Each year during the holidays thousands of folks make
resolutions to lose weight at the beginning of the New Year, only to be left
feeling frustrated with their efforts as they fall back into their old patterns
of eating and not exercising. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. You can meet
your resolutions to lose weight, when you know why most people fail and what
you can do about it. Today I’m sharing the top 5 reasons your New Year’s weight
loss resolutions fail and how you can avoid these common traps.
Your Resolutions Are Overwhelming
If your New Year’s resolutions are along the lines of; lose
25 pounds, change diet completely and workout 6 times a week…you’re probably feeling
overwhelmed. Making changes to lose weight and be healthy can be especially
overwhelming if you make lots of huge changes at once. In order for change to
be long lasting, it has to be sustainable. Make a plan for how you are going to
reach your goals. Make small changes and stick with them. Break your goal of
weight loss down into how much weight you can lose every 2 weeks. Make
attainable goals to your diet, like reduce sugar by 50%, eat leafy greens every
day, drink body weight in water daily, etc..., commit to an exercise routine
that will increase in frequency and intensity as your fitness level improves.
You Don’t Feel Well
You’ve stopped eating processed foods, and you’ve worked out
every day this week…not only do you not feel healthy, you probably feel
bloated, achy and tired. Your sore muscles make it hard to sleep and more often
than not you are gassy and bloated. Don’t despair, your body is adjusting, but
these are signs that you are overdoing it. When you stop eating processed foods
and start eating whole foods that are full of fiber, it takes your digestive
system a little while to get used to the switch. While it’s hard to avoid all
of the unpleasantness, prep the week before you start your new diet by adding a
fiber supplement to. Start out with workouts for your current fitness level,
moving every day is better for you than working out once a week and being stiff
and sore for days.
It’s Not Fun
Changing ourselves is not fun, it’s hard work and requires
that we have discipline. When we change for weight loss we don’t only change
our eating patterns, we may also change our social behaviors and patterns
too. If you are avoiding processed foods
and cutting out alcohol you may find yourself saying ‘no’ to invites from
friends and co-worker, as the temptation to eat unhealthy foods may be too much.
Learning how to be healthy and have fun is possible, but you do have to set
boundaries and limits for yourself. While it may be hard and not fun during the
first few weeks, you will begin to adjust to the changes you are making and you
will begin to feel more comfortable eating a healthy salad with lean protein
while your friends nosh on French fries. Celebrating your milestones will also
bring back the fun to health and fitness, just make sure rewards don’t tempt
you to binge on extra calories. Favorite rewards are; a massage, a new workout
outfit or a manicure.
There’s Nothing Left for You to Eat
You’ve chosen the new diet fad that excludes all your
favorite food groups and now you have 3 foods left that you can eat…well not
really, but it probably feels like it. Very rarely do you need to exclude a
food group, but if and when you do, you have to have a meal plan. It’s all fine
and well to say you aren’t going to eat bread anymore, but what are you going
to eat, if you’ve been eating sandwiches every day for lunch? Choosing a
realistic and affordable diet that includes foods that you like to eat in the
proper portions, ensures the likelihood that you will stick to the diet. Once
you’ve chosen the diet, make a meal plan that outlines what you will eat and
when you eat it, this reduces the chances of cheating or binging on junk food
on busy days.
No One is Checking Up On You
Unfortunately, when we are left to our own devices it’s just
too easy to skip a workout or binge on sweets, however having someone to check
in or check up on you, not only prevents us from cheating, it also helps us to
get back on track after a mis-step. An accountability partner is someone who
will be supportive and who will hold you accountable. Your accountability
partner may be starting a new health and fitness regime, just like you, or
maybe they have already gone through the tough first weeks and knows what the
challenges are and can help you stick with your resolutions.
Enjoying the Art of Living has life coaches and nutritionists hat have worked with successfully with people who are at all different places, with different weight and health goals bu have all agreed that diets do not work and that weight loss and health can be done by enjoying the art of living,
For more information contact us or sign up for the latest, including a online program still being perfected, to enhance your own personal art of living.
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