30 Day Method AGAIN. It's Groundhog Day...Grrrrr.

I am "back to ones."

That's a film term used when shooting a movie that means everyone's got to get back to their original starting positions so they can shoot the scene again. In other words, it wasn't quite right the first time around. Or Groundhog day or Deja Vu. Whatever you prefer.

I am back to day one of the 30 Day Method - my 30 day kick start. 

I spent some time with the book last night and was uber-motivated to get going, however when the alarm went off this morning, my first thought was can't we start this tomorrow because it's like the 1st of a new month and since I've totally already blown January all to hell, couldn't I just like sleep in for a few more minutes?

Uh...NOPE. Luckily for me, I have my trusty ole four-legged personal trainer to get me up and out the door for a brisk (brrrrr) walk. 

Does he look motivated or what??

Okay so technically I had to drag him off the sofa and out the door but once we hit the trail, we were laughing. 

Lungs filled with fresh air, blood pumping, I thought about all the reasons why I wanted to get back to the routine of the Method and how important it is for me to see something all the way through. I am a notorious quitter. I didn't quite ever reach my idea of perfection last time. Instead I hit "good enough" and went back to my Starbucks, cupcake, brownie devouring ways. Such a sucker for the sweet stuff. You've heard it all before so I won't regale you with the details.


I am not going to give up on my dream of perfection. What I want to share is some motivation from the Master Trainer herself, Ms. Tracy Anderson, from her book, my Bible. It's abridged.


The Method Can Change Your Life - If You Let It.
If you want to see real change you can't just read about it. You have to get up and do it. You have to make a change in order to see a change. But you need to be honest if you want it to work -- you're the one who will have to be ready to get rid of all the excuses.

If you want to see results, you need to commit 100 percent for the next 30 days. Think about it this way; Isn't it worth a month of your time to change the rest of your life?

That's why I'm asking you to show up every day. Think of the next 30 days as a boot camp. Be present, be real. I will ask you to exercise at least an hour a day. To follow the menus. To be true to yourself and your goals. You can attain perfection if you use the tools that I am giving you.

But you can't just do it once and think you're going to look great. You have to build a new habit, a new framework. You need to do this every day. Every single day. The results will be worth the thirty-day sacrifice, I guarantee it!


As I begrudgingly drink my green tea instead of my beloved mocha, "I have to ask why bad habits are so easy to make and so hard to break, but good habits seem to be just the opposite?" Who knows. Ours is not to reason why.


Back to Tracy...

Give me 30 days. Follow my system. Let me train you. And together - we're going to wake up your whole body. You're literally going to be transformed. Your body will operate in a new way so that one day - maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow (I'm sure that's a line in Casablanca - sorry screenwriter, remember?) but someday - you're going to spend an entire Sunday eating cupcakes (yes, I did that on Saturday and had the worst sugar hang-over ever), and as long as you're doing the muscular structure work - AND THE CARDIO,and following my basic nutritional guidelines (missed that part the last go around, hence here we are again) you are not going to gain those pounds back. Ever. You're going to own your weight loss. You're going to own your recalibrated body.

You're going to own your life. Do it for you.
Love Tracy

I am here today, Monday January 31st, to recommit to the program. I wish to convey in writing both to myself and to the vast open space of the internet my intention to follow Tracy's guidelines, to put my trust in her and follow her three tiered Method to kick-start my way to perfection.

Tracy says that she's not Tinker Bell and that sweat is the only fairy dust there is, so I am going to give it all I got. 

It worked before and it can work again. Here's to fat-free egg-white omlettes for breakfast, here's to green tea and here's to choco-chestnut pudding. Thank God for you, my little pudding cup!

Wish me luck or do it with me! (I dare you)


Peace!
Shan 

UGH! I blew it.

Things were going so well. I worked the 30 Day Method, I lost the last ten pounds, got into my skinny jeans and figured out more or less what foods tend to trigger my sugar addiction. Thanks, Tracy.

