STOP! Please read this before you make another resolution!!! If you feel yourself slipping into that “time of year” where you eat your body weight in great not-so-good-for-you cuisine, then these 12 tips for you are a must before you ‘ride the sleigh’ into this next holiday season.
Tip #1: There is no magic pill, piece of equipment, diet, pill, potion or powder that will transform you.
Tip #2: Persistence pays off. If you are starting a lifestyle change give yourself room to fail. Yup, that’s right, plan to fail. The most important thing is that you keep trying. It takes time to establish a lifestyle change. Be patient with yourself and most importantly keep trying! People who ultimately achieve their resolutions after more than six attempts.
Tip #3: Always be working towards improvement. Why wait for the 1st of the year to incorporate a new change for yourself? You can make the same commitment to yourself on April Fool’s day just as you did (or tried to) on Jan. 1.
Tip #4: Be realistic. The more realistic you are, then your success is inevitable. It probably did not take you 1 week or 1 month to gain 15 – 20 lbs, it’s certainly not going to take you 1 week to 1 month to take it all off. Gradual change is far better and is more permanent than a quick fix. Quick fixes never last.
Tip #5: Write down your goals. Statistics show that when a goal is written down and referred to consistently that the probability for success is higher.
Tip #6: Limit your resolutions. Gradual change is always best. It is easier to make 1 – 3 changes than it is to induct 10 or 15 new lifestyle changes. First master a few changes, than make 2 – 3 more. Never stop trying to change for the better.
Tip #7: Keep your eye on the big picture to help you stay the course. Focus changes by summer, not by next week (this is, of course, unless summer *is* next week).
Tip #8: Consider trying a new exercise to keep things interesting. For example SPINNING is the ultimate in exercise because there is no impact, excellent at helping you lose weight and in keeping it off if you participate at least 3x’s/week.
Tip #9: Don’t frame your resolutions in absolutes. For example, don’t say, ” I will never eat sugar again.” or “No more McDonald’s.” Instead be more specific and less drastic as in: “I will eat McDonald’s one less time per week or drink soda less per day.” Give yourself a tangible goal.
Tip #10: Not only should you consider *what* you eat, but *how* you eat. Consider time of day, even how much rest you get. This will determine your digestion or lack thereof and how much of the nutrients will be absorbed.
Tip #11: Expect it to be difficult and lots of work. Anyone who is telling you otherwise is not helping you. Losing weight is easy. Keeping it off *and* staying motivated is the hard part. If is were easy, then we all would look great! Am I right?
Tip #12: Find a buddy. This works the best especially if you find it difficult to stay motivated over long periods of time. You are less likely to fall into the old routine if you have a buddy system to keep you on track. Don’t choose someone who you’d be doing a favor, or is needy. You don’t need a bandwagon jumper. Do this for you. You and your health should come first. Don’t choose a partner who is neither committed or serious. It would be a tremendous waste of your time and you can add another attempt onto the failed list which will only in turn result in lack of trust of yourself and devalue your next attempt. Don’t let anyone waste your time!
If you’ve heard all of this before, then I’m sorry I wasted your time in reading this. You obviously reach your goals regularly and are equipped with a svelte, incredible body! The truth is that if you keep trying, you will find that this actually works. It’s not about your ability, it’s about your heart, your true desire. Give yourself the gift of feeling better about yourself. Make the promise one last time to yourself and keep it. You’re worth it!
Keep your eye on the big picture to help you stay the course. Focus on the middle of the year, not the middle of next week. What I like to do to help me stay motivated is I keep a pair of my favorite jeans (or one size too small if you’re trying to decrease size) and try them on every two weeks.
The fit of the jeans determines my immediate/future goals. This helps to redirect the focus on your size and losing inches rather than pounds lost on the scale which does not indicate a true measure because the scale does not differentiate between muscle, bone, and fat. A body fat measurement is a more accurate assessment of your progress.
Velma Garnes has been a fitness enthusiast most of her life. In her school days, she ran track, flirted briefly with gymnastics, and settled on cheerleading and track in High School. This enthusiasm for fitness remains today, as evidenced by her certifications as a personal trainer, SPINNING instructor, a National Academy of Sports Medicine Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM-PES), and Ashtanga (Power) Yoga instructor.
