The Philippine Online Chronicles

Bored with the old you? Don’t get stuck in the old version of yourself. Take a pen and paper and start making a list of all the things you’ve always wanted to change about yourself. Better yet, use our list!

• Make this year your fitness year!

   

How many times have you promised yourself to lose the extra weight but you end up gaining more instead? Promise yourself that 2012 is the year to be sexy. And assuming you’ve had a good holiday feast, now is a very good time for you to start eating right.

Losing weight is always accompanied by some sort of diet. But don’t fall for any diet without making sure that it is safe for your health. Crash diets usually fail because it doesn’t give you the nutrients your body needs. You just end up eating wrong.

If you have a good appetite, make sure you start your meals with a healthy salad or a soup. This way, half of your entrée will already make you feel full. If you have a sweet tooth, try cutting your portions by up to one treat per day. Or if you like fruits, frozen grapes are a good alternative for candies.

When you are serious about losing weight, you might want to keep track of what you eat. Keep a food diary, where you can list all the food you eat in a day. This way, you will be more conscious of your calorie intake, and will be more careful in your food choices.

Work-out more. If you’re aiming to drop a dress size in time for that grand event you’re attending, diet alone may not be enough, especially if your day-to-day activities are mostly sedentary. Burn more fats by working-out.

If your schedule is just too tight for a full work-out routine, you can do a simple but regular exercise for maybe ten or fifteen minutes. Among the most fun quick exercise routines include swimming, riding a bike, jogging, or rollerblading. Even playing around with your toddler will surely get you all sweaty after a few minutes. Or if you want a more practical use of your time, you can opt to do any of the following: clean the house, rake the leaves off the lawn, or vacuum—not only will you burn some calories, you will also accomplish some of your chores.

Get a medical exam! Going to the doctor may feel like a chore, but a meeting with your physician is a good way to start the new year. Have your annual medical exam, get your blood sugar checked, have a mammogram, and see your dentist and dermatologist.

• Get a makeover! Reinventing yourself is fun-ner if you match it with a change in your looks. If you’re stuck with the same hairstyle for the past months, it’s time to hit the salon for a new haircut. Better yet, change your hair color to really bring out a more vibrant you. Changing how you look will make you feel more daring to do the other changes you plan to have. Also, if you’ve been too busy working for the past years then it’s time you pamper yourself a little bit. Invest on hair products, good makeup and other must-have beauty products like moisturizers and nail polish.

• Bond with the family! Let your family know they come first in your life by organizing a family trip every now and then. Family trips keep the relationships tight. More than the gifts, the best thing you can give your family is time.

• Give yourself a “me” time. Quality time with people you love is important, but quality time with yourself is just as crucial to keep a balanced life. Make sure you give yourself a few minutes every day when you can just sit back, relax, and do all the nothing you want to do.

• Make de-stressing a part of your routine. We often hear that stress is normal. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do anything about it. Here are small ways to beating stress: get a regular massage, do yoga, have a date night/movie night on a weekly basis, go to a salon for a treatment, or take power naps.

• Be more organized. Use your 2012 planner to really make sure everything is on schedule. Gone are the days when you are always late to work. If you plan your day right, you will have time for all the things you need to do in one day.

So there you go. Six great ideas on how you can be a better version of yourself this year. More important than these ideas, though, is a positive attitude and the trust that every day is a chance to start something new and exciting. Enjoy the new you!

Photo by Sean MacEntree from Flickr.com. Some rights reserved.