New Year’s resolutions are the talk of the town, with the majority of people looking to kick off 2023 in the healthiest way possible. For most people, the New Year is a fresh start and a chance to begin a new chapter. Perhaps you turn the page on old dietary patterns and adopt a healthier eating plan, or decide to attend boot camp classes to encourage weight loss. Whatever your resolution is, we applaud you for it and only want the best for you.
Although New Year’s resolutions are positive, the harsh reality is that only 8-10% of people successfully achieve their goals. That is quite a bleak statistic, but this is because most people embark on resolutions without a plan or direction. Don’t do yourself a disservice by walking blindly into your health and fitness goals. Take the time to figure out what you want and what you need to do to hit that mark. Ambiguity won’t get you anywhere, but the following strategies from health and fitness experts just might!
Be Specific With Smart Goals
Make every goal measurable and break your long-term goals into practical short-term goals. For example, let’s say that you have a goal to lose 20 pounds. That is a great goal, but what are you going to do to get there? Additionally, when June rolls around and you are only down two pounds, will you still try to achieve your weight loss goal? Break up the long-term goal of losing 20 pounds into short-term goals nah you have to hit every few weeks or so. Make a commitment to walk for 30 minutes a day and pack your lunch three days per week. Limit social drinking to one glass of wine each weekend and you’ll start to check off these short-term goals before you inevitably achieve your long-term one.
Don’t Shame The Spiral
What we mean by this is that failure is a part of life, and you may eventually lose steam or fall off the rails. You may cave one day and break down to eat an entire bag of chips while enjoying a large soda, followed by some late night ice cream. Well, don’t shame the spiral; rather, get back on the horse and try again. The worst thing you can do is give up, even if you hit a mild roadblock. Keep on keepin’ on and don’t let one slip-up mark the end of your journey. Pick up where you left off, stay focused, and you’ll reach your goal soon enough.
Be Consistent
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, health experts swear by the four C’s: confidence, concentration, composure, and commitment. When you are consistent, you get rewarded, which is why personal trainers stress that consistency is key if you want to see results. Consistency goes beyond your exercise program, though. To achieve your weight loss goals, for example, you need to retain motivation and remember that you’re not trying hard enough if things are easy.
Monitor Your Progress
The main reason to track your progress is to hold yourself accountable. If you want to lose 15 pounds within the first two months of the year, weigh yourself once per week in order to prevent a crash diet where you attempt to lose 10 pounds in a week. This goes beyond weight loss, too! If you want to clean out the garage and get rid of old belongings by the beginning of spring, slowly chip away at it week by week and monitor how far you’ve come, and how far you need to go to complete the task. Mark a calendar every time you complete a task that relates to your goal as a visual aid.
