sets in, followed by a bit of panic.

We rush out to buy a new workout DVD, hire a new trainer, or end up at Barnes and Noble rifling through the heaped table of weight loss books – all promising the latest and greatest in fat loss. We’re feeling anxious, even a little desperate to get back on track – usually blaming the last regimen we tried, thinking it failed us.

Perhaps it’s not a flawed nutrition plan or an ineffective workout regimen, but maybe it’s our harsh black and white palette that’s messing us up. Rather than on and off like a light bulb, think of your health and fitness as being on a dimmer switch. A dimmer can be turned up or down depending on your goals and state of mind, and it doesn’t ever have to be ON or OFF.  This is the gray between black and white.

Some of you may have mastered the art of gray and know how to use your dimmer switch. You’ve found a middle ground that keeps you on track to your body comp goals over the long haul – for the rest of us, life is colored starkly in black or white and we swing abruptly between them.

When we are on, we are way on – but when we are off, we can get way off. We over exercise and end up injured or exhausted. We restrict our “treat foods” so much that we end up binging on them.  We view a single cookie as a sin, but end up eating the whole bag eventually. And then comes the guilt…which can bring on even more binges or just more bad feelings.

This black and white attitude is not only bad for us emotionally, it seriously wreaks havoc on our hormones. Strict dieting, especially followed by a binge, sends a very mixed message to hormones like leptin that regulate hunger, and hormones like insulin that regulate fat storage. And let’s not forget our sex hormones – progesterone often wanes during strict dieting causing our periods to get light or stop all together.

Cortisol is yet another hormone that gets perturbed when we strictly diet or over-exercise. A rising cortisol can cause us to stall or “hit a plateau”. If you’re already burnt out from stress or a past history of yo-yo dieting, a very restrictive phase can really affect blood sugar causing you to have serious carb cravings or it can give a wicked case of insomnia (Remember, cortisol breaks down stored fuel to raise blood sugar between meal and during the night. When your adrenals are sluggish your cortisol reserves can be low, meaning you have to rely on adrenaline to keep your blood sugar stable while you sleep. If you need a burst of adrenaline during the night guess what? You wake up and have a hard time going back to sleep.)  

Shades of Gray

Gray is a mix of black and white.  Gray means better hormonal balance, less anxiety, less feelings of restriction and less guilt from falling off the wagon –  what it doesn’t mean is no results.  When I first meet with a patient and we discuss their goals I often ask them how important this is to them, what their level of commitment is and how soon they want results.  They typically respond with: “It’s a 10 of 10 – or even a 12 or 10! I want all you’ve got – diet, exercise, supplements – everything and I want results NOW!”

How many times have we jumped on board with a new book or a new plan and did great for a few months? Seriously, how many times???? If it’s more than once then what you did wasn’t sustainable and didn’t  give you lasting results.  It’s not to say that that particular plan was full of poor advice or that it didn’t work – but perhaps you went into the plan 110% and “blacked out”, so to say, and next ended up all “white washed” and totally off the wagon and most likely back to many of your old habits.

You’re not alone. Even my youngest patients, even 20 year old women, have tried at least one diet in the past and yet here we all are again – looking for the next, best way to shed pounds.

Learn to Use Your Dimmer Switch

Don’t black out. Pick a plan and incorporate 1-3 habits per week. Master them and then move on – trying to do everything at once is usually too overwhelming. For example, start eating a protein based breakfast everyday or figure out how to order out a healthy lunch. Or even drink more water.

Don’t white wash. When you get off track it doesn’t have to be a total disaster! You are one meal away, one workout away, even one positive thought about your body away from being back on plan. So you ate the bagel, don’t have it with a side of guilt and self defeat – have it with some lox to balance out the insulin response and get right back on track.

Guilt is optional in the gray zone.  Life will happen, you won’t be perfect everyday – but self correcting and not letting the guilt set in will help keep a bad meal or even a bad day from turning to weeks or months off plan.

