New Year, New You: 8 Weeks to Your Best Life in 2007

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” -- Helen Keller

THERE'S SOMETHING HOPEFUL and heartening about a New Year.

It’s an opportunity to slough off past indulgences, offenses and omissions, and look ahead with a gleam in our eyes and a fire in our bellies. The New Year is a clean slate.

Unfortunately, New Year’s resolutions have lost much of their gravitas -- at least with respect to fitness. We set them, we break them. We don’t think much of it. Some of us have broken the promise to ourselves so many times that we no longer pursue our resolutions with the firm determination they require … and deserve.

The New Year presents a fresh opportunity to live our best lives. We ought to seize that opportunity -- and pursue it with great conviction. After all, there is a lot on the line: This is your life. Right here, right now. And this year you can live your best life.

Over the next 8 weeks, I’m going to cover the “eight pillars of success” when it comes to health and fitness goals. They are, in order: Commitment, Guidance, Time, Motivation, Health, Support, Environment and Enjoyment. Each week, I’ll also present “Action items” that, when taken together, will form a foundation for success all year long.

First, some ground rules:

Believe

No matter how many times you’ve failed in the past, this is a new year. And, in a literal sense: this is a new you. Believing in yourself is the key to success. There’s even research to substantiate this. In a study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, two groups of sedentary women were given a fitness test. Regardless of how they had actually performed on the test, one group was told they had scored in the highest fifth, while another group was told they’d scored in the bottom fifth. When the women subsequently worked out, the ones who’d been told they’d scored well reported feeling better and more energetic about the exercise than the women who were told they’d done poorly. Clearly, if you believe you can succeed in achieving your goals in 2007, you more than likely will.

On the other hand, if you lack confidence, reaching your goals can become a challenge—if not downright impossible. And if you’re like a lot of people attempting to achieve a higher level of fitness in the New Year, self-doubt can creep in at the most inopportune moments. Even if you’re bursting with buoyancy right now, it’s important to plan for times when that might not be the case—whether it’s in the face of adversity or simply manifests as a slight twinge of uncertainty about how to proceed. As Helen Keller once said, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” Whether that sunny disposition eludes you or not, it’s always a good idea to have some self-assuredness exercises and strategies in your exercise arsenal.

Seek support

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “you’re your own worst critic” -- and if you’ve heard it a lot in reference to yourself, well, nothing is going to be more valuable to your fitness success than other people who can knock some sense into you. Even if you don’t have a tendency to come down a little too hard on yourself, having a support system in place is crucial for not just staying on your game but kicking serious butt. You simply can’t afford not to surround yourself with people who will cheer you on when you feel like giving up (and that will happen often!), who will point out how far you’ve come when you’re not sure you’re doing enough, and who will tell you that you can do it when you lack belief in yourself.

According to sports psychologist Dariusz Nowicki, who works with Olympic athletes, people are 47 percent more motivated to exercise consistently when they involve their family and friends than when they go solo. “Studies have shown time and again that when people know others are watching them, they perform very differently than when they know they are alone,” adds Nowicki in his book Gold Medal Mental Workout. He suggests that you tell everyone you know that you’re going to accomplish your New Year’s resolutions -- to create accountability that will drive you even further. “The more involved those around you become in your event, the higher your motivation becomes to do the daily workouts,” he says. And the mere act of telling others you’re going to do something might just make you believe it’s completely doable!

Be uncompromising

We tend to put ourselves last in life. Think about it for a moment: if your health is your most precious personal asset, why is it that we’re so willing to nix workouts in favor of doing things for others – such as cleaning the house or putting in extra time at work? Exercise often gets relegated to the end of our “daily to-do lists.” This year needs to be your year -- to take the time you need, and deserve, to look and feel fabulously fit. And, anyone who cares about you will support that position wholeheartedly.

