We all ring in the New Year with intentions and promises to ourselves to be better people in 2016. For many of us, that means making resolutions to eat better, lose weight or get in shape. And what better time to make the commitment? The New Year is the start of something new -A NEW YEAR, A NEW YOU. And chances are that you feel kinda crappy because you just gained a few pounds from eating and drinking entirely too much over the holidays and you’ve been putting off the inevitable by saying “after the holidays are over, I’ll [fill in the blank].” It’s like we just keep swimming through the sea of overindulgence waiting to reach the island of self-loathing. And there on that island awaits the master of discipline, just waiting to kick our sorry butts into shape.
Okay, so that was extreme, but you get the point. The problem is that everyone is motivated during these early weeks, but then motivation slowly tapers down to whatever baseline we were maintaining before the sea of overindulgence happened. Make sense? So here are my four suggestions on how to make lasting resolutions that are sure to stick:
1. Be realistic.
Don’t set goals that are unattainable. I recently spoke with a woman in her late 50’s who had set the goal to lose 10 lbs in a month. Sure, this is doable, but will it stick? Probably not. The amount of calorie restriction that has to take place in order for someone to lose nearly 3lbs/week is far too high. Not only will it wreck your metabolism (ultimately preventing future weight loss and most likely resulting in increased weight gain), but severe calorie restriction isn’t sustainable. Some professionals recommend losing up to 2lbs/week, but I would argue that even this is a bit too high, especially for older, post-menopausal women. If you want to lose weight, plan for around 1lb/week. You want to make permanent, lasting changes and this means doing it the right way and starting out with realistic expectations of yourself.
2. Make a plan.
Let’s keep rolling with this weight loss example, because it seems to be a popular resolution. If you set a realistic goal to lose 50 lbs by 2017, how are you going to do it? Make a short term plan, but also a long term plan to keep you on the right track and making forward movement. Maybe your plan means incorporating a REALISTIC daily exercise routine. Or maybe it means incorporating more vegetables into your diet, less sugar, more water, etc. Whatever your plan, make it realistic and stick with it.
3. Be patient.
Whatever your goal may be, chances are that it’s taken you quite a while, maybe even a lifetime to develop the habit that you’re trying to kick. This means that you just can’t flip a switch and it all goes away. Changing your habits is going to take effort and perseverance on your part and knowing from the start that you have to be patient with yourself is going to make the process a lot smoother. Don’t beat yourself up. Sometimes it can feel like we’re moving two steps forward and one step back, but it’s that net, slow progress that counts. So, forgive yourself, love yourself and allow some time and space for slow changes to occur.
4. Recruit help.
Help can come in a variety of forms… friends, family, professionals, etc. Figure out what’s going to work for you and start the conversation with that person ASAP. Maybe you need a workout partner; talk to a friend with similar workout interests and goals as you. Or perhaps it’s recruiting your husband or wife to help you in a effort to keep sweets out of the house. I also think that recruiting the help of a professional like a health coach or a personal trainer can be incredibly valuable. What we tend to forget is that these people specialize in helping people make changes. So, if it’s in your budget do yourself a favor and LET THEM HELP YOU! Hiring a professional is often the help you need to get going in the right direction.
If you’re looking for a short, but sweet program to jump start some healthier eating habits, check out my detox offerings for January 2016. This just might be the change that you need to make those 2016 resolutions happen!
Leave a Reply