Year after year, losing weight and/or getting in shape top the list of New Year's resolutions. Yet for most, their weight loss or fitness goals are the same, year after year - with little or no progress in between. So what's the issue that's holding people back from getting healthy?
Obviously there are a myriad of reasons, but the biggest one is self-sabotaging goals. Most resolutions are broken in the first month or two each year because they involve sudden drastic changes in habits that took years to form. If you say you're going to eat better, start weightlifting regularly or do cardio 3 times a week starting January 1st and then don't, your resolution has crashed and you're back where you started. At this point most people accept that they've failed and go back to their established patterns.
That's an emotional decision, not a logical one. The whole rest of the year still stretches out in front of them, so there's still a lot of time to adapt - but that just doesn't happen. They go into the following year with the same goals, while their sub-conscious knows they've already tried and failed. Does that sound like a recipe for success to you?
What if, instead, your resolution was to adopt healthier habits throughout the new year? For example, if you want to lose weight your first step might be to improve your food choices when doing your weekly food shopping. This small step can have a major effect just because there's no unhealthy snacks in the kitchen when you're watching TV at night. Then the next month you could start taking a walk each day in place of an hour in front of the TV or computer screen. Maybe in month 3 you'd reduce your carbohydrate intake some, and replace some of your simple carbs with healthier complex cares. Already you'd be feeling better, have more energy and most likely seeing your weight start to drop as you burn off some fat.
None of these are big steps - each is one you could easily see yourself completing, right? And if you slipped up the odd time, your journey isn't over nor your progress lost - you just get back to forming your new, healthier habits. Pretty easy to see you'd be a lot more likely to lose weight this way, isn't it?
It's the same path to success in getting back in shape, too... Start eating better, start walking an hour a day, replace that hour every other day with workouts in the gym or an aerobics or yoga class, and then continue to refine your goal as you go along. At first, your motivation comes from your decision. Then, it comes from your results. And as your results grow, so will your motivation and commitment.
You CAN do it. You can lose weight, reach your fitness goals and achieve any of your other goals. Just don't put too much pressure on yourself to do it all at once. Break your goals down to smaller steps so you can build success habits throughout the year. Losing weight and getting in shape will benefit every aspect of your life - it's well worth putting in the time and effort.
And remember, you don't have to wait until January for your New Year's resolutions - today is just as good a day to start the year right!
Fitness publisher and certified personal trainer D. Champigny is on a mission to help the aging population get stronger, get fit and live a healthy lifestyle right through their senior years, and help bodybuilders and weightlifters get better results more safely. To stay up-to-date with the health, exercise, nutrition and weight loss tips Champigny shares across his numerous fitness sites and blogs, follow Flirting With Fitness on Facebook and Google+ today!
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