You only need to invest 4-8 hours a week into physical activity; that’s roughly 3-6% of your total available hours each week. Making time for exercise is like “paying yourself” first each month, by allocating a percentage of your earnings to savings. It’s difficult at first, but you soon learn that the investment is well worth it.

In 2007, be unyielding -- even a little stubborn -- when it comes to making and taking time for your fitness. When you have a workout to do, treat it like a serious business appointment, or time with your kids. Don’t let anyone, or anything, get in your way. Life can wait. Your health may not.

Never give in

In a 1941 speech to the Harrow School, after months of an unremitting Nazi air attack, Winston Churchill uttered words that would echo through the ages: “Never Give In, Never, Never, Never.” It was Churchill’s moxie and resolve -- and his willingness to back it all up with every fiber of his 5 foot, 6 inch frame -- that helped the Allies secure victory in World War II.

When it comes to commitment, we can learn much from Churchill. Granted, comparing working out to war seems a little absurd, but the underlying message is not: Commitment is commitment. What is the depth of yours? Achieving your New Year’s resolutions comes down to a mindset: if you are firmly committed, you’ll never give in. Regardless of how many workouts you miss, or how long you come off your diet -- on any given day, you can get right back on track. In fact, that ability is the hallmark of every successful person in every area of life. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: "A hero is no braver than an ordinary [person], but [she] is braver five minutes longer."

To Do This Week: “Commitment Workouts.” Each time you exercise this week, spend some time reflecting on how important (and tenuous) your health is, and how you must do everything you can to achieve your resolutions this year. Solidify that commitment. Deeply.

When you commit to living your best life -- I mean, authentically and unwaveringly -- nothing will get in your way. And, the life you've often imagined will come to you.

Next up: The Plan. Stay tuned.

Four Gifts of Health...That Give Back

"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." -- Albert Pine (English author, d.1851)

THE HOLIDAY SEASON is a time to take stock of what is good in our lives and to extend goodwill -- and wishes of good health -- to those who need it. It's easy to lose sight of that as the holidays can descend into a frenzied bacchanalia of unbridled avarice!

What follows are four "gifts of health" ideas -- each with an altruistic twist. These gifts feel good and do good. They enable and inspire the recipient to lead a healthier, more vibrant life, while improving the health of our world.

MioPINK: Gift with 'heart'

The story of Mio began in 1999 when it was created by entrepreneur and mother of three, Liz Dickinson. Like many, Dickinson was balancing family and career, leaving little time for fitness. After several unsuccessful attempts to shed the pregnancy weight of her third child, she realized the key to get and stay in shape came down to three things: eating smart, monitoring caloric intake and using a heart monitor to exercise at the right level.

"I didn't have time to read labels and carry a calorie journal in my purse, nor did I have much patience for the uncomfortable chest strap I had to wear to get my heart rate," Dickinson says.

She knew there had to be a better way, so she created Mio, the world's first heart rate monitor to work without a chest strap.

"We didn't stop with just heart rate. Mio also has a patented calorie management system that offers a straightforward approach to managing your diet."

With the help of Mio and a balanced diet, Dickinson shed the pounds and gained the benefits that come with improved fitness: more energy, more vitality and less stress.

If you want to give a great gift of health that gives back, get the MioPINK. This fashionable piece of fitness gear allows you to record calories eaten throughout the day and track calories burned during exercise -- all against a daily calorie target. This is the crux of effective weight management. The MioPINK also includes a heart rate recovery timer, which is a good indicator of overall fitness.

Best of all: 10 percent of the retail sales price from the Mio-PINK goes to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. That's good to know because every 13 minutes another woman will learn that she has breast cancer.

To order, visit www.amazon.com or www.miowatch.com.

LIVESTRONG apparel

When you consider that one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during his or her lifetime and that three in four families will care for a family member with cancer, this gift of health feels particularly apropos.

Most people are familiar with what Lance Armstrong did as a cyclist in the Tour de France. But what he has done, and is doing, for cancer survivors may be even more prolific.

