Sticking With Your Fitness Resolutions

Maria Haymandou’s latest blog post is here!

The standard “lose weight, be healthy” is a popular New Year’s resolution.  Yet it’s a resolution that’s broken just about as much as it’s promised.  It’s hard to keep up a fitness plan when the enthusiasm wanes in the face of time commitments and the realization that waking up at 6 in the morning to visit the gym doesn’t always make for an ideal morning.  Here are ten ways you can keep your health and fitness plan in place, taken from an article I read on wikiHow:

Make it a part of your schedule: Make working out as important to your daily schedule as everything else, and write it into your calendar.  This helps keep your fitness plan in place.  

Plan the best time of day: If you go when the gym is less crowded, then you’ll be more relaxed about keeping up with your routine.  Not only that, but you won’t find yourself waiting in line to use a machine.

Don’t overdo it: If you make your workout too intense, you’ll come out of it hurting and aching, which will make you dread going back.  Start your workouts out at about 20 minutes to an hour.  And of course don’t forget to stretch before starting.  

Set achievable goals that gradually grow: Setting concrete goals makes them more reachable, and helps encourage you to keep going.  Once you’ve achieved these goals, set your next goals a bit higher.  

Keep a fitness diary: Include not just what you do at the gym, but also what you’re eating, so you can see what works and what doesn’t.  This will let you adjust your workout to focus on problem areas.  

Vary your exercises: Mix it up; maybe do aerobics one day and treadmill the next.  Try to mix up your weight routine as well to make sure you use all your muscles.  

Get a buddy: Getting somebody to come with you offers some social interaction and encouragement when you feel like giving up.  It also keeps you accountable.  

Try a personal trainer: Start by developing a health and fitness routine with your personal trainer to watch and encourage you to keep going.  

Make yourself go religiously (at least at the beginning): It takes a while to see results, so if you keep that in your mind, then you’ll be more likely to stick with it.  They say it takes four weeks before you notice a change, six weeks before your friends notice and eight weeks before everybody else does.  

Find a way to get back into things if you face a setback: Most people drop their health and fitness routines when they miss workouts.  So make sure you go back as soon as possible and keep going.  

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New York’s Top Fondue

Some people get depressed when the weather gets cold, and that’s particularly easy in a place like New York.  Yet I get excited about the winter, since some of my favorite food is hearty, warm, stick-to-your-ribs winter food.  And do you know what falls under that category and is obscenely delicious?  Fondue!  Here are some great fondue places around New York, according to Gothamist.  I can’t wait to try them all!

Le Fond: Come here on Tuesday nights for half-priced bottles of wine and a cheese fondue special that comes with seared steak and plenty of great dipping vessels.  In the middle of the dinner, a waiter will add a bit of hot water to ensure that the fondue stays liquid and dippable.  

Fondue Chalet: This seasonal pop-up works to replicate the “European” experience with checkered tablecloths and vintage ski posters.  The “House Fondue” combines white wine with various cheeses to make a delicious and dippable mix.  

Murray’s Cheese Bar: Due to their prominence in the New York cheese scene, I would hope that Murray’s did some good fondue!  And they certainly don’t disappoint!  They make a fondue with Alpine-style cheeses, Chablis and nutmeg.  

The Standard: In the winter, the Standard’s famous seasonal garden gets a makeover with heated huts, hot drinks and warm meals like fondue.  There are two options here: the vegetarian one and the traditional one, and they’re both delicious.

Pair Wine & Cheese: Pair, like Murray’s, lets you pick up cheese in addition to sitting down for a cheese-heavy meal.  If you want to experience their fondue, the latter option is the way to go, and the waiters will gladly help you pair your melted cheese with good wine.  

Kashkaval Garden: While Kashkaval is more known for its Mediterranean food, that’s not to discredit its fondue.  They have four different options, including a sharp cheddar variety with hard apple cider and caramelized onions.  They also make one with Bulgarian sheep cheese.  

Taureau: The Taureau bistro specializes in cheese, meat and chocolate fondues.  While more expensive than the other options on this list, you get what you pay for, with countless combinations of cheeses, meats, oils and dipping options.