It’s January 1st and in the next 24 hours gyms will be packed, treadmills will be running non-stop and exercise classes will be filled to capacity. January 2nd, the day of redemption, the day that all indiscretions will be absolved simply by signing on the dotted line at the health club of choice.

Every year it’s the same thing, “This year I vow to eat better, lose weight and exercise.” The problem is that it is a resolution that is repeated year after year by millions of people. Why does it seem after 4 weeks the desire to make the changes we “vow” to make slowly drop to the bottom of our priority list? Why after 4 or 6 weeks does exercise and eating well no longer hold the importance it did on January 1st when you stood on the scale? Why does the urgency of changing your life once and for all become less urgent? It’s because we do not live in a society that places value on healthy living, instead it is placed on how much you weigh thus taking the “healthy” part of the equation out. Suddenly it doesn’t matter what “healthy choices” you’re making, it all comes down to the scale, something that can be controlled somewhat. Well, that is for the people that finally “get it” and have the “a-ha moment” and then and only then will New Year’s Day have a different focus.

Year after year I would set the resolution to lose weight, and I did- for awhile. The problem is that the resolution was ONLY about losing weight. I skipped meals, abstained from food for a day or two simply to see the scale go down 2-3 pounds, that meant success to me. Didn’t matter HOW I did it, I just did it. And therein lies the problem, we confuse losing weight with being healthy and in my experience, that is not often the case.

The a-ha moment or the ” I finally get it” moment happens for two reasons, first, you’re tired, really tired of running on the hamster wheel of weight gain and loss, and you finally reach the point where you’ve had ENOUGH. The second reason is realizing that weight loss is not a result of dieting, but a result of lifestyle shift. Unfortunately, people think they have to shift their lifestyle in 6 weeks, you can’t. However, you can make small changes which add up to big changes which add up to to new habits which means lifestyle starts changing, for good.

You can’t MAKE an a-ha moment happen, it won’t until the time is right. It’s the same as quitting smoking or getting out of a bad relationship, you need to want it bad enough to make it happen, for good. Losing weight is the easy part, anyone can do it, stop eating, right? But lifestyle change, that’s where the challenge comes in and more often than not people aren’t ready to shift their lifestyle. Though, they’re willing to starve for a few weeks to drop a few pounds and feel good temporarily, we’ve all done it.

Your a-ha moment will come when you’re ready, when you’ve had enough and when you understand the connection between a healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. A healthy weight isn’t something that’s written in a book or listed on a chart, it’s the result of eating well (most of the time) and moving your body every day to get your heart and blood pumping. And, don’t dismiss the value of a healthy mind, that plays a big role in your health as well, part of the package.

So this New Year, remember:

Don’t lose weight because it’s a new year, get healthy so it’s a new you!

Don’t starve, diet or be fanatical in an effort to lose weight. Rather, eat more healthfully and slowly begin to incorporate healthy foods, one step at a time.

Don’t vow to exercise every single day for your New Year’s resolution, especially if you haven’t done anything. Be realistic and vow to change it up every week. It might start with walking 2x per week for 10 minutes and then increase it as you can. Wherever you start is your beginning.

Don’t vow that THIS year will be the year that you’re going to lose weight. Realize that vowing to change in 6 weeks what’s taken you 20 years to develop is impossible. Give yourself the same leniency when trying to get healthy as you did when you were gaining the weight.

And lastly, remember that every day you do just one positive thing for yourself, is one step closer to being your best. Weight loss is simply a by-product of making the choice to eat better and move more. When you’re ready, you’ll know.

Here’s to a healthy, happy 2009!