In 1997, before he pedaled to superstar status as a cyclist, he founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation , or LAF. The foundation's message is that anyone with cancer is a survivor; they're not dying from cancer, they're living with it. And, its mission is to help anyone affected by cancer.

"The Lance Armstrong Foundation is dedicated to inspiring and empowering people affected by cancer," says Stephanie Elsea, associate director of public relations for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, based in Armstrong's hometown of Austin, Texas.

"The good news is that more people are living beyond a cancer diagnosis. There are approximately 10 million Americans who are living with, through or beyond cancer; the bad news is that there are very few resources to help guide cancer survivors deal with the physical, emotional and practical issues that come with the disease."

The Lance Armstrong Foundation received a 4-star charity navigator ranking indicating that "more than 80 percent of expenses are invested in mission-related activities and grants."

The LIVESTRONG store offers an array of good-quality workout apparel, particularly in Armstrong's favorite sports: cycling, and now, running. (Hey, the guy is a sub three-hour marathoner!)

And, check out their fun, new line of pet accessories. You can run, walk or hike with your pup - with LIVESTRONG leashes and collars -- to help you both "live stronger."

Visit the LIVESTRONG store at: www.livestrong.com.

CARE package

Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

In 1945, 22 American organizations embodied that quote.

In the aftermath of World War II, this cooperative rushed lifesaving packages to millions of survivors who were in danger of starvation. On May 11, 1946, the first 20,000 packages flooded into the war-torn port of Le Havre, France. In the ensuing two decades, CARE shipped approximately 100 million more Army surplus "10-in-1" food parcels, which came to be known as "CARE packages" (yes, that's where the term came from).

Since then, the scope of CARE's mission has changed, but the significance of its work has not. CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE not only feeds the hungry, it also helps tackle underlying causes of poverty so that people can become self-sufficient. Recognizing that women and children suffer disproportionately from poverty, CARE places special emphasis on working with women to create permanent social change. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters and helps people rebuild their lives.

In the past year, CARE's work has helped 48 million people in 70 countries.

Purchasing "I am Powerful" CAREWear (timelessly stylish and appropriate exercise apparel), or making a donation on behalf of a loved one, is a gift that feels good and does good. CARE allocates an industry-leading 91 percent of all funds to program activities.

To learn more and to make a donation online, visit: www.care.org .

Empower a kid

While this gift may not "give back" to charity in a traditional, monetary sense, it nets a return that is indeed boundless.

Few would argue that humanity's future rests with our children.

One might wonder then why we continue to fail them when it comes to their health. In California this year, our kids' health received a failing grade. In the United States, 18 percent of children are overweight or obese, and that number is rising. In the world, every second child lives in poverty.

When you boost the health of our children, you elevate humanity.

This gift of health needn't come in the form of a pricey gadget, such as the "Super-Super-Happy Fun Activity Slide."

This gift idea (like most great gift ideas) requires commitment, not cash.

The goal here is to help kids lead healthier, more active lives. To do this, you could volunteer a day a week for an organization such as CARE or UNICEF. You could join Big Brothers/Big Sisters (www.bbbs.org) and play sports with kids. You might start a local parents group whose raison d'etre is to get active with their children. Or, you could simply spend more time helping your own kids be healthier.

Bottom line: Determine where your talents and passions lie, and unleash them on helping children lead better lives.

When a child feels healthier, she comes alive. And when she comes alive, she lights up the world.

And, that is the essence of giving a gift of health -- that gives back.

Oh Calories, My Calories!

"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food.” -- Hippocrates

WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTIONS OF SUPERSTRING THEORY, a way out of Iraq, and Donald Trump’s follicle tower, nothing seems to befuddle the mind and puzzle the intellect more than the human diet. What, when, how and how much to eat to manage our weight, boost our energy and live better lives is a topic of constant debate and an endless stream of laughably arcane books.