Sometimes your gray will be darker than other times, you’ll be move motivated and supported and find it easier to make progress. When it lightens up, don’t panic and don’t feel guilty – if you are ready to get back on track, go for it. If you aren’t, find the gray zone that feels maintainable for now rather than holding on so tight to the idea that you have to be perfectly on plan that you lose your grip and drift away.

Know when you have the stamina to turn up the heat.  When you are ready for a big push towards your goal, be sure you are feeling healthy, injury free and supported before you jump in.

If you struggle with stamina on a plan, know when it’s a good time to start. Maybe planning to lose 20 pounds between Halloween and Christmas isn’t feasible for you, but losing 10 pounds and having 12 new habits by the New Year might be. 

BETTER Body Thoughts:

Ugh! I ate ______ , I might as well just start again next week!

BETTER: Ok, I ate _____ and that was a temptation for me because _______.  One off plan food doesn’t make or break anything – a week of plan will so I’m recommitted as of RIGHT NOW.

I wasn’t perfect this week, I missed workouts and didn’t eat well; this will never work so why bother.

BETTER: I did do _______ and _______ this week and I’ll continue to do those and include ______ next week. Doing something for my health is better than nothing – good habits build upon themselves. 

For example: I did get 3 workouts (but aimed for 6) and I got plenty of sleep this week. Next week I will schedule my workouts in like appointments to be sure they happen and I will drink more water.

Turkey Times Three

White meat turkey is one of the leanest proteins around with a 4oz serving packing 32.5g of protein and typically less than 1g of fat. It’s also high in super nutrients like selenium, B6 and niacin. 

Selenium is crucial for healthy thyroid metabolism, necessary for a good immune system health and it’s a potent antioxidant.  Niacin is important for turning proteins, fats and carbs from our food into energy.   B6, like niacin, is also important for energy production – especially breaking down stored sugar (called glycogen) from your muscles and liver between meals, during workouts and while you are sleeping. B6 is also needed for a process called methylation which is a crucial reaction that protects blood vessel walls and maintains healthy hormone balance.  Extra B6 is needed whenever we’re taking exogenous hormone medications (including birth control pills). 

Roasted turkey breast is a great protein source, but here are a few more interesting turkey ensembles that make great meals…and great protein based snacks. Enjoy! 

Turkey Burgers

3 pounds ground, hormone free, organic, free range turkey

1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and drained (press all water out)

½ chopped purple onion

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp Herbs de Provence or 1 tsp Italian Seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

1 tbsp crushed red pepper, if desired

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and form into patties (makes 8-10 turkey burgers). Cook stovetop or in George Forman Grill.  These are great cold – so they can be eaten on the go as a quick protein, as well as reheated…and there’s green veggies baked right in! Served here with sliced avocado and Red Swiss Chard dressed in olive oil and lemon juice.

No time to make and cook individual patties? Put into greased 8 x 10 baking dish and cook as a meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 40minutes or until cooked through.

 Turkey Meatballs (gluten free)

1.5 cups hazelnut flour

2 pounds ground, hormone free, organic, free range turkey

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup finely chopped onion

1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp crushed red pepper, if desired

Mix all ingredients into a bowl and then roll into 2” balls and place on cookie sheet (cover pan lightly with spray olive oil or coconut oil).  Makes 14-16 meatballs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until they are cooked through.

Serving suggestion: Place 2-3 meatballs atop a large handful of spinach and top with ½ cup marinara sauce. Top with 1 tbsp parmesan cheese if desired. 

2 of these make a great protein snack – have with raw bell pepper slices.

 Laura’s Hearty Tuscan Soup (variation on recipe from Ultimate You

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ medium purple onion, chopped

2 pounds ground turkey breast (also can be made with ground chicken)

2 tbsp olive oil

1.5 cups mushrooms, sliced

2 zucchinis, diced

1.5 tsp sea salt

1.5 tsp black pepper

8 cups organic chicken broth

1 can rinsed and drained cannellini beans

1 cup fresh basil leaves

4 slices precooked turkey bacon

1 cup organic cream or coconut milk 

Sauté garlic and onion with ground turkey breast in olive oil for about 10 minutes (until turkey is nearly cooked). Add mushrooms, zucchinis, sea salt, pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and drained canellini beans, bring to a simmer. Next add fresh basil leaves and 4 slices precooked and crumbled turkey bacon and if desired, add 1 cup organic cream or coconut milk. Simmer 5 more minutes.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Not At All Boring Salads

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a million times: Eat more veggies! And if I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it two million times “Dr Brooke I’m soooooo bored of salad”. A mixed green or spinach salad is fine, but don’t be afraid to experiment with the scads of produce at your grocery store… Boredom is optional.

