Since we've seemed to have survived the prophesied Mayan apocalypse (I haven't checked outside to see how bad the damage is but my internet is still working so I'm sure everything is fine) I thought I would give you some tips on making and sticking to your resolutions for the coming new year.
Come up with a plan: Have an actual plan, coming up with stuff like "I'm going to eat better" or "I'm definitely going to exercise" or "I'm never going to watch t.v. again" can be vague and drastic. If you've been eating nothing but junk food for the past year or so then you probably aren't too keen to start eating nothing but fruits and vegetables, and even if you are, unless you have a plan in place you probably won't stick to your resolutions for very long.
Buy a food and exercise journal so you can track how many calories you are taking in, see how often and what you are eating, and see what exercise you are actually getting (yes, taking the stairs does count.) So you know where you are starting out and so you can plan on where you want to go from there.
An example of a plan would be:
Drink one less soda a week
Write down what I eat in my food journal everyday this week
Take the stairs at work
Cook one healthy meal this week
Notice that none of these things are vague, if you are vague about your plans they are easier to work around or not do at all, but if you have a solid beginning plan you are off to a good start.
Start out slow: I emphasize this a lot but it is one of the best things you can do. Starting out slow gives you time to adjust to your new lifestyle. The reason why most people go back to their old habits is because they didn't have time to establish their new ones. The goal in mind should be to change your lifestyle for good if you want to keep the weight off. Make sure that the changes you are making are things you are comfortable with and that you can see yourself doing the rest of your life.
You may want to avoid the gym: After New Year's you can bet that just about everybody that made a resolution to lose weight or get healthy will be at the gym. If you want to avoid the crowds you can buy workout dvds, if you live in a warm climate you can choose to exercise outside, and if you really want to, you can go workout at the gym, and remember, you can be proud of yourself as the days and weeks go on and you are one of the only ones left at the gym from the initial crowd.
Rules are meant to be broken, or at least rewritten: As I said before the first thing you should do when making your resolutions is to come up with a plan, but over time your schedule can change, your fitness level can change, the taste of foods you want can change, and so can the plan that you made. I have made plenty of adjustments to my weight loss plan over the years and it has helped me to stay on track and know where to go next. So remember, it's okay to make adjustments that you need to keep on top of your weight loss goals.
A Word About Motivation: Motivation is great...in the beginning. The thing about motivation is at some point it's going to run out and that will probably make it difficult to stick to your plan. If at some point you do lose your motivation, think of working out and eating healthier as something that just needs to be done, like brushing your teeth or sleeping. At some point working out and eating healthier will just become a part of your life and that's exactly how it should be, that's when you know you are doing it right.
Starting out something new can be exciting but can also be a little scary. I hope that these tips have helped or given you an idea of where to begin. I wish you good luck in your upcoming endeavors and you will be hearing from me after the new year.
