health

Already abandoned your New Year's resolutions? This is the only one that should matter.

Last week, I frolicked with dolphins.

Actually, that may be a slight stretch of the truth – I walked while the dolphins frolicked about 200 metres off shore.

But either way, it was an amazing start to my day and it turned out to be a gift that kept on giving.

Alison at the beach, where she had an epiphany.

 

As I walked, I felt so grateful that I had been lucky enough to see such a beautiful sight, but much more surprisingly for me, I also realised I was actually Living In The Moment (LITM) for once.

LITM while you frolic with dolphins apparently gives you clarity. Because it was in that moment that I finally realised that actually, I don’t need to be The Perfect Woman after all. You know the one – the perfectly toned, wrinkle and cellulite-free versions of ourselves that we women obsess over but never seem to achieve.

So I had a crazy thought – 2015 was the year I would finally stop trying to be The Perfect Woman and instead accept the mantra ‘you are enough’.

Just as an FYI, this post is sponsored by Activia. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100 per cent authentic and written in their own words.

I decided that in 2015 I would concentrate on ways to be the healthiest version of me, and let go of all the BS and pressure associated with trying to be the ‘perfect’ me.

So here’s a list to keep my non-perfection goals on track, based on a thing or two I’ve learned along the way.

1. Drink less vino, especially the ones with bubbles in them.

Because they are “wasted calories” as the experts are fond of saying. So sign up for Febfast as a kick-start to the cutback, and at the same time do something good for charity. Boom. Two for one.

No more two for one.

 

2. Don’t pin your hopes on the latest fad diet.

Because I’ve been there, done that, dropped 20% of the body weight, gained 30% right back. Make healthy choices and food swaps instead. Don’t automatically reach for the Sea Salt chips when the 5pm munchies strike. Instead, buy that damned food processor. Green smoothies, yogurt and cacao energy balls, you will be my new best friends.

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3. Exercise smarter, not harder.

It’s not rocket science – if you do exercise that is fun, you will probably keep doing it. Yoga makes me happy, so I’ll keep doing it, but I’ll mix it up with cardio classes like spin. And whatever exercise you do – include interval training of some description. Talk about working out smarter (“less effort, more reward” or so the sadistic spin instructor keeps shouting at me, right before I fall off my bike).

Exercise smarter.

 

4. Incorporate down time.

Life is busy, and as my friend’s mum used to say, “The mother is the engine room of the family”. But as she also used to say, “If you don’t look after yourself, no-one else will”. Ergo, I will make the space for quiet me time. Walking the dog, reading the latest Shades of Grey spinoff, lunch with the girls. Ok, that won’t be quiet, but it is fuel for the soul as well as the body.

5. Stop obsessing and feeling guilty about everything that goes in your mouth.

Eliminate the words “good” and “bad” from your food vocab. Accept that eating a packet of Sea Salt chips every now and then does not make you a failure.

Don’t mind if I do.

 

6. And finally, make The Husband happy and declare 2015 the year of never asking, “Do I look fat in this?”

Make 2015 the year of accepting that you are not, and don’t ever need to be, perfect. Because you are enough.

 

What were your New Year’s resolutions for the year?

Here are some more New Year’s resolution truths for you:

Danone’s mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible, but we understand it’s not easy staying healthy.

That is why the Activia 28-day challenge is encouraging all to take small daily steps towards a healthier you, starting with 2 Activia yoghurts a day to help improve your digestive comfort. It encourages all to partake and share their experiences through social media.

For more information, please visit our website at www.activia.com.au