January and February for most people will be the months where we vow to ourselves that we will lose weight and start to eat healthily. It’s always a struggle after Christmas, shedding the extra pounds from the gluttony of the holiday season, so we join the gym, sign up to a slimming programme with good intentions. These good intentions generally wane around now. Half price memberships make no difference we’ve had enough. We’ve dieted, exercised religiously for nearly six weeks now and what do we get? Nothing! We still can’t get into the jeans we wore when we were seventeen, we can’t say no to that piece of birthday cake at a kid’s party. We are huge failures.
The television schedule is full of programmes on food, either how to cook it or how to diet. We should allow ourselves time to adjust. Inevitably, there is always a birthday, wedding, celebration of some kind; in our society, this involves food. Therefore, maybe keep the exercise up, after Christmas give yourself a break, keep an eye on what you’re eating but don’t give yourself goals that are unachievable. The media makes us feel like we should all be stick thin, lettuce eating slaves to our bodies. This is not reality, so just vow to eat a smaller slice of cake, walk up the stairs instead of taking the lift. Achievable goals, then after Valentines Day make a conscious effort to lose weight.
The offers for half price gym will still be there, it’s not a now or never offer. However, the next hurdle will be Mother’s day, Easter, or whatever special occasion, so don’t beat yourself up. Be reasonable with yourself. Exercising and dieting are much easier in the summer; we need a little, (a little!) extra fat in the winter months. Avoid stereotypes and just know when it’s right for you to lose weight or become a fitter. It’s different for everyone. Embrace who you are and have realistic goals. Happy dieting and exercising people, by the summer we still won’t be our seventeen-year-old selves, but we may be able to run for a bus without having a heart attack.