Below are some new and interesting recipes I’ve whipped up that should keep you full of fiber, loaded up on anitoxidants and phytonutrients – and anything but bored! As a bonus – these can all be made ahead of time and keep at least a day in the fridge. This solves yet another problem – having to make a meal to take with you for lunch as you rush out the door.  Enjoy!

 Tomatillo Chicken Bell Pepper Salad

4 Chicken breasts  (2 lbs)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

6-8 tomatillos

½ purple onion

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

5-6 bell peppers  (mix  red, yellow and orange)

3 tbsp lime juice

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces and sauté in olive oil and chopped garlic, let cool.  Peel and wash tomatillos and then puree in food processor.  Chop bell pepper into bite size pieces and dice onion and jalapeno. Put cut veggies and cooked chicken in large bowl, drizzle over 3 tbsp lime juice and tomatillo puree. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, toss and serve. This one tastes even better the next day.

Balsamic Black Pepper Chicken and Celery Salad

4 chicken breasts (2 lbs)

1-2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp capers

½ purple onion, diced

1 bunch celery, chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

3 tbsp (or more) balsamic vinegar

Season liberally with black pepper

Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces and sauté in olive oil and chopped garlic, let cool.  Dice onion, chop celery, halve the tomatoes and place in large bowl.  Add chicken, capers and 3 tbsp (or more) of balsamic vinegar and season with black pepper, toss and serve.

Coconut Cabbage Coleslaw

1 head purple cabbage, chopped into thin slices

½ cup freshly chopped cilantro

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Chopped small bunch scallions 

Sauce:

2 packets Truvia sweetener

1 cup coconut milk

5 tsp white wine vinegar

Mix Truvia, coconut milk and white wine vinegar in small bowl and set aside.  Toss chopped cabbage, cilantro, red bell pepper and scallions together in large bowl. Drizzle over sauce mixture and toss well. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. This one also tastes better the next day and goes well with chicken or fish.

Radiccio Strawberry Balsamic Bliss

1 head radicchio, chopped

1 cup strawberries, sliced

1 tsp xylitol

¼ tsp sea salt

3-5 dashes chili powder

Balsamic vinegar, about 3 tbsp

Toss all ingredients in large bowl and liberally dress with balsamic vinegar (start with 3 tbsp, add more to taste). Eating veggie never tasted so good. Goes great with a grassfed burger….yum.

How’s That New Year’s Resolution Going?

Dr Brooke’s Best Tips for Being Successful This Year

New Year’s resolutions are ripe with the best intentions for losing pounds, dropping inches, getting back into those skinny jeans, or being able to see your toes. I believe that each of you who made a weight loss related goal had every intention of sticking to it. Most of you probably did great for the first two weeks of January….then life takes over. That same busy, hectic, stressful, stretched-to-thin life that got you out of your skinny jeans in the first place.

The good news is, you are only 5 weeks into the New Year and it’s time to remind yourself of that resolution, figure out how to make it happen, and ask yourself why you wanted to accomplish it in the first place.

Do something – anything, right now. Tackling getting in shape can feel completely overwhelming. There’s the grocery shopping, the cooking, the cardio, the weights, the eating every 3 hours, the supplements, the figuring out how to attend social events without blowing it, and on and on. Before you freak out, just do one thing – and do it right now.
Drink a glass of water, go to the gym this afternoon, get some good rest tonight – anything. Just begin. This one positive step gets you at least a little closer to your ultimate goal. You can get a trainer to help plan your workouts, get a nutrition plan developed, buy a new pair of sneakers, sort out childcare – all of that will get worked out and yes, it might take a week or two to make those plans, but don’t delay. Do something now.