Well then Christmas came along and I became, shall we say, a bit more relaxed about the whole thing and some how or other, the weight managed to stay off. Cool! Yeah well nothing lasts forever, thanks Axl Rose.

In January, even though I got back on the workout wagon, that diet train left the station and I wasn't even there.

News flash, the diet is a really important part of the Method. Damn! So now all my newly defined little accessory muscles are pretty much covered in chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting. Do you know the ones? They have tiny pink and red heart candies sprinkled on top?

Yep, they look sooooooo good in the cooler at the super market, but not so good in my skinny jeans, go figure!

Stepped on the 'ole scale yesterday, OMG. Argh. I'm not quite back to square one, but I can see it clearly from here. Turns out there isn't much point putting in all that time on the mat if you don't do your cardio and you stuff your pie hole. How depressing.

So, true to my nature, I am back to the pretox stage this weekend. I only managed to devour half a case of cupcakes yesterday and I simply cannot let the rest go to waste, (even though they'll undoubtedly go to 'waist') first thing Monday, it's back to basics. Clearly this is a lesson not easily learned.

I refuse to look at it as a punishment. It is going to definitely be a challenge... AGAIN! Insert image of me woefully shaking my head.

I put my fate, my weight and everything I ate in Tracy's hands before and she didn't let me down. So while I wait for my Metamorphosis program to arrive and I revert back to being the lowly caterpillar hoping for transformation, I am heading back to the 30 Day Method to jump-start my enthusiasm.

I hope if you're here, reading along or doing your own 30 Day Method, you'll drop me a line because evidently I need some help.

Cheers
Shan

The Method Works if You Work it.

http://tracyandersonmethod.com/Let me begin with the gentle reminder that I am not affiliated with Tracy Anderson and that I have been a bit of a work out junkie, trying every new thing that comes out. I've even done P90-X, have you heard of this or seen the infomercial on TV? I don't want to digress too far off today's topic but I will say this, I love Tony Horton. He rocks. Again, don't know the man personally, but his videos are fun and bloody hard work. But he cannot give me the physique I'm after so I had to move on.

Let's say you want to take a trip. Before they go, most people come up with a plan. They might get a map, or guide-book, talk to some folks who've been there. They decide when they want to go and for how long and the things they might like to do once there. So why is it when we decide to embark on a health-kick, most of us don't do any planning at all? 

We happen to be in some shop and a workout DVD catches our eye or some new diet book jumps off the shelf at us and we dive right in without thinking about how different it might be from our current lifestyle. We may not be able to walk for a week after performing the exercises or we might not have even heard of some of these foods they want us to eat and so after a day or two we abandon them and go in search of the next fad all while never really bothering to ask ourselves what it is we really want and what we're willing to do to get it.

I am asking you to ask yourself those very questions. I also want you to be realistic about the answers. The vast majority will never ever look like Kate Moss or become a Victoria Secret model no matter how badly we might wish we could be. I would love nothing more than to look like I belong in the New York Ballet, but I'm gonna be 40 this year and have never donned a leotard much less stepped foot into a ballet studio. Good lord, the thought of it gives me nightmares, but I sure would like to look like a ballerina. But I've got to get serious. Those dancers spend their lives, every waking moment, dancing and working for it, how much time can I honestly commit?

Once you figure out a healthy goal for yourself, you then need to choose a program wisely. If you want to become calmer and more flexible, perhaps yoga might be the way to go. If you have joint wear and tear but you still want to improve your cardiovascular health, you might join a local rec center and take up swimming. I'm not a gym rat, never have been, all those muscles freak me out. Having a background in yoga, I prefer to be on my mat and workout by myself in my own time.

This is part of the reason why the Tracy Anderson Method works for me. She has crafted these artful ballet-like movements that I can follow along from her DVD's at home, or I can do them from memory or following her book The 30 Day Method, at my own pace. But there are some things to remember. These strategic movements are designed with a very specific purpose. She goes after your teeny tiny accessory muscles to create that long lean dancer's body. If you want to be ripped or look more "athletic" then maybe P90-X is more your speed.

