Finding resolve - Karen Hourtovenko

So many decide on Dec. 31 the New Year will bring new behaviour such as losing weight or starting an exercise routine, only to find that by now we have failed.

So why does that happen? We have good intentions, but life gets in the way. I believe it is more than life. It is fear of failure.

Have you ever thought that you create what you believe? It is so true. Think about it. When you decide to do something and just do it, it happens. When you think about doing something and then a wave of disbelief enters your head, it doesn’t happen.

Think back through your life and look at what you have accomplished or achieved. Did you believe that you could do it, achieve it, or just decide that it is what you wanted to do?

Voila, it was done. Same happens for those who believe they can’t or something is not possible because of their life situation, or someone is telling you that they can’t.

So the secret is believing that you can, no matter what anyone says to you. It is your job to believe that you can.

Once you believe, you will take the time and implement a strategy to get to where you want to be, whether it is in work life, health, or relationships.
For me, fitness was not who I was. I lived my life before the age of 25 struggling with weight. I did not have a physically active family, and therefore did not participate in sports in school.

I was afraid of any activity where I could get hurt or increase my heart rate. That has all changed for me now. The start was that I wanted to feel good about myself. I started eating better foods and walking.

With kids and work, walking took too much time, so I started to walk/run until running was a bit easier. I decided to enter my first race — a half-marathon — nine years ago.

All I wanted to do was run one. I completed the race. I couldn’t walk downstairs for two weeks, but did it.

I have run two races a year since then, and even though I am sore for a few days after, I marvel at the thought that I completed a half-marathon. Anyone can make a change in their life, you just have to believe that with time in and the correct attitude, you can do it.

For nutrition, is it easy. Stay away from boxed and fast food. Most of these foods are loaded with refined carbohydrates that increase your blood sugar load and therefore stimulate your pancreas to release insulin, causing fat storage, inflammation to joints/arteries and increasing you risk of many
diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and fibromyalgia.

Decide to eat more fruits and vegetables, add non-processed protein each time you eat and use unsalted raw nuts for snacks. Eliminate pop, juice and aspartame products, using water (sparkling water is OK) instead.

Exercise can be as simple as walking, lifting juice cans for weight, or swimming. Just move any way that you can. You might feel a bit sore, but it will go away as your exercise becomes a part of your life.

And who knows, maybe you will plan a road race too. My family just returned from Disney where I ran a half-marathon with my husband and a friend (he had a liver transplant four years ago).

What makes it more impressive is that the two of them ran a marathon the following day. Whatever your goal is, big or small – just do it.
Health is a choice. Decide health is what you want, then complete baby steps to get you there. Every small step will get you closer to your goal.

Karen Hourtovenko, RN(EC), is a Sudbury-based health and wellness consultant.

Posted by Vivian Scinto