Here we are, days after the ball dropping, champagne toasts and midnight kisses. The time of year when millions of people make resolutions as they close one chapter in their lives and toast a new one, hoping 2010 will bring joy, prosperity and…weight loss.
Yes, weight loss consistently tops the list of top New Year’s resolutions, and according to a recent survey commissioned by Weight Watchers and conducted by Harris Interactive® nearly half (45%) of U.S. women say losing weight will be one of their New Year’s resolutions. Among those women surveyed, 97% say they will need some assistance to keep their resolution.
Making New Year’s resolutions is a healthy and effective way to meet goals if you create realistic objectives. Losing 20 pounds overnight is not realistic, nor is losing 10 pounds in one week. If you set the bar too high, your enthusiasm and motivation may fade when you don’t see immediate results. Instead, plan to make gradual changes, like losing 10 pounds in 12 weeks. Whether your goal is to exercise more, lose weight, gain weight or get healthy, having a set plan will help you find success. Following are 6 simple steps to successfully meeting your weight-loss resolutions this year:
Step 1.
Make a plan. As mentioned earlier, it’s imperative to make your goals realistic.
If your goal is weight-loss, use a calorie calculator to learn your daily caloric needs, Mayo Clinic has a good one here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598 and reduce that number by 500 to lose one pound per week or 1,000 to lose 2 pounds per week. Trying to lose more than 2 pounds per week has proven to be detrimental and often results in subsequent weight-gain.
If your goal is simply to get healthier this year, use a BMI calculator to learn your Body Mass Index and find out if you’re in the healthy range, Mayo Clinic has an easy-to-use tool for this: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bmi-calculator/NU00597. Fitting into your favorite pair of jeans from high school may not be a realistic or healthy goal, instead focus on getting healthy for your current lifestyle, so you can hike without breathlessness, feel great at your high school reunion or keep up with your kids.
Step 2.
Find support. Finding a support system to keep you motivated is an important part of sticking to your resolution.
Whether you enlist a friend, a diet coach, a personal trainer or join a group, you’ll feel more accountable if you recruit the help of others, and your motivation will be higher if you have people to share in your efforts. Tell family members and friends that you’ll need their support to reach your goals – you don’t need the people closest to you trying to sabotage your goals just because they may not be ready to make a change and you are, let them know your need their support!
Step 3.
Stop dieting and start revising…your lifestyle that is. Fad diets and magic pills are everywhere, however, severely restricting calories, eliminating entire food groups or relying on pills is not the solution.
Often as soon as the diet is “over,” or you stop taking the pills, the weight you’ve lost returns and the vicious cycle starts again. To lose weight successfully and keep it off for the long term, you must revise your lifestyle and attitude toward diet and fitness, adding healthier habits into your daily life.
Step 4.
Reward yourself along the way. With weight-loss goals, non-food related rewards have proven to be helpful in applauding yourself for your hard work without slipping off the wagon.
Set small gifts to yourself at weight increments, such as 10 pounds lost, have a mani/pedi, 15 pounds lost, schedule a relaxing massage, 20 pounds lost, buy yourself a new pair of jeans, 50-100 pounds lost, treat yourself to a mini-vacation!
With exercise-related goals, reward yourself with gifts that are good for your body. If you’ve stuck to a regime for several weeks, treat yourself to a sports massage, if you’ve hung in there for several months, treat yourself to some new exercise clothes, or a night out with friends.
Step 5.
Develop new habits. Start by identifying habits that are keeping you from reaching your goals.
If you’re trying to lose weight, stop eating when you’re bored, stressed-out or sad and commit to eating only when you’re truly hungry, habits like this will be huge for your weight-loss goals. When dining out, order smaller meals so you’re not tempted to overindulge. If your weekly Mexican night out with friends turns into a 2,500 calorie extravaganza every time, tell your friends you need to do something less detrimental to your weight-loss goals and find a new activity you can all enjoy which doesn’t sabotage your efforts.
Small adjustments to your daily habits can be a huge aid in your efforts, like changing from full-fat dairy to low-fat versions, and not buying junk food at the grocery store, which ends up being eaten in front of the TV.
Step 6.
Reevaluate. After a month, revisit your goals and assess where you are.
Did you plan to lose 20 pounds but you’ve only lost 5 pounds? Did you plan to workout 5-6 days a week, but have only been able to stick to 2-3 days? After 30 days, if you haven’t reached your goals don’t throw in the towel, think about all the reasons you made your goals in the first place and set a new plan of attack. Evaluate what has been keeping you from staying motivated, and eliminate the negative forces holding you back. If your plan A didn’t work, maybe your goals were too lofty and you can now set a more realistic plan B.
Lastly, don’t ever deprive yourself from the things you love. When you completely deprive yourself and are too strict, you may overindulge or “fall off the wagon.” This is why you need to leave some room for small treats and don’t wallow in any mistakes made along the way, just pick yourself up and keep moving toward that goal.