Regardless of whether or not we’ve ever successfully achieved previous New Year’s weight loss resolution goals, for many of us there remains a powerful draw to try to change our lives for the better in some way. Weight loss is among the most common forms of New Year’s resolution but, more often than not, they will fail.
Does this mean that it is virtually impossible to achieve your dieting goals as your weight loss resolution for 2016 if you make them at the start of the year? Not at all!
You just have to tweak your strategy to make sure you’re focusing on the real situation and not simply on the hopes and dreams you have for the coming year.
Use the following tips to change your New Year’s weight loss resolution so it will work for you.
• Getting fit – In order to lose weight, you will need to make sure you’re keeping physically active. However, just telling yourself that you’ll “get fit” isn’t enough. Instead, break that thought down into goals you want to achieve every week for one month. After that, set one goal for the next couple of spans of two weeks. Finally, set monthly goals each month after that point. Whether it’s to be able to walk briskly for 30 minutes without stopping, or to run a straight mile, make sure your goals are realistic and fitness level appropriate.
• Being realistic and practical – Yes, it sounds like a good idea to tell yourself to exercise every single day and to skip all sugary or fatty treats forever. Indeed, this could be the fastest road to weight loss…if it were possible. However, when it comes to losing weight, you need to be realistic. Will you be able to sustain that kind of attitude forever? Not likely. Instead, give yourself room for days off the exercises and make space for eating some of your favorite sugary or fatty treats as the occasional treat. A little bit of chocolate every few days isn’t going to hurt anything, nor is sleeping in this Sunday and skipping your daily jog. Just be sure to get right back to it the next day!
• Quitting all bad habits cold turkey – You (like everyone else) likely have a lot of bad habits that are what caused your weight gain in the first place. Indeed, it sounds wise to change them all in order to lose weight and keep off the pounds but trying to rewrite your entire lifestyle at once could put you on a rapid path to becoming frustrated, losing motivation and giving up. A weight loss resolution should account for slowly changing habits.
