New Year’s Resolutions - Trying to Lose Weight Again? by Adriana Blancarte-Hayward, Outreach ManagerJanuary 3, 2011

Another year has passed and with the beginning of the New Year comes the excitement of a “fresh start” – the endless possibilities for what we can do and achieve in the 365 days that lay ahead of us.


Happy New Year., Digital ID 1588030, New York Public LibraryAre you one of the people that when they hear the words “New Year’s resolution” your first reaction is to roll your eyes? Some people think of resolutions as a bad thing, as something that will not be done, a broken promise of some sort.

Why not look at resolutions as guidelines to help us get to where we want? I bet you never thought that your Library could help you out!

What are your goals for the New Year? Are you trying to “lose weight”?

Instead of just “to lose weight,” why not think of it as two separate goals: To Exercise and To Eat Healthier. Eventually, if we exercise and eat healthier hopefully the result will be to lose weight and you will feel better too!

I would like to start by placing a disclaimer here. Always consult your physician or health care provider before beginning any nutrition or exercise program. Use of the information contained in this website is at the sole choice and risk of the reader.

Ready to get started?

Perhaps you would like to exercise but don’t have enough time, we have the 10 Minute Solution collection of DVDs.

You can also search the catalog for a specific type of exercise such as: Pilates and yoga, or any other physical activity that would help you exercise your body. We have books and DVDs available for you, and best of all, they are FREE!

For healthy eating there are many ways you can get started. Not sure where to start? Check out the USDA’s  “My Pyramid” to get an idea. There is also a National Institutes of Health website dedicated to Weight Loss/Dieting.

A simple search on “healthy cooking” in our catalog brings you many results that you can choose from and place a hold on them to check them out and see if you like the style. Don't like it? Just return the book and grab a new one! Get creative and take advantage of the myriad of titles available for you.

If you have specific health concerns, include them in your search! For example, "low fat cooking," "diabetic cooking,” etc.

Remember to also check your local library's magazine rack – or even our online databases; Prevention Magazine is available online.

And of course, searching using the keyword “diet” brings up many available titles. 

 

 

Have a happy and healthy new year!

View all posts by Adriana Blancarte-Hayward

Comments

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Losing Weight, protecting your health!

Submitted by Geraldine Nathan (not verified) on April 12, 2012 - 4:27pm

Losing weight is difficult for many, but it does not have to be. Many people go on excruciating diets, lose some weight, and realize quickly that when the diet is over and the weight is lost, they suddenly acquire an enormous appetite. Ergo, they go back to square one and start to diet again. That is not really the way to lose weight. Apart from that this, yo-yo dieting is quite unhealthy. If you want to lose weight, first you must analyze the stress factors that make you ravenous. There may be a person in your life who is gossipy, creepy, uncharitable, extremely boring or a whiner (the list of stress causing people is endless). It is best to avoid anything but the most superficial communications with such people. The less imput they have in your life, the better it is for your health and sanity. If you lessen the stress in your life, you'll have less compulsion to eat (particularly food that is has no nutrition, such as candies, cookies, cake, and ice cream.) Sometimes a side effect of stress is the opposite of gluttonous eating, such as anorexia (eating nothing) or a similar disease called bulemia. If you exercise every day, either by walking, yoga exercise, bicycle riding, horseback riding, sports, dancing or any physical activity that you love, you not only lose weight, but you also gain energy and usually do not continue to gain unwanted weight. Many women believe that they should be "pencil thin" like fashion models. The job of those models is to advertise clothes, not to be the paragon of what is beautiful! A person of average weight can be every bit as beautiful as a fashion model or film star. Beauty comes from within, from being happy, fair in your communications with other people, having a good sense of humor, and if you are spiritual in your leanings, having great faith. When you decide to lose weight, the life you improve and the life that you save is your own. Many people who develop heart trouble, cancer or diabetes are people who allow themselves to become obese. Losing that excess weight is the job of your best friend. Your best friend is you! Blessings to you and yours! Have A Happy Spring!