While the right types and amounts of exercise are going to help you to achieve great things in your quest to live a healthier life, I’m sure you know that the right types and amounts of food are every bit as important. That said, a lot of people tend to focus exclusively, or at least disproportionately, on one aspect of their fitness (the diet or the exercise) rather than both, which unfortunately means they don’t get the results they’re after.

Of course, it can be tough to figure out what you’re supposed to eat, how much of it, and when -- particularly with all the fad diets perpetually flooding the market and all the “groundbreaking” research claiming to have found a scientifically sound new approach to eating or, better yet, a nutritional supplement that will give you…energy!...Weight-loss!...Abs of steel!...Buns of Topaz!...And all for just $49.99!... Try my product! From low carb to no carb to calorie restrictive to cabbage soup to detox diets, from metabolism-boosting to fat-burning miracle pills -- it’s easy to understand why you’d be a little confused about which methods (if any) will work best for you.

Here and now, I’m going to help you make sense of all the dietary minutiae. You’ll probably be happy to hear that eating healthfully doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, any fitness goal you have will require the same basic principles, including an appropriate amount of calories to support your basic physiology and level of activity, and the right balance of macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats). From there, it’s just a matter of making the best food choices within each category and timing things wisely throughout the day. Let’s begin with some food fundamentals, then we’ll get into more detail regarding how to make goal-specific tweaks and put it all together into the right meal-plan for you.

You count them, you ration them, you may even do whatever you possibly can to burn them off -- from cranking up your cardio workouts to eating more celery. Yes, whether you’re trying to lose weight or simply maintain an optimum fitness level, chances are you view the poor little calorie with fear and loathing or, at the very least, confusion. But if you understood exactly what calories were, you could work with them rather than against them.

Simple truth: The calorie is not inherently evil. In nutritional terms, it is defined as a unit of energy-producing potential contained in food and released upon oxidation by the body. If we viewed calories this way -- as potential energy to fuel our bodies, not unlike the insanely expensive gasoline we put into our cars -- we might dramatically alter our relationship to the foods we eat, and strive for the premium stuff that will keep us running smoothly and efficiently, rather than the cheap stuff that always seems to require we go in for an extra tune-up when we haven’t gone nearly enough miles. Okay, enough with the car analogies. My point is that as an everyday athlete, you should be obsessed with -- or at least intent upon -- fueling your body as effectively as possible, and to do that you must get to know the caloric breakdown of the foods you consume, and aim for the appropriate quantities.

Let’s look at the big picture first: How many calories should you be consuming each day? That’s going to depend on your height, weight, age, gender, body composition (how much fat and muscle you have), general health, genetics and how much exercise you get. Believe it or not, there is a formula known as the Harris-Benedict equation that takes a lot of these factors into account, and can therefore give you a fairly good estimate of your basal metabolic rate (BMR) -- which is how many calories your body burns at rest (or the minimum number you need to maintain your basic bodily processes, not counting exercise, each day). Using that number, there is an additional formula that considers your activity levels.

First, here’s the formula for your BMR:

FOR MEN, YOUR BMR =

66 + (6.23 x your weight in pounds) + (12.7 x your height in inches) – (6.8 x your age in years)

FOR WOMEN, your BMR =

655 (no, that’s not a typo) + (4.35 x your weight in pounds) + (4.7 x your height in inches) - (4.7 x your age in years)

To give you an example: Let’s say you’re a 25-year-old male, 180 pounds and 6 feet tall (or 72 inches). That’s: 66 + (6.23 x 180) + (12.7 x 72) – (6.8 x 25) = 66 + 1121 + 914 – 170 = 1931

So, your BMR -- the number of calories your body requires just to sit around doing next-to-nothing -- is 1931.