In any case, when working these seldom used muscles for the first time (or tenth) you're going to feel them. You've got to think of these muscles as you would an investment. Let me explain.


If you want to make more money than you currently do at your job, one way to do that, is to save up some money from that job, then invest it in something so that it can become PASSIVE INCOME. For example, let's say you saved up two thousand dollars, you could put it in a savings account and it might earn you a few pennies, but if you instead used that money to buy a vending machine and put it in your lunch room at work, that machine would be earning you money while you're not even there! Now the money is working for you. It's the same with these accessory muscles.


First you have to get used to working them out in a way you may have never done before (ie. save up the money), then, as you use them more and they grow stronger, they begin to work for you. Like the vending machine that earns money while you have to do nothing, all these little muscles need more fuel than they needed before and soon that metabolism of yours starts to rev, even when you are resting the muscles burn calories.


BUT...


In order for you to see how great all these defined and shapely muscles have become, you've got to burn some of that fat off. And to do that, you dance. I think most of us girls actually like to dance. Catch us when we think no one is watching and our favorite song comes on, chances are we're bustin' a move. (what? I told you I was going to be 40 this year, I use MC Hammer references, okay?) So there is going to have to be some effort made to learn some dance moves, but don't worry, Tracy breaks it down.


See this is how she's different. You can pick up a ballet video or a Pussy Cat Dolls workout or a Dancing with the Stars DVD - ahem, not saying I've done all of those, but their moves are so simple and repetitive that you aren't getting the most out of the time you put in. If you actually make the effort to learn the choreography, not only will you feel ultra cool when you dance around, but you're still working all those special smaller muscles that pull everything in nice and tight and you prevent the bulk that say, running or spinning might create in your legs and butt, you get it?


Finally, you are going to have to give something up. Certain junky foods, I'm sorry but at this age, it's just a fact. Don't panic. You don't have to do it right away. Don't tell Tracy, because she wants you to do it now. For my money, doing things in stages works best. Get used to the damned hard workouts first, commit to them and get them into your daily routine while you still have some of your old creature comforts. Then when they become second nature(ish) and you stop hurting everyday, you can look into changing your eating habits.


Again, Tracy makes this so easy for you. In her book, she lays it out and it's dead simple. Eat vegetables. East Fruit. (that was a hard one for me because I can't stand fruit). Eat protein. Vegetarian? No problem, me too. She's got that covered.


Now I don't have her new Metamorphosis program yet, but she goes one further. She's apparently designed a diet specific to your body type and where you gain weight!! How cool is that? Hey, Tony Horton has a pretty good diet in his program too, but it just didn't work for me as a Vegetarian.


The thing you'll discover as you venture off on this expedition of wellness is that you really learn what foods make you bloat, what foods trigger your salt or sugar cravings and once you get the weight off, you can avoid those foods but go back to the other things you love. That's what Tracy's plan does. It's not a permanent starvation plan like some other diets, it's a way for you to see real results and get motivated to make better choices, but you've got to commit.


Otherwise, it's just like going to the airport and refusing to board the plane. You have to go all the way. Decide what you want first. Seriously, think about it. How important is it that you fit into some bikini if you never go to the beach? What's important to YOU! Then do some research, ask the questions and pick the program that works for you. 

There's an old question that asks, if you are given two sweaters and must choose between them, which do you pick? The one that is soft and cozy and fits like a dream or the one that is too tight in the body with sleeves that are too long and itches like crazy? It's not a trick question. You choose the one that fits. Do the same with your workout. We have so few hours in the day between family, work, and other responsibilities, you've got to get something from it.


The Method works for me, maybe it'll work for you too. Check it out here.
http://tracyandersonmethod.com/ 
Cheers,
Shan

Stuck?

Did you make a resolution to take up an exercise routine or diet plan this year? We're three weeks into January. How's that going for you? Are you stuck? Did you start out strong by joining a gym or popping into your local sporting goods store for a new pair of sneakers or some blinging new workout gear, but haven't quite got around to using it yet?


