Rule for losing weight: To thine own self be true
Lying to oneself is one of the biggest wastes of time and energy. Yet, without realizing it, that’s exactly what thousands of people will do when they resolve to lose weight, be healthier or get into shape.
They deceive themselves by making resolutions that require a change in lifestyle with little more than a cursory thought as to how and what it will take to make the resolutions happen.
Digging deeper than a fleeting promise or a wishful thought, successful New Year’s fitness resolutions require methodical thought, planning and the determination to stay the course.
These thoughts, plans and resolve can be actualized in a number of ways.
Among them:
– Write down your fitness goals and resolutions. It’s easier to forget or minimize promises you’ve made to yourself when they’re not in writing. As you write your goals, make them specific. Goals like, “I want to lose weight and I’m going to walk daily to do it,” will survive much longer than vague ones such as, “I want to be in better shape this year.”
– Make your goals measurable. The best fitness goals are written with some means of measuring success. A goal that simply says, “I’m going to work out more this year” lacks a measurable standard of successful completion.
“I want to exercise aerobically every Monday, Wednesday and Friday before work,” says not only what you’ll do, but also how often you’ll do it. When you can look back and measure your consistency, you have a means of measuring your progress as well as a standard for rewarding your efforts.
– Select sound fitness and nutrition methods to accomplish your goals. If the means to reaching weight loss involves calling an 800-number posted on a telephone pole, you’re probably heading down the wrong path.
Quick and easy solutions to weight loss don’t exist. If they did, we’d all be thin.
Avoid what sounds easy and too good to be true.
Instead, work on educating yourself, putting balanced eating habits into practice and getting regular, moderate exercise.
– Don’t beat yourself up. You will inevitably have days where you eat poorly or miss workouts, but save the punches and kicks for kickboxing class. One unhealthy day does not make for an unhealthy life, especially if you minimize the impact by getting back on track as soon as possible.
– Be realistic, patient and consistent. Many people give up on their goals because the results they had in mind don’t happen as quickly or as easily as they had imagined. In order to reach your New Year’s resolution, make your goals realistic, use some patience in reaching them and be consistent in the behaviors that will bring those goals to pass.
– Finally, don’t spend hundreds of dollars on a club membership or expensive piece of equipment that you won’t use. Many people think that buying things will change their lives. These investments will only change your level of fitness when combined with personal investments of time and commitment.
Consider activities that you enjoy and those that you don’t, what environments suit you, and what type of fitness regiment will work best for your lifestyle. That may mean working out at home or it may mean working out at a gym. It may mean buying a treadmill or taking a water aerobics class.
Don’t cave to marketing or social pressures. Recognize your individual needs and preferences and choose what has the greatest potential for your individual success.
Strive for patient and consistent fitness habits, starting off gradually and adding in greater challenges as you progress.
You’ll look back on this year as the one where you hung in there, changed your life and stayed true to the pursuit of one of life’s greatest treasures – good health.
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Eugenie Jones is a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor. Contact her at The Sun in Bremerton, Wash., at http://www.thesunlink.com.