Now, you need to multiply your BMR by one of the following numbers to determine how many additional calories you’ll need to consume to maintain the activity/exercise you do each day:

- If you’re sedentary (little or no exercise): multiply by 1.2 (and feel guilty)
- If you’re lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): multiply by 1.375
- If you’re moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): multiply by 1.55
- If you’re very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): multiply by 1.725
- If you’re extra active (very hard exercise/sports and physical job): multiply by 1.9

While the numbers arm us with the information to make intelligent choices, don't let it take the pure joy out of eating. Food is a source of pleasure in life. Don't spend a moment mired in guilt. Do your best to eat right -- and relish every bite.

The Power of Passion

"Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion." -- G.W.F. Hengel

FOR A MOMENT, picture your passion. Visualize a time when you were immersed in your favorite activity. Perhaps it was a refreshing run on the beach, a soothing session of yoga or an uplifting hike up a mountain -- anything that resonates with you deeply. What sensations does that image evoke? You likely felt energized, excited, even euphoric. That’s because it’s an activity about which you feel passion—a powerful force that can drive you to great heights. “It's your passion that, throughout your life, will be your saving grace,” says Barbara De Angelis, author of Passion (Dell, 1999). “It will kePublishep you going after your dreams when everyone advises you to give up.” On the other hand, when you do something solely out of a sense of obligation, you may feel drained or uninspired. How fulfilled you are depends a lot on how much energy you devote to things that you feel deeply passionate about. Here’s how to turn up the heat in your relationships, career, hobbies and health so that you can live with more passion.

RELATIONSHIPS

The people with whom you spend the most time have a profound impact on how much passion you feel in your life. If your friends or family members consistently exhaust you rather than energize you it may be time to make some changes.

Action Item: Create a list of the main relationships in your life. Now assign an “A,” “B” or “C” to each person in terms of how much they enrich you. You owe it to yourself to do three things: maximize your “A” relationships by devoting more time to them; improve your “B’s” by communicating your needs to those people; and purge the “C’s” by gently, but firmly moving on from those relationships.

CAREER

According to renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow, human beings are driven primarily by two needs: physiological (getting air, water and food) and safetysafe rather than on work that’s stimulating. (establishing stability and consistency in a chaotic world). While seeking “stability” and “consistency” may improve our chances of survival, it doesn’t necessarily make us optimally happy. Our careers are our main sources of stability, so we tend to put a higher premium on work that’s safe, rather than on work that inspires us.

Action Item: Take a truthful look at how passionate you feel about your career. When you wake up in the morning, do you more often feel enthused, or deflated, at the idea of going to work? If you decide that you no longer feel passion for your career (or that you never had it!), then you can do one of two things: Weave your passion into your work-week. For example, you may devote evenings to writing your new book or launching your home-based business. The other option is to build up three to five month’s worth of savings, quit your job entirely and pursue your passion with everything you’ve got. The latter move involves heftier sacrifices and more moments of fear and doubt, but the potential payoffs are bigger. If you follow your heart, you’ll meet each challenge with gusto.

HOBBIES

Your leisure time is meant to refresh and rejuvenate you. But, how often do you spend your hard-earned days off doing things that really fire you up? Maybe it’s time to devote more of your free time to activities that impassion you.

Action Item: What hobbies have you always felt a deep desire to take up? Do you have a burning desire to learn to play the piano? Sculpt? Garden? Allocate a few hours each week to pursuing new, passion-filled interests.

HEALTH

Making the decision to exercise is more often guilt-induced than it is passion-driven. We tend to do whatever workouts make us thinner. While the destination of being more slender may fill you with passion, why not make the journey exciting and energizing as well?

Action Item: To infuse your fitness program with more passion, vary your workouts more often. Try this: write down three physical activities that you’re wild about. Spend the next six weeks integrating one, or all three, of those new exercises into your weekly workout program. By keeping things fresh and fun in this way, you will get excited, motivated and energized -- the three hallmarks of passion.