You had every intention of starting on the first of the month right? But then the first was a Saturday so you decided to wait until the following Monday? Was there a late office party so you figured why set yourself up for failure, you'd just get started after that? Or was your budget so tight from the holidays that you decided the new routine, membership, diet, gear...would have to wait a month or two? Or your schedule is just so busy with getting back to work and the old grind that there isn't enough time for all the extra prep in the kitchen or to fit that workout in.


I know, there are a million excuses. Excuses for why we aren't the size and weight we wish we were. Excuses for why we aren't living the life of our dreams. We get to a certain age and reality sets in. But who's reality is it anyway?


Are you listening to that voice in your head that says "why get that new workout DVD or that new tennis racket, you'll never use it anyway." Or "why bother eating salad for lunch, you'll just be hungry by four o'clock and pig out for dinner?" Why are so many of us plagued by all that negative self-talk? Where does it come from and is it really all that helpful?


In his recent book, Excuses be Gone, Dr. Wayne Dyer would have you examine that constant recording in your head and have you ask; "Is it true?"


Is it true that you've always been big so why bother trying to get in shape? Is it true that you're always just so busy that you really don't have time to exercise? Is it true that you just can't afford it right now? If you really get honest with yourself, the answers to most of the negative thoughts we have about ourselves and our situations when we ask; "Is it true?" are NO.


Just because you've been overweight for a long time doesn't mean you cannot get into shape. Just because you're busy doesn't mean you can't find time to exercise. Most people watch at least a half-hour of television everyday, why not take a walk instead? Or better yet, do your muscular structure work with one of Tracy's great DVD's?


What's really holding you back? What do you gain from all of those excuses? Are you afraid? If so, what are you afraid of? There really are people out there who want to help. People who want to see you be all that you can be and I'm not talking about the army. 


I know it's really hard to change the way you eat. Especially if your family or partner has no desire to take part. You're busy making salad and they come home with French Fries, but you can do it. It's really hard to incorporate a new routine into your daily schedule but the experts say that if you do anything for at least 21 days, it becomes a habit.


I think Tracy's new program Metamorphosis is going to be fantastic. She makes promises in her DVD's and her book The 30 Day Method that if you trust her and you do the work, she will change the shape you're in. I took her up on that challenge and did the 30 day method. You can read about it here on my blog in the September and October archives. It wasn't always pretty, there were days when I wanted to throw in the towel, but by the end, I felt so good about myself. I'd finished something that I set out to do and that in itself was it's own reward. It didn't hurt that I took the weight off too.

But I'm not perfect. The holidays got the better of me and I became lazy and complacent, but I'd rather not quit, not this time.


Nothing in a caterpillar indicates that it will become a butterfly. She just has to let go and trust that one day she'll fly. That's what Metamorphosis is all about, right? Take the challenge with me. We can be transformed together. Whatever your goal this year, it's not too late. You don't have to order a DVD package to get going, there are plenty of video clips on U-tube to get you started. 


Don't stay stuck. There is never a situation in which there is not a way out of - no amount of weight, no amount of debt, no dream too big or too small, just set your mind right. Whatever the recording in your head, wherever it came from, it doesn't have to stay there, you can choose something else. Do it today.


Cheers
Shan

Tracy Anderson Method - Metamorphosis

If you've ever wanted to change your body or improve your health, you're not alone. I've never met a woman who was completely satisfied with her appearance and there is an alarming number of women whose ages are younger and younger that are going to drastic measures to achieve the results that they perceive to be ideal.

I've seen women undergo surgery, eat nothing but fruit (seriously, 10 bananas in one sitting), work out tirelessly for hours on end to achieve some mythical perfection.

But what if there was another way?

If you've been following this blog, you'll know that I'm nearing 40. I've never had a weight problem per say. Throughout my teens, twenties and early thirties, I could pretty much eat what I wanted and while I led an active lifestyle, I was never one to break a serious sweat. Yoga has always been my first choice activity. Don't hate me because it didn't last.

Right around my mid-thirties, things began to change and I wasn't thrilled with what I was seeing. Weight gain around my middle, for the first time in my life I had to go shopping for the dreaded "fat pants" and no matter what I did, I couldn't seem to shed those pounds.

