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 When the going gets tough… come on guys… we’re actors, when is the going easy???

It’s the second week in January, the resolutions are slightly faded and the RESOLVE we had a week or two weeks ago is nothing so strong as it was… say … last Tuesday.  So how do you stay on track, when you’ve lost that ”joi de workout-clean-diet” feeling?

Well, my fine and fabulously talented friends, this is what separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls.

I mean, kinda like being a successful actor… if it was easy… wouldn’t everybody do it??

Like learning your lines, it can be tedious but the only way to get to a higher level of fitness and health is to KEEP GOING! persevere, be consistent* (see www.mybodytutor.com for directions on CONSISTENCY) , it’s everything we know as actors, now you just have to put it into practice in the gym and the kitchen.

So, off with my lecture hat, moving on to HOW (the much more important segment):

1. Daily goals: Not huge ones… but try thinking of your diet and exercise program in terms of part of your job to accomplish that day. For example: when I am learning lines for a show, I do a certain amount each day. A REALISTIC amount (based on requirement of my part of course)…. if you can’t do a 60 min workout, that’s fine… get on the treadmill for 20 min, cover your prerequisite and then move on. You’ll feel better having done SOMETHING toward your goal.

2. Sacrifice something. How about taking out that one cookie, or that beer… ONE THING that your body just doesn’t need.                               

3. Have some flexibility… come on… this is a given in our profession… if you can’t get your scheduled workout today, all is not lost, regroup and figure out when you really have time for it.

Same thing goes for food. So you ate the cookie, or the pizza or whatever, all is not lost… what is the saying on that t-shirt… “Keep Calm, Move on”…. ahhhh there ya go.

4. Treat it like your job guys.

It isn’t always my favorite thing to eat chicken breast, but you know what… it’s part of my job as a fitness expert and an actress to stay in tip top shape… so I do it. Just like I sit and stare at the Sam French version of whatever play I am working on and LEARN MY LINES.

So super speedy recap cause… well… I have to learn my lines ….

1. Daily Goals

2. Make a sacrifice (daily)

3. Be flexible … actor people!

4. It’s like part of your job man!

Stay in and stay hungry!

Resolve: REALLY RESOLVE.

Image via Wikipedia: Wait... where are all the people who resolved to get fit 3 weeks ago???

Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to tell lies???

Oh so what’s that on the tip of your tongue disguised as ehem…. A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION….. yeah….

If 95% of ALL diet plans fail, http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1226/Diet-Weight-Loss-Lore-Myths-Controversies-WHY-DIETS-FAIL.html, I would say, a good 99.9% of them are New Year’s resolutions.

My GOD! Those treadmills will be packed tonight and through the end of next week…. but having seen the numbers decline right before my very big brown eyes (yes, just incase you didn’t already know I used sit in a big office in a VERY big gym and watch the hordes of people come in January 3rd and then magically reduce themselves by HALF in the following weeks), the space will be abundant by January 31st.

I hate finger wagging in general, if you know me, and most of you do, my temper is quick,  you wave a finger in front my face, you’re likely to have it bitten off (figuratively, of course), but I’m gonna wag just a little bit…. YOU MUST BE CONSISTENT otherwise… IT DOES NOT WORK.

If I hear one more person tell me January 2nd they are cutting out sugar, carbs, alcohol, working out 7 days a week, running for hours on end… I am gonna scream… okay… I’m already screaming.

… enough lambasting….I will respectfully climb down from my soapbox now and give you, my friends and readers and friendly readers bullet points to help you… not fall into the resolution abyss.

Here we go…  this is big… but not for the weak-minded:

1. SET GOALS YOU CAN REACH… you are not gonna work off Christmas and New Years in the week from 1/2-1/8… and if you do, you will be so BURNT by then, you won’t keep going.

So, Anna, what do we do?? Huh… well… that’s kinda what they pay me for… but just to give you an idea: cutting about 200 calories a day from your diet will yield an approximate 1-1.5lb reduction in your body weight on a weekly basis…. that ain’t all 20 at once, but it’s gonna stay off a heck of a lot longer if you do it my way.

2. Commit to a number of workouts each week…  (that kind of goes along with the above prescription). Be somewhat flexible incase life happens… uhm, and it does. So keep the plans loose enough that you can do other things, but tight enough to fit in, let’s say 3 per week??

Which leads to my next point…

3. Timeline… you wanna lose 10lbs… give yourself how long??? Based on the above information … you do the math… so if you get on the scale next week and all 10 aren’t gone… you… what? Come on… KEEP GOING.

4. Get help…. get help guys… it’s not that much money. A little shameless plug here www.mybodytutor.com …. we can help you… and so can any number of other sources… go see my friend Mark Fisher at http://www.markfisherfitness.com/site/home.html… if he can’t make it fun for you I give up… but we both offer reasonably inexpensive ways to help you stick to a plan. And may I just suggest that these are actually complimentary services…. you can work with both of us … just sayin.

Ok: Recap; 1. Set attainable goals 2. commit to a realistic number of workouts on a weekly basis … have some flexibility 3. TIMELINE 4. See me at www.mybodytutor.com or some other personal fitness source to help get and KEEP you on track…

Don’t lie this year… RESOLVE and DO!!!