“The Babylonians believed if they fulfilled their “Resolutions” the gods would favor them in the upcoming year.”
It is believed the tradition of setting a New Year’s Resolution dates all the way back to 4000 years ago with the Babylonians. Granted, they weren’t resolving to lose 10 pounds or put more money into their savings account. But, they would pledge their allegiance to the king and promise to repay old debts. They believed if they fulfilled these “resolutions” the gods would favor them in the upcoming year. A bit has changed since the Babylonians but, clearly, some things remain.
Before you go joining “Planet Fitness” or ordering a lifetime supply of pre-made protein shakes — ask yourself — How do I make this year’s Resolution different? How do I stick to it past February?
FIND YOUR WHY
The very first thing you need to do is take a look inside and FIND YOUR WHY !! Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to get healthier? Answer that question…how will it make you feel? Are you working toward something…an upcoming vacation or event? Write those answers down. The more clearly you can see the WHY, the more motivated you will be to do the HOW.
BE REALISTIC AND SET SMART GOALS
In today’s world everyone wants everything NOW, if not yesterday. Unfortunately, health and fitness won’t work that way. Think of it this way…it didn’t take you 30 days to get to where you are, right? It’s not going to take 30 days to get to where you want to be. Fitness and weight loss are long term so you need to set goals thinking in the long term. Let’s say you’re looking to lose 30 pounds for a vacation in July. Well, since July is 7 months away, we need something a bit smaller to work toward right now. How good will you feel if you lose 5 pounds by February 1st? Do you think you’ll lose your 5 pounds and say “OK, I’m good with this, I can stop”. HELL NO!! You’re going to say “Damn right! I got to my 5 pound goal…let’s lose another 5 pounds by March 1st!”, and now you’ve stuck to your resolution for another month. See how easy that is?
“Damn right! I got to my 5 pound goal, lets lose another 5 pounds!”
STOP RESTRICTING & DRINK MORE WATER
I know, it sounds counter-intuitive but you will never stick to a diet long term if you can’t have things you love. In the long run, it’s just not worth it. Try to incorporate the 80/20 rule … eat a balanced, healthy diet 80% of the time and have some wiggle room 20% of the time. If you’re not sure where to start, we would be more than happy to help you devise a meal plan, reach out to discuss today! Also, and one of the most important diet related tips I can give is to consume more water. You need water for ALL bodily functions (organ function, waste removal and, yes, fat loss) so make sure you’re staying hydrated!
SET A SCHEDULE AND/OR JOIN A GROUP
One of the best pieces of advice I offer my clients is to set a schedule. Put your workout in your calendar just like you would any other appointment … and KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT! Think of it as an appointment you made with yourself, one of the most important people in your life. You’re less likely to skip a workout if it’s there, concrete in your calendar. If you’re having some feelings about going to the gym alone, how about joining a group or trying out a class. Keep in mind everyone feels the same way when starting something new, everyone is nervous. Push through it and, who knows, you might just meet your new “Gym Bestie” at Monday night step class!
BE PATIENT AND CELEBRATE THE WINS
As I said before, health and fitness won’t happen overnight. Be patient with your progress and celebrate the small wins. Small progress is still progress. If the scale only moved 1 pound this week, that’s amazing! That’s 1 pound closer to your goal and 1 pound further from where you started. Consistency is key.
IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT
Don’t get upset with yourself if you fall off the rails. Accept that you had a misstep, hop back on that wagon and move forward. One “bad” meal or one missed workout is not going to ruin all your hard work. Consistency is key, keep moving forward.
Sometimes things pop up … a meeting that runs late, your child’s after school activities, I get it. Make sure you have a plan for when these “extras” happen. Can’t make it to the gym for that step class one night (I know your gym bestie is sad lol)? YouTube is always available for a quick 20-30 minute workout in a pinch. Where there’s a will, there’s a way… remember your WHY!!!
Sometimes it can be daunting to figure out how to stick to your New Year’s resolution but these tips should help to point you in the right direction. As always, help is always right here. Please CONTACT US with any questions, comments or concerns and we’ll try to respond as quickly as possible. Good Luck with all your Resolutions this year. I hope you have a very happy and healthy New Year!
~~ Dani