Last spring, right around Easter when all the wonderful chocolate filled the store shelves, I realized I needed an intervention. Even the Biggest Loser workouts weren't cutting it. I was firmer but still bigger than I was comfortable with. It's all relative, right? We all just want to be comfortable in our own skin. I had tried everything. Kettle bell which is supposed to be the Russian super training tool that will get you lean and ripped. It gave me a booty for the first time in my life - hence the fat pants, but it didn't give me the long lean look I was after. Running. Walking. Lifting weights. Cycling - ish, never really took to that. But nothing could turn back the clock or reverse what seemed to be the horrid middle-aged spread. And then as if by some miracle, I came across this darling little personal trainer called Tracy Anderson.

Tracy is a dancer and a key component of her method is dance cardio. I've got two left feet and don't love that aspect of the workout, but when I knuckled down and combined it with her muscular structure workout I saw results that I didn't even think were possible in my twenties, never mind at my current age.

I own every one of her DVD's. Everything from the mat workout and dance cardio, to the complete Perfect Design Series. I've even got her post pregnancy video and I've never had a child, but let me tell you the ab series in that video is killer and it works. I have abs, flat ones, for the first time in my life. And I'm even eating cookies again. I know, bad, right?

Back in September, Tracy came out with her book - the 30 Day Method. So I took up the challenge, started this blog and within that 30 day program I lost those extra ten pounds and then some. I got into my skinny jeans.

Over the holidays, I've become a little complacent. Doing my workouts sporadically, eating rather poorly - pigging out a little bit actually, but now it's time to get back on track.

I've gone back to the book and am starting fresh. I'm three days into the workout that makes up the first 10 days of the program and I can hardly walk. But here's the really exciting thing!

Never failing to take care of us and working endlessly to sculpt our bodies in a non-life threatening way (ie without surgery) Tracy has come up with yet another set of training tools that we girls who don't live in NY or LA can use. She's been promising this for months now and it's finally here. Her Metamorphosis program. 

She's designed a 90 day program which changes up every ten days so your progress never plateaus along with a cardio and diet component that is specific to your body type. Can you imagine? Having a celebrity personal trainer who gets results has never been so affordable or so easy. You can even sign up for her at home continuity program in which once the 90 days are up, she'll send you a new DVD to keep the program changing and challenging.

Getting the body of our dreams has never been so available. I won't say easy because the workouts are anything but easy. They are however fun and results oriented.

Once I have received the Metamorphosis package, you can bet that I'll be writing about it and sharing my progress with you. I hope you'll join me. It's always easier than going it alone.

Here's to tiny waists, fit bottoms and defined arms and legs. 
Cheers
Shan 

Dear Shoes...

Can you imagine a world in which you could:

1) Afford shoes this magnificent?

2) Have a fabulous occasion to wear them to?

and...

3) Actually walk in them?



What a world it would be.


While I wait for the opportunity to someday have these shoes, I will continue to work out with the Method so that I will have the leg and ankle strength to stride effortlessly across some fancy awards stage in them.

In the mean time, "Dear shoes, call me. I love you." 

Quick Fix?

It's a new year. Is getting in shape on your to-do list? Is this a revolving door resolution that you commit to halfheartedly every year, yet never seem to accomplish?

If so, you're not alone. There are plenty of statistics that show you are in good company. The problem is that so many of us want the healthy and fit body without having to put in the work it takes to get it. But unless you're naturally blessed with a slim physique and a speedy metabolism, you can expect to go round and round while endlessly looking for a quick fix that doesn't exist.

They say that it's basic math, you must simply burn more calories than you consume and the weight will start to come off. But even if you sit around eating salad all day long, some may never experience the drop on the scale.

I've struggled in my later thirties with a little weight gain that I couldn't seem to shed, but something magical happened after putting myself through the 30 Day Method - Tracy Anderson's kick-start program. Not only did I manage to get those last few pounds off, I've managed to keep most of them off even over Christmas.