PINPOINT YOUR PASSION

Take the following survey. If you answer “yes” to four or more of the following questions, you are passionate about that pursuit -- and should strive to do it more often.

1. When you perform this activity do you lose track of time?
2. Does it spark your creative side? Are you constantly conjuring up ways of doing it differently, or better?
3. Do you tend to daydream about it when you’re not doing it?
4. Does it energize you?
5. Does it feel more like “play” than “work?”

Do one thing each day that inspires you deeply, and you will reap the rich rewards that come from unleashing the power of passion.

Pushing Through Plateaus

"A hero is no braver than an ordinary [person], but [she] is brave five minutes longer. " -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

IT'S TOUGH TO STAY ON TRACK when you are doing everything right and stop seeing the progress. Here are some strategies and solutions to keep your fires stoked through the stagnation.

It is a deal we strike with our bodies and, by all accounts, it is a fair one: “If I eat well and exercise consistently, you improve your shape.” Unfortunately, our bodies do not always hold up their end of that bargain. Have you ever experienced a period in which, no matter how much you exercise, or how impeccably you eat, the scale does not budge an ounce? If that scenario sounds familiar, you may be experiencing what is known as plateau, and it can completely undercut your motivation. In fact, according to a recent study by The American Council of Exercise, if people do not see and feel results after 21 days of working out and dieting, a whopping 41% will throw in the towel on their entire program. You needn’t be part of that statistic. Here is how to stay the course even when it seems like your program, and your body, is failing you.

TIP: Spice things up. We all know that a consistent exercise routine nets better health, a clearer mind and a more beautiful body, but if your exercise becomes too much of a routine, the same Stairmaster workout day-in and day-out, for example, you will likely hit a plateau. “The human body is wonderfully adaptive,” says Todd Weitzenberg, MD a sports medicine specialist at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa, California, California. If you positively stress the body, it will improve its shape and its performance,” he says. That adaptability can also be our nemesis, however. A plateau is a sign that your body has, in essence, grown wise to your routine. “If you place the same exercise stress on the body on a daily basis, it will not be as inclined to change its shape,” he says.
EXERCISE: Write down three new activities you will do over the next month. Try different sports such as golf or tennis, even snowboarding, and have fun. Those activities will alter the positive stresses on your body and help you break free from ruts. If you don’t have access to other sports, then vary your current routine. For example, change the exercises you do in the weight room. Breakthrough workouts are another effective countermeasure to plateaus. These sessions are either longer or more intense than you are accustomed to and serve to break-through your plateau.

TIP: Throw in the towel, just for a few days. If you have been grinding away at an exercise program for more than four weeks and you are not seeing commensurate payoffs, then you may need to take time off. “Rest is just as important as stress to the total body equation,” says Dr. Weitzenberg. To progress over time and avoid plateaus, you must stress the body (exercise), take time off to rejuvenate and then come back to exercise with a renewed vigor. “In as little as two days away from exercise, hydration and hormone levels return to normal and the body begins functioning better,” he says.
EXERCISE: Review your exercise program over the past month and if a period of rest is warranted, then take two to three days completely away from exercise and spend that time recuperating: take daily naps, partake of deep soaks. You will come back to your workouts better equipped to achieve results.

TIP: Think long-term. Not seeing results from exercise and diet can erode one’s motivation. It is important to remember that we all experience highs and lows in our fitness programs; it is how you deal with them that matters most. “People who accept the fitness process in its entirety, and hang in there during the lows, are the ones who succeed over time,” advises Dr. Weitzenberg.
EXERCISE: View good nutrition and exercise as long-term investments in your health and well-being. In other words, you may not see appreciable gains every single week, but that is ok. Use the successes you have experienced so far to provide inspiration and keep your exercise and eating graph headed upwards over time.

