Make 2006 A Very Good Year
By Marilu Henner

We’re in the middle of my favorite season right now – Spring!  It’s the season of possibilities.  To me, spring represents cleaning, planning and planting.  Winter is finally behind us, and we now have a lot more mobility.  It’s the perfect time to lay the groundwork for everything you want to accomplish this year.  But this year, instead of focusing energy on gardening or house cleaning, why not make your primary spring project…YOU!!!

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you really did take charge and became the healthy and happy person you were meant to be?  Can you imagine having a strong fit body, radiant skin and hair, limitless energy, and an unstoppable passion for your career and family?  Everyone should experience being the best version of himself long enough to see what it really feels like.  (Or at least long enough to annoy your friends and family with way too much energy and optimism!)

Most people want to change, but they eternally postpone doing something about it.  Every year they plan to change, but somehow those plans get dropped.  Other people are close to reaching their goals, but they don’t go that last important mile.  I recently heard an aerobics instructor say to his class, “I do over 200 sit-ups everyday, but I’ve had a pot belly for years now.  I guess I have to face the fact that I love my cheeseburgers. But, you’ll see!” he continued, “Someday, I’m going to lose my belly fat and reveal my tight six-pack-abs underneath just to show all of you that I can do it.”  Remember that this was an aerobics instructor talking, and a good one, too.

I felt sorry for him and thought about how much easier his life would be if he finally did what he was promising.  It must be difficult to go to work every day as an expert, but not as a good example of his expertise.  I know there are a lot of people in a similar situation.  Their lives would be so much easier if they could finally pull off the change, or changes, they’ve been postponing for so long. 

Okay, so where should you begin?  How do you plant the seeds of change to grow a healthier, new you?  Before tilling and planting, it’s important to imagine or identify what it is that you’re growing.  What is the image you see of yourself on the seed packet posted on the Popsicle stick?  Are you picturing a carrot?  A tomato?  Or an eggplant?  It’s important to have realistic goals in mind.  If you were genetically born to be a pumpkin, you’re not going to sprout up magically as a string bean.  Instead, strive to be a beautiful, healthy, well-proportioned …pumpkin!  Pumpkins are just as beautiful as string beans anyway…and a little tastier!

Also, don’t just focus on a quick, superficial change.  A big reason many people are unable to achieve the diet, health, and fitness goals they set for themselves is because they never really change their pattern at the core, the foundation of what is keeping them in a diet rut.  Change must occur at the roots, and that change must be long-term rather than just temporary.  You can’t just change a pattern for three weeks and expect it to make any real difference in your life, even if that change produces quick, noticeable improvements.  You may feel great and look better than ever, but it’s still just temporary.  Don’t try to make harvest by May. Do it right to reach your peak naturally in September.

I always consider the popular high-protein/fast-weight-loss diets to be a temporary solution for people who are overweight. They almost always lead to a backlash and, when continued long-term, an eventual pattern of yo-yo dieting. 

If you go on a strict diet for three weeks and all you can think about is the final day when you can indulge in something naughty, there is no way that diet is going to work long term.  In order for a diet to be successful, it must adhere to the same basic rules on week one, week fifty-one, and even week two thousand and one.  In other words, it must be strict enough to keep you within the healthy guidelines you’ve designed for yourself, yet lenient enough to enjoy your life and not feel deprived.

Remember that once you do make that positive change, if you’ve done it right, it becomes a part of you and the gears naturally shift to simple maintenance.  Only the first few months of the transition are difficult.  Some people go through that painful period to finally quit smoking after years of trying. Then a year or two later, they usually forget that they ever had a problem.

The worst thing you can do this spring is “nothing.”  It is so easy, and common, to slip into the “someday” syndrome of postponing your healthy plans season after season until you realize one day that you have been overweight for the last thirty years, and there’s very little time left to enjoy the limitless benefits of a healthy and content life.  Health is not something you can easily make up after years of neglect, either.  If you’re planning a major veggie and brown rice blitz in your golden years, great!  But that will not erase a lifetime of sludge. And if you think it’s difficult to change now, imagine how hard it will be after five, ten, or twenty years of deep-rooted habits.  Doing it now is the easiest time it will ever be.  Make this the year, the season, that you cultivate the most important organism of all – you!

Marilu Henner is an actress with a long list of television, movie and Broadway credits. She is the author of 7 books related to health and wellness.  Marilu can be found at www.marilu.com.