Is it because I've developed more muscle? Notice how I said muscle and not muscle mass? Tracy works on training those tiny accessory muscles so you get great definition without bulking up and all the experts say that muscle burns more calories than fat. Perhaps that is a large contributor to my success, Lord knows my diet as of late hasn't been.

But maybe it's also because I enjoy the workouts so I do them consistently. There seems to be some kind of formula here that's working and if you can find the one that fits your lifestyle it becomes about more than basic math.

I have always had a really hard time with diets. I'm a foodie, love to eat. Not big on sweating, so cardio has never much appealed to me. The awesomeness of yoga was that I could more or less follow a yogic diet (vegetarian) and then get on my mat for an hour every day and stretch myself into shape.

I'm sure that if you can commit to doing any sort of physical activity for an hour a day consistently, you're going to achieve some measure of fitness, weather it's tennis, swimming, lifting weights at the gym, running, or whatever. But once that metabolism drops into low gear, what else can be done? Do we just have to abide by the few extra inches around the middle or rear?

Uh uh. But you will have to work. I mentioned earlier that this year was going to be about having more fun. Absolutely, but at this point, nothing comes for free. 

I think the Method is fun. I enjoy the ballet type movements, even the dancing can be good for a laugh. The book Tracy Anderson's 30 Day Method comes out in Paperback this month, so if you're working on your pocket-book as well as your waistline, then check for it, it's a bargain.

The program was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Would I do it again? Absolutely, in a heart beat. Will I have to do it again? Hopefully not, the results seem to be sticking, but it doesn't hurt to revisit some of the recipes or exercises for a little boost, which I plan to do next week.

Check back for updates and tips or come for the encouragement or just to commiserate, I like the company.

Cheers
Shan

Today!

It's January. The skies tend to be dreary, the weather is cool. It's a new year, yes, but some may be feeling the blues after the rush of Christmas. The lovely trimmed tree is gone, the twinkly lights taken down, the dinner table may be a bit sparse.

As you stare down the barrel of your new year's resolutions, it might feel a bit easier to start next week. Before you know it, next week slips into next month, it becomes spring and you're panicked because you want to lose ten pounds by summer.

Whoa whoa whoa, let's slow down a little bit. It's not spring. We've barely cracked the seal on 2011. Even if you haven't started your diet yet or your sneakers have a layer of dust on them, you can start today.

Do something small today to help your body cleanse and heal from the over-indulgence of the holidays. If you commit to taking one small step right now (I know it sounds like a cliche, just do it!) you actually might feel a little better. That may then attract the energy to do a little something tomorrow and by the end of the month, you just might be feeling so good you can take on a bigger challenge like the 30 Day Method or do a 12 day Wild Rose Detox plan and it won't feel like a big deal at all.

So what can you do, today, right now? How about having only one cup of coffee instead of two? One lump of sugar in your tea instead of three? (I'm guilty of that one). Take your vitamins. You can do it at lunch or dinner if you forgot to take them with breakfast or worse you skipped it. Make a point of eating breakfast tomorrow. Eat at least one salad and a couple of pieces of fruit today. Or juice something. Go to http://tracyandersonmethod.com/lifestyle/ and pull a raw food recipe or juice recipe from her website and give it a go.

I may not be able to do a full scale asana (yoga postures) practice, but I still follow a yogic lifestyle. The Yogis believe that the life force running though us, they call it prana, can be taken in via raw fruits and vegetables, sprouts and raw nuts. So help yourself to a serving of that today. Skip the soda at dinner or the bite of chocolate after dinner. 

You have the power. You don't have to throw your whole life into an upheaval to get feeling better. Take a relaxing bubble bath and use a juicy body scrub while you're in the tub. Your skin is a major organ that works hard at detoxifying your body, why not give it a helping hand? 

Besides, who couldn't use a relaxing soak after a first tough week back to work?
Just do something, take a step toward better health and do it today.
Cheers,
Shan

Investing.

By the time you've reached my age, you've had an earful about making wise choices and investments for your future, but how many of us really take the time or make the effort to invest in our health?