TIP: See the big picture. Sometimes we tend to obsess with the physical benefits of working out and eating well, such as tighter buns, slimmer hips. Those things are important, but good exercise and diet nourishes mind and spirit, reduces stress, strengthens confidence and makes us feel more alive. Focus on these elements during physical plateaus.
EXERCISE: This week, when you work out or eat a healthy meal, shift your focus. Let your stress melt away with every footstrike on the treadmill; visualize that salad bathing your cells in healthful nutrients. Before you know it, you will have cleared your current plateau while actually enjoying the process.

New Year's Not Here Yet, But Start Resolution Now

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS ARE ABOUT igniting the possibilities to live better, healthier lives, to seize the day, to feel extraordinary, and to inspire those around us by holding ourselves to higher standards.

Why am I writing about New Year's resolutions now -- in the middle of December? Isn't that taboo and tacky, like hanging Christmas lights before Thanksgiving?

No. And, here's why.

Your health is your most precious asset -- and life is short. The new year provides a golden opportunity to live your best life: to boost your energy, to get to your ideal weight, to feel more confident and to live with more grace and gusto.

The best way to achieve better health and a better life in 2007 is to hit the ground running. There's much you can do over the ensuing two weeks to set yourself up for success in the New Year. Here's how to do it in five simple steps:

Get on a mission

Goals, goals, goals. When people start burbling about "goal setting," my eyes glaze over, my head reels back and I feel like Homer Simpson ("I know this person's talking, but all I want is a nice bag of potato chips. Mmm, potato chips.") The word "goal" is so lifeless, I don't hear it anymore.

So, let's frame things differently.

When it comes to your new year's resolutions, set out on a "mission." Do you remember the Blues Brothers? Those guys were on a mission from God! If you watched that film, nothing -- not flamethrowers, maniacal hillbillies or an army of Illinois State Troopers -- could deter Jake and Elwood Blues from delivering that check for $5,000 to Chicago on behalf of the St. Helen of the Blessed Shroud orphanage.

Similarly, you should set fitness missions that inspire you deep-down. The best way to infuse your program with passion is to sign up for a few sporting events each year that raise money for charities important to you and to train for those events with friends. Take a moment right now to write down your health/fitness missions for the new year and how you plan on achieving them.

Identify your roadblocks

It's important not to dwell on the past, but it is important to learn from it. What held you back from living your best life in 2006? And, what will you do to overcome those obstacles this year? Ignoring the factors derailing your fitness is as detrimental as ignoring what's causing your financial woes or anything else in life; things metastasize.

So, determine what held you back from success in the past and then use that information to change your ways, fortify your resolve and improve yourself in the New Year.

Announce it

There's nothing quite like being accountable to those you respect and love. For example, if you are going to train for your first marathon in 2007, tell your closest friends, family and co-workers: "I am training for my first marathon this year. I (love/respect/admire) you and your support would mean a great deal to me." Having a strong and supportive social network is an important part of achieving your long-term fitness goals.

Start now!

If you are waiting until Jan. 1 to start exercising ... why? The commander of America's Third Army in Europe during World War II, Gen. George S. Patton Jr., said that there are times when a "good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow." The crux of his message was that if you wait too long to engage in battle, it might be too late. The same applies to your health: wait too long and it might be too late.

So, start moving your body now. By logging a few quality workouts in the latter part of December, you will be much better off in the new year. If you are sedentary, strive for three 30-minute workouts a week. If you're already exercising, up it a notch. A little investment in your body now will pay huge dividends later.

Stay steadfast

The best way to stick with your fitness plan over time is to allocate specific times each day for your exercise and to protect that time like your life depends on it - because it does. Research shows that those who work out first thing in the morning - yes, before e-mail, but after coffee! - are more successful long-term exercisers. There will be times when fitting in fitness seems impossible. Just stay the course - and stay committed.

Your health is your most precious asset. Treat it as such and 2007 may be your brightest, healthiest year yet.

