Before You Start Your New Year’s Resolutions, Read This!

Weight Loss Goals for the New Year

It’s the New Year and I bet you’re already thinking about what you are going to do this year that will dramatically change your health, level of well-being, and life?

If you have, you may want to rethink your strategy because the proposed dramatic lifestyle changes may be a little too dramatic! There is nothing wrong with setting some new goals for yourself, especially when your health is concerned, but you must also be realistic regarding what you can honestly achieve.

Quite frequently, the reason why people tend to fall short on achieving their goals is that they are not reasonable to begin with.

A great example of this is weight loss goals. Setting a goal to lose a lot of weight in a short time frame is just not a realistic or a rational idea. Not only are these types of goals not realistic because they involve changes to your lifestyle which are too dramatic but they may also be equally unsustainable and even dangerous to your health.

Alternatively, try changing your behavior instead of just worrying about a number on a scale. Try to imagine your health changing for the better and not just getting skinny, as these changes are more likely to lead to sustainable changes in body composition.

Making dramatic changes to your diet is a frequent new year’s resolution. Unfortunately, the path some people seem to take can be rather difficult to stay on. Making a resolution to go on a vegan, raw, or whole foods diet may seem easy but it might actually be very difficult and uncomfortable to adjust to such a dramatic new way of eating after years of eating a certain way.

Another frequent mistake is following diet trends that lack evidence other than the latest celebrity who has tried it with a great deal of success. Please beware of this situation as this is not a realistic approach to healthy nutrition.

Instead, try a moderate approach to healthy eating which concentrates upon making better food choices and on improving eating behaviors. This approach often will lead to a better long term outcome to your health.

Thinking about getting into better shape this year? Please remember to set reasonable goals for yourself regarding this resolution.

I would advise against signing a year contract with any gym until you are confident that you will continue to use it. Remember, most people who sign up for a 12 month gym membership are no longer there after two months!

If you can purchase one that you can use monthly or easily cancel, this is a much better alternative. More importantly, set some reasonable fitness goals for yourself and if you are not sure what to do at the gym, ask for help.

Whatever you choose to do, whether it’s at home or at a gym, start slow and concentrate on participation not performance.

Make realistic and achievable goals for your New Year’s resolutions.

Happy New Year!

Source:
“The Five New Year’s Resolutions You Should Never Make,” Yahoo! web site, December 23, 2013; http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/at-home/five-39-resolutions-never-234000513.html, last accessed Dec.24, 2013.