Renew Your Resolution

Here we are in the middle of winter, and according to some surveys, almost a third of us have abandoned our New Year's resolutions. And within the next six months, that number could climb up to about 80 percent. But even if you've already fallen off the wagon, you don't have to wait to get back on. Besides, who came up with the notion that you have to stay up all night December 31st partying and swilling champagne and then have to deny yourself a restorative greasy cheeseburger on January 1st?

Like the addiction specialists say, relapse is part of recovery. And facing January, with the post-holiday letdown, the closing of the books, year-end evaluations, and all the other pressures at work, it's easy to understand how a little stress eating could come into play. Not to mention that football playoff season and the Super Bowl and spending more time on the couch with a bowl of potato chips, a pizza, and a plate of wings, instead of doing whatever weekend-warrior activity we had promised we were going to start doing this year.

If you've managed to stick to your resolutions so far, congratulations. If you haven't, don't despair; there's still plenty of time to regroup, repair, and re-resolve. Many experts even advise against making year-long resolutions, as they may seem impossible to keep, and the rewards are so far in the future, it's hard to stay motivated for such a long time. Instead, think about shorter-term plans. Maybe commit to a brisk 30-minute walk, five times a week, for the next four weeks. Or cut out a guilty diet pleasure, like ice cream or potato chips for two weeks. Instead of having to face an interminable amount of time without your favorite nosh, you only have to wait two weeks. We can live without anything for two weeks, right? And when the two weeks are up, you might find that you're ready to go another two weeks and so on, and so on.

National "Before" Day

At Beachbody, we'd like to challenge you to recommit to a healthy lifestyle this February 4th. Why February 4th? Because it's the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday, the last big pigout of the season. The stresses of the holidays will be a distant memory, and there's still plenty of time to get in shape before swimsuit season is upon us. We're calling it National "Before" Day—the day you take your "before" picture and begin the journey to a healthy, happy "after."

We're challenging everyone to control their portions and commit to working out for 20 of the 30 days between February 4th and March 6th. Become a guest member, Choose a workout program or do one of your own, and log on to WOWY® (Work Out With You), our online virtual gym, to plan your workout schedule and track your progress. You'll have a chance to win up to $1,000 every time you work out in WOWY!

While you're waiting for National "Before" Day to roll around, start planning for success. That means getting rid of all the junk food in the house. All of it. Throw it away. Start building "buy-in" to your plan from your family and friends, so you have a support system in place. Figure out where your workout is going to take place. Start clearing your schedule to make room for an hour-long workout five times a week. And even plan for failure. The most successful plans include steps for recovering from slipups and getting back on track. Start thinking about strategies for how to handle Valentine's Day sweets or how you're going to make it through the Oscar party without winning Best Overeater. Decide how you can celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries in that 30-day period without blowing the progress you made the other 29 days. As we like to say at Beachbody, it's time to Decide, Commit, and Succeed. National "Before" Day will be here before you know it.