Don’t try to do it all. If you ended last year completely out of whack and your resolution was to lose weight – don’t try and change it all at once. Pick 1-3 things to focus on for a month, master those and then keep building.
If diet and nutrition are the hardest for you – do that first. Pick 3 habits such as not missing meals, watching alcohol intake or eating more vegetables for the next 4 weeks and figure out how to make those happen.
You’ve got 30 days to make it a habit – that’s not so overwhelming. If you intend to exercise 6 times per week but it is usually 3 or 4, then next month find strategies to make sure you get those 6 times in.
There is so much for us to do to lose weight – or be in good health. Most of us try to do it all January first and end up overwhelmed and giving up by Valentine’s Day – but it doesn’t have to be that way. If it takes about 30 days to form a habit, and you do 3 new healthy habits per month, you’ll have 36 new healthy habits by 2011 (not to mention a better body!).

Flubber is contagious….well not the same way the flu is, but still. If your friends are more interested in cocktails and appetizers than staying on the wagon, be sure you are able to stay on tack in the midst of the fried calamari. If it’s hard for you to be around those friends as you get your feet under you, let them know they might see a little less of you for a month or so.
And be wary of the dream stealers. It’s often hard for certain friends to see you taking good care of yourself because it makes them feel guilty that they aren’t able to do it for themselves.  If you are comfortable talking about it with them – by all means do it. See if there’s opportunity for you both to support each other. If not, don’t let someone else’s “stuff” keep you from having what you want.
Find at least one healthy-minded friend to go out to dinner with or to do something physical – like try a new exercise class, take a walk or set some goals over a cup of tea and figure out how to support each other in getting there.

Give yourself an incentive…but not a cookie. Most of us use food as a reward – a late afternoon treat for surviving a grueling meeting or a glass of wine at the end of a long day. On occasion, that’s fine…but if you do it everyday, it can definitely thwart your weight loss efforts.  Taking rewards completely out of the picture isn’t the answer – finding some other rewards it.
Ladies, get a manicure or pedicure – not as maintenance but as a reward. And don’t fly in and out in flurry – enjoy it, relax, maybe even get a shoulder massage. Schedule a facial. Or enjoy your slimmer face by getting some new makeup (or better yet get a makeover at your favorite cosmetic counter).
Too girly for ya? Get fabulous seats for your favorite sporting event or to a play you’ve wanted to see. The point is that you need to reward yourself and if your typical treats are hindering your progress, it’s worth the time to find some other rewards and make the time to indulge them.

Answer the question – WHY? Why do you want to lose weight or get healthy? The answer needs to be important to you – it needs to create a strong emotional reaction when you think of it. The reason needs to be worth the hard work.
Did you decide to get in shape because your doctor said your cholesterol was too high? Did you see a picture of yourself that made your stomach turn? Did you try on your favorite pants to find they barely zip? Was it catching a glance of your reflection in a full length mirror and saying “yikes”?
There will be days when getting to the gym and eating well feel great – but there will be days when doing even one of those things seems impossible.  The answer to WHY will get you through those tough days.
Don’t take this question lightly, sit down and give it some thought. Again, getting healthy and losing weight has to mean something to you, not only because it gets you through the tough times but also it makes the end result much more satisfying.

Some of the best reasons I’ve heard are:
*I want to feel proud of my body everyday. I never want to feel ugly or fat or anything nasty when I look in the mirror.
*I want to be able to shop at my favorite stores, buy my favorite brands and know they look great on me.
*I want to be healthy and able to enjoy my children and grand children.
*I want to have a healthy, strong body to enjoy my life – really enjoy all that I’ve worked so hard for.
*I want to show myself I can do it.
*I want to know I did my best.

The only right answer is the one that matters to you – the one that helps you do the work that will get you to your goal.

Each day, do at least one thing that takes you closer to your goal. You won’t be perfect everyday, and you don’t need to be. You just need to be BETTER today than yesterday and before you know it you’ll be where you want to be.

Need help? Email me at drbrooke@betterbydrbrooke.com