Another year has come and gone. Goodbye 2005, hello 2006. And
many of us have probably made their traditional New Year’s
resolutions.
Another year has come and gone. Goodbye 2005, hello 2006.
And many of us have probably made their traditional New Year’s resolutions.
Not all resolutions revolve around health and fitness, but it’s a pretty safe bet to say that many of them do.
For those people who have made the commitment to lose weight, get in shape, or to be healthier, here are a few tips to help you stick with your chosen program.
First and foremost, define your goals. Be specific about what you want to accomplish. For example, rather than saying “I want to lose weight,” say “I will lose five, ten (or however many your goal might be) pounds.”
Goals should be measurable. If there is no way of gauging your goal attainment, it will be much more difficult to stick with it. If you can see tangible results (muscle tone, clothes fitting more comfortably), then you will remain encouraged and keep going.
Remember, the scale may not be the most indicative measurement of your “weight loss.” Muscle is denser than fat, so the scale might not move as much as your clothing size.
Goals should also be realistic. Chances are that if you want to lose 50 pounds by February, you will be disappointed. An average healthy weight loss is one to two pounds a week. Again, if goals are unrealistic or too aggressive, you may get discouraged. It is better to set smaller, more attainable short-term goals. If weight loss is what you are striving for, break it down into smaller increments.
Make your initial objective to lose five to ten pounds a month. When you reach this level, you will remain encouraged and will most likely continue with your program. Reassess and redefine your goals periodically.
Another important step is defining your motivation. Ask yourself “why do I want to lose weight/get in shape?” Are you doing it for yourself or because someone else wants you to?
I have discovered, over the years, that if you try to reach a goal for someone other than yourself, you will most likely not be successful. The best motivation is knowing that you are doing something positive for yourself and your health and well-being.
Once you have determined the reasons for getting involved in a health/fitness program, it’s time to make a plan of action. What steps are you going to take to get to where you ultimately want to be? Will you go to a gym or exercise at home? Are you going to modify your eating habits? If so, how will you go about doing this? It is a good idea to contact a fitness professional and/or nutritionist.
The next step is to identify the reasons that might cause you to drop off your program. If you have made these resolutions in the past, as many of us have, what caused us to stop? What possible obstacles stand in your way now?
Are you on the right type of program for you? If you do not get involved in activities that are conducive to your lifestyle, than chance are quite high that you will not stick with it.
Are you an “all or nothing” type of person? If you cannot exercise seven days a week, will you not workout at all? If you deviate off your “diet”, will you give up completely? There has to be a happy medium. In other words, if you can exercise three to five days a week, that’s okay. Its better than not doing it at all. If you eat a piece of cake at a party, that okay too. Just limit it to one piece, and stop there.
What kind of outside influences are you subject to?
Once you have identified potential barriers, than you can create possible solutions so they do not slow down your progress.
How many of us have pledged to eat healthier in the new year? We claim we’re going to lay off the fast food and eat more fruits and vegetables. An effective way to monitor what we eat is to keep a food journal. This involved writing down everything you eat. I do this myself, and it is amazing how much we do not realize we eat. This journal raises our awareness so we can pinpoint where our weaknesses lay (mine is chocolate chip cookies).
A food journal also help identify “trigger foods” that might cause you to deviate from your plan. Once you know what they are, you can avoid them more easily.
New Year’s resolutions are only as effective as we make them. These are just a few suggestions to ensure that they don’t fall by the wayside.
If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact me @ (408) 981-1566 or email me at
ho**********************@ve*****.net
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