What good is that retirement fund if you're too overweight to get around, too sick to get out and enjoy it or worse, too dead to spend it? 

Over the holidays, I learned that a dear neighbor of mine has cancer. It's a nasty disease that's taken over his once glorious and always smiling face. To see a tear slip down the cheek of the one eye that he could see from, broke my heart. This man was healthy. He ate well and I saw him out walking his dog every single day and cancer got to him anyway. The thing is, he has a really good chance of beating it because he's healthy.

In addition to this, my husband's grandfather had a massive stroke and crossed over. I'm not writing this to scare anyone. I'm sharing because I want you to know how I've informed the health choices I make.

I'm not saying I want to live forever. Quite the opposite actually. I'd prefer to die healthy. To be well and functional when I pass. Gampy went in for a routine knee operation. He needed that surgery because he was grossly overweight and all that weight wore out his poor old knees. What started out as a routine procedure turned into a family's worst nightmare. Yes, we all have to go, but did he die because he failed to invest in his health? Or was it just his time? We could debate this endlessly, like the chicken and the egg question (which came first?) but that's not the purpose of this blog.

My purpose is to gently remind all of you that time is short and all we've got is now. I began to share my experiences with the Tracy Anderson Method here in September. Since then I've talked to a lot of people about her method and how it's affected my life, my health, my waistline and my outlook toward fitness. Among those people, I shared with friend who's my age who wants to take off a couple of pounds as well and has found it increasingly difficult these days.

She saw the change in my body, in my attitude and expressed an interest in taking on the challenge of the 30 Day Method. But she was clear in the fall that she would not have the time until the new year. It's the new year and her proverbial plate is once again full. It's understandable life never seems to give us a break, but when is it finally time to make our health a priority? Why is it that so many of us wait until we lose it before we decide to take care of it? It's a frightening trend that seems to grow with age.

If you've followed this blog, you've heard me whine about how hard it is to get the weight off after 30. Why I didn't just keep it off in my 20's when it was easy to do so is beyond me, but now that it's off I want to keep it off. Weight gain and poor health is not inevitable. Decay is not inevitable. Sure we'll all grow old and age, but we don't have to get fat and rot to death.

I've put off taking vitamins and supplements that the experts say women my age should be taking because I haven't felt the need for them. But when is a good time to start taking calcium? Once you've been diagnosed with osteo-something-or-other? Reality check, there's a cliche that says - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - for a reason, because it's true.

I think, no matter what your age, now's the time to start. Now's all we've got. Invest in yourself and being the best most active and healthy you that you can be. It's a new year. In 2011 don't let that resolution to get in shape "go in one year and out the other!"

If you're new to the blog, check out Tracy's website - http://tracyandersonmethod.com/
You'll be glad you did.

Don't force the magic.

It's a brand spanking new year. Have you made your resolutions? Did you start on the first or were you waiting for Monday? What desicions have you made? Will you get up earlier? Spend less time watching TV? Eat less? Work out more? Take on your very own happiness project? 

Whatever you are resolved to change or do differently this year, I want to wish you courage and success to take the steps needed to follow through.

Last year was all about hard work. We put our heads down and got to it. We saved our money, counted our calories, logged our time at the gym or on the yoga mat, and the year flew by.

This year, things are going to be a bit different, I hope. Yes, there will still be hard work involved, but we have to have more fun along the way. Sure, cardio kinda sucks, but the trampoline is fun. Why not add our favorite tunes to the mix? So salad isn't terribly exciting, but when you start to let your imagination run and throw in a few nuts or some fruit or try a new dressing, it can actually be kinda jazzy. Trust me, there are literally hundreds of cookbooks out there dedicated to the salad.

I want to give us all permission to play this year. If we play a little bit while still "getting it done", I think the magic will happen naturally and we won't have to force it. I forced the magic last year and I got to the end of the year with not much more than the memories of work and more work and that's not a life. 

Whatever habit you want to break or challenge you've decided to take, have some fun with it and make this year your best one yet!

Cheers,
Shan