By Tamara Jacobi

Are you committed to weight loss and improved health for 2013? Popular New Year’s resolutions include “I want to lose 10 lbs”. “I want to eat healthier”. Sound familiar? If so, let’s make it happen! BUT, with a catch . . . let’s make it sustainable this time.

Many people dive into a strict diet, lose a few pounds, and then gain them back again (plus a few pounds) in the blink of an eye. It’s time to break this cycle! If you’re going to make your health resolutions come true and stay true then there’s something you need to know first. Ready for the big secret? You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t have to have a perfect diet, or a perfect exercise schedule to lose weight and be healthy. In fact, striving for perfection is typically what causes failure in the long run. The reality is that humans are not perfect. The nature of life is experimenting, experiencing, and learning, therefore imperfection is a prerequisite.

For 2013, why not approach your resolutions knowing that perfection isn’t the goal? If you’re looking to lose weight and be as healthy as you can be for 2013, I highly recommend avoiding severe diets that ask for perfection (please don’t cut out all your favorite foods!), or spending every spare moment at the gym (over exercising is the quickest way to burn yourself out!).  Instead, why not create a healthy food, fitness and lifestyle plan that is reasonable, enjoyable and works for your unique body.  Your body is an infinite source of knowledge that can support you with weight loss, increasing energy, feeling great and more. Health and sustainable weight loss are at your fingertips, you simply need the right approach.

So go for it! New Year’s resolutions are a wonderful opportunity to set yourself some healthy goals and make positive change.  Creating a vision of where you want to go is the first step.  But be warned, if you strive for perfection right out of the starting gate you may be shooting yourself in the foot! Need some support with reaching your health goals in 2013? I’m here for you! Sign up for your free nutritional consultation and be sure to check out my website, http://www.junglegirlhealth.com/ for some healthy inspiration.

Tamara Jacobi, Certified Health Coach

Tamara Jacobi is a certified health and nutrition coach who received her training at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She is the founder of Jungle Girl Health, www.junglegirlhealth.com, offering health coaching over the phone to individuals who are ready to feel and look their best. By using whole foods for healing and lifestyle balancing techniques, Tamara helps people understand how to heal and nourish their bodies completely.

Tamara leads an adventurous and active lifestyle, dividing her time between the Colorado Rocky Mountains and the Mexican Pacific coastline.  In Mexico, she is the owner and manager of the Tailwind jungle lodge, a certified sustainable jungle lodge and adventure tour company just north of Puerto Vallarta, www.tailwindjunglelodge.com. Tamara also guides adventure tours for the Tailwind jungle lodge including sea kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and hiking. In her free time she spends as much time as possible playing outside. She is a passionate skier, road biker, trail runner and stand up paddle boarder.