Winter Workout Wonderland: How to Dress for Success in Weather Not-Permitting

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show." -- Andrew Wyeth

FOR MOST OF US, working out in soggy, cold weather is not simply unpleasant -- it can start to feel a little ridiculous. I'm a die-hard cyclist, but around this time of year, suiting up for bike rides in the cold can feel like preparing for deep-space exploration. Fuggedaboudit!

However, if you dress smarter during your fall and winter workouts, you will exercise more safely -- and more comfortably. This may encourage you to get out on days you would otherwise stay inside by the fire, and it will keep you healthier, fitter and happier this winter.

"By dressing correctly, you can create a micro-environment of comfort and protection around your body -- and keep yourself warm and safe," says David Musnick, M.D., an expert in outdoor exercise planning and co-author of Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness (The Mountaineers, 2000). "This will increase the likelihood that you’ll exercise more consistently, and it will increase your enjoyment of the workouts."

The secret of dressing for winter workouts is in the layering, wearing one layer of clothing over another. Layering provides insulation against the wind, cold and rain while reducing internal moisture build-up caused by perspiration. Several thin layers of clothing help regulate the heat around your body better than one thick layer.

Layering works by heating the "dead" air spaces around your body, thus creating better insulation. As you get warmer during exercise, you simply peel off the layers. Remember, once you begin exercising, your body will generate heat, up to 25 degrees above the ambient temperature -- and it’s important not to overheat since that can lead to fatigue, dehydration and an elevated heart rate. Plus, sweating like a farm animal is never enjoyable!

According to Dr. Musnick, a three-layer dressing system works best. The first layer of clothing should keep you as dry as possible. It is normally very thin and made from a "wicking" material that essentially pulls moisture away from your skin so it can evaporate at the surface. New exercise clothing fabrics, such as polypropelyne and CoolMax which is made by Dupont (the Canadian Department of National Defense uses CoolMax undergarments), really do work. Avoid fabrics that retain moisture, which is what you don’t want.

The second layer is your insulation. It keeps the heat on your body while letting the water vapor pass through. Modern, synthetic materials, such as a lightweight fleece made by Polartec seem to work best.

"The third layer should provide shelter from the elements," says Liz Neoprent, an exercise physiologist, who is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. "It should protect you from the wind, rain and snow, and still allow your body to shed water vapor."

She suggests jackets and pants made of a water-repellent and breathable fabric such as Gore-Tex." The outer shell can be a thin layer if you have enough insulation in the middle layer," she says.

Your feet require special attention when you run or jog in the snow, or during any inclement weather. Choose shoes with good traction, especially if there are patches of ice on your jogging path.

As the cold days of winter set in, it's important to give extra consideration to your extremities -- your fingers, toes and ears -- or you run the risk of getting frostbite. And don’t forget your head: You lose 90 percent of body heat through your head, so be sure to keep it covered.

Cycling in cold or wet weather deserves special mention because the greater speeds associated with cycling can be exacerbated in poor weather conditions. Therefore, what you wear becomes more important.

Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion, has this to say about cycling in winter weather: "It can be not only unpleasant, but dangerous as well, with potential problems, (ranging from) decreased blood circulation to your extremities to a fall in core body temperature or frostbite. Dressing defensively is the only way to train effectively and avoid illness when the weather turns cold."

And, if it’s below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, just stay indoors and wait for a better day. Ride on an indoor trainer instead.

Which bring us to your final option -- a safe haven where winter can’t touch you -- the indoor workout. Research has also shown that exercising outdoors in extremely cold weather can be counterproductive by taking too great a toll on your immune system. If it’s cold and wet outside, stay inside and get your exercise there.

Consult with your doctor before you begin exercising in cold weather, especially if you’re under medical care for any reason.

You can stay fit and healthy during colder months. Just layer up, take a deep breath -- and bolt right out the door.

To watch Eric host a TV segment on this topic, please vist the CBS-5 "Weekend Edition" fitness page.