As we all know, the best way to get into a habit of fitness is to start slow and gradual.  Like myself, for instance.  I found out just this morning that I gained two kilos in just two weeks since I got a little lazy. Normally, that would have freaked me out. But just before December I was really telling myself I have a right to feast on the best suckling pig and all the pancit malabon and kakanin I could lay me eyes on since, ahem, I was in fighting form at 114 lbs. The real challenge these coming weeks is how I can get back to my old eating habits, habits that took me almost two years to form, before all the holiday food mayhem. 

It takes 21 days to start and break a habit so whatever fitness goals you may have, it is possible to achieve them by month end. Okay, keep telling yourself that IT IS possible because the moment you stray from the thought, all is lost. Here is a list of all the possible, achievable fitness goals I or even you can start on right away.

Lose one pound a week by counting calories. Remember 3,500 calories equal one pound. If the required caloric intake for you is 2,0o0 calories a day, simply have a caloric deficit of 500 calories a day. Do the math (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories a week). By week’s end, you would have lost one pound.  If I start this week, I would have lost 4 pounds by month-end; just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Why drive when you can walk, why walk when you can run. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Apart from the fact that you get to save up on gas,another staple in our New Year resolutions list, you are being environment-friendly, something each one of us should take seriously in light of the many natural disasters (e.g. Ondoy flash floods, erratic weather changes never before seen in Philippine meteorological history) we have experienced in 2009. I believe Pinoys have become so spoiled and  lazy at walking because of the jeepneys; a mere block and we would still prefer to ride a jeepney rather than walk. Not so in other Asian countries where people are so used to walking. They walk from their suburban homes to the  bus station or tram that will take them to the city. When they alight from the bus station, they walk  through the labyrinthian MTR station to their high-rise building offices where they work. No wonder they  pepper the city with pocket parks that have centuries-old trees. Who would want to walk through grubby cemented streets with not a tree in sight? That is, sadly, the case here. If more people get into the walking habit, they will soon want to do something about the eyesores in city streets. In my case, I learned to run before I learned to walk. Running made me lose weight faster and kept me at my ideal weight. Only then did I realize how a mere two blocks can take me about 10 minutes of running and 15 minutes of walking. When I walk, I meet people along the way hence I’m no longer a stranger in my own neck of the woods.

Load up on fiber and go fish. Don’t you just feel like going vegetarian after the holiday season not so much as a penance for all the bingeing you did but because the mere sight of meat does not appeal to you any longer?  Okay. I ate my lion’s share of suckling pig and roast beef, made mince meat of barbecue, ate my way through half of a chicken relleno and gorged on Christmas ham like there was no tomorrow. I am not exaggerating here. So where do you go from here?  The extreme perhaps would be to join PETA or become a Seventh Day Adventist. In my case, I very much prefer fish dishes, fruits, vegetable dishes and salads now more than ever. Cereals in the morning save me more time and give me energy the whole morning without giving me that heavy feeling.  Whole grain cereals are really a good source of fiber, B-complex vitamins, folate and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, phosporus and iron. Keeps you trim and young as it has phytochemicals and antioxidants. Soya is another one of my favorites. Fruit Magic’s Soy Magic Belgian Chocolate flavored  Milk is also tops on my list. The best taho dessert and tokwa  (soya bean curd) for me can be bought at the cafeteria of the Manila Adventist Medical Center in Pasay. Their tokwa is organic,  fresh and cost less than the supermarket or specialty store variety. You can buy them in bulk.  I so love their whole wheat Cinnamon loaf. As soon as the freshly-baked goodies are set on the counter, they are gone, I tell you. If you don’t get them at 9 a.m., you wait until the next batch comes in at 2 p.m.

Keep moving, be active, sleep  early. A simple equation. Calories from food intake should not exceed the calories you need to fuel your needs and support your activities. This means you don’t need fad diets to lose weight and keep it. Really. The only sensible way to lose weight permanently is to eat according to your nourishment needs and your daily physical activities. Do not eat more than you can chew, er, burn. This is where self control comes in. Stay focused on your goal. A tip: overweight people are usually the ones who sleep very late. You have time to contemplate that last piece of chocolate cake in the fridge. If you don’t keep your mind on your goal, you will reach for that cake. If you are asleep, you just…sleep. You may dream about the cake but you won’t feel hunger. Save it for tomorrow when you can burn off the calories.

So there. My fitness resoluations are really so simple, aren’t they? The simple stuff are usually the ones that are easier to keep and make a habit of. Remember, it takes 21 days to start or break a habit.  Get past that and you stand a better chance of keeping your fitness goals  so that when summer rolls along, you are again in fighting form.