Committed to Staying Skinny or Eating Less Crap? Here Are Some Ways to Approach Your New Year's Resolutions Like a Smart Girl

It’s January. Sigh.

It’s also the most common time for health and fitness resolutions - until February, of course, when you can’t remember why the hell you gave up carbs.

But it doesn’t have to be hard this year. Your fitness goals should be less like unattainable milestones and more like a daily commitment to being your best, bitchin’ self. Here are some things to consider when you're tempted to ditch your workout for a bag of salty Kettle chips:

You Brush Your Teeth and Shower Daily. (Don't you? If not, that's gross.) Point is, you have time to do these things because they are a necessary part of life. Regular fitness can - and should - be the same.  Think of it as something akin to getting dressed in the morning, not a daunting, must-do task that will result in shame and blame if you don’t complete it.

There is Always Time. Cut the crap, honey. You can stick to a fitness resolution no matter how many emails are sitting in your inbox. Fitness does not have to happen in a gym, with a trainer or in your yoga studio. It can be done anywhere. Walk around the block 10 times, or take the stairs for a day straight. Do push-ups and sit-ups in front of the TV.  Experiment with an audio yoga class or cardio circuit workout on your iPod. As long as you're moving, it counts!

Make Music Your Friend. Music can move, inspire and energize. It also drowns out those annoying, grunting people at the gym. With your favorite tunes, sticking to a fitness resolution will be no problemo. In fact, studies have shown that music can make you work out longer and harder. Feeling like you can’t get your butt off the couch? Drag yourself to your iTunes first, find a beat that inspires you and then get your sweat on. It's an assured way to shift your mood and motivation.

See it as Escape Time. How often do you really get alone, uninterrupted time with yourself these days?  There is always an email, a boss, a child, a partner, a tweet or a “something” that’s clamoring for your attention. Instead of looking at working out as something you have to do, look at it as a precious little slice of time for you. Calm your racing thoughts during a meditative bike ride. Sort out your angry feelings during a turbo-charged Bikram class. Your sweaty time really can be paradise if you let it.

Boredom is Not an Option. The second you let yourself think you're getting bored with a routine, you will be bored. Add more spontaneity to your workout schedule to stay intrigued. Mix up only things you like so that you're doing them one to two times a week and getting in at least three to six workouts. Walking through the woods. Running. Boxing. Yoga. Aerobics. Look at your calendar and then check the schedule at the gyms or studios around you. Make your routine mold to what is available so you have an enticing weekly schedule to - dare I say it - look forward to.

Don’t Psych Yourself Out. Just because you fall off the wagon one day, or even one week, it doesn't mean your resolutions should be thrown away! And just because you have a lazy, ahem, soft workout one day doesn't mean you should give up. Your body changes, and life changes, every single moment of every day. That is what makes both so incredible. So let yourself ride the waves of you and sweat through them, instead of breaking and crashing every time something challenging comes up. It will be fine. I promise. Tomorrow is a new day.

I look forward to my daily sweat time more than anything else. It's a part of my life that allows me special time for me, and me alone. Aren’t you worth it, too? Damn right you are.

What changes do you want to make in 2012? Are you on track? Leave us your feedback in the comments section below!

Have a question for Lauren? Email us and we'll get your questions answered.

Lauren Imparato, Fitness Contributor
In Spring 2009 Lauren resigned her job at Morgan Stanley to launch I.AM.YOU., a lifestyle brand and yoga studio in Little Italy, Manhattan. Lauren teaches intense, fun, and athletic Vinyasa classes, each set to a unique Music Mix designed by I.AM.YOU.'s Resident Mixologist. Lauren graduated with an Advanced Certification from Conquering Lion Yoga and received a secondary Advanced Certification from Kula Yoga School. She also has a Certificate in Advanced Studies Yoga Anatomy, is a graduate of the Institute of Integrated Nutrition and accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She holds an Intermediate Level Certificate from the International Wine Center and a BA from Princeton University in Romance Languages and Literatures. Tweet Lauren @IAMYOUstudio or follow her on Facebook.

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