We all know that sometimes New Year’s Resolutions can be hard to keep. There are a few reasons for this, and I’ll discuss them in this post. But even better, I’ll give you tips for motivation and staying on track to make this year’s weight loss goals a reality!
Happy New Year to you, and let me give my sincere best wishes for a happy and healthy one!
Cuz that’s really the reality of looking forward to the year ahead, right? A new year brings all kinds of possibilities, and for many of us, we have goals for changes and improvements to make us healthier.
I’m all about self-improvement and if you want to see how I made this happen for me (it wasn’t all roses at first—but I did it!), take a look at my video on my weight loss journey. And to be honest, this transformation did not happen overnight.
I’m telling you this because I think one of the key thoughts you need to have is that being successful with weight loss or eating healthier takes time and effort. And that’s okay!
In fact, if you embrace this reality, you’ll be much more apt to keep the New Year’s Resolutions you made. How is that? Read on to find out!
IT’S OKAY TO MAKE RESOLUTIONS
A lot of people make resolutions every year. Many people do not, and I think the main reason they don’t is that they are sure they will break them before the New Year is even a few weeks old.
Some of the most common resolutions are related to living a healthier lifestyle and eating better. From exercising more to losing weight to getting more sleep, resolutions are good in that they put you on the road to thinking about taking better care of yourself.
My thought is, though, if resolutions help you make and identify goals, that’s great. But working toward changing your lifestyle is the way to make your efforts stick all year long, not just for the first few weeks. To start, let me give you a few of my posts that cover both weight loss and healthy living.
Then, further down, we’ll go over some awesome tips and tricks to help you keep the goals you made. Whether you want to call them your resolutions for the year or your goals for a new you, it’s all good!
- Intermittent Fasting For Women: A Complete Guide
- Does Intermittent Fasting Work for Weight Loss? Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting
- 12 Worst Weight Loss Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them!)
- 10 Best Foods to Lose Fat & Build Muscle | Yes, You Can Do Both!
- The Top 18 WORST Fake Healthy Foods (Avoid These)
I’ve got tons of posts on the blog that will help you reach your goals by making lifestyle changes that you can stick to. I’ll pop a few more in here and there as we chat!
WHAT ARE THE MOST POPULAR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS?
Here are the most popular New Year’s Resolutions in general:
- Exercise and get in shape (for the best time to do a workout, read this!)
- Diet to lose weight
- Save money (to save in the kitchen, plan a budget)
- Eat healthier (see how in this post)
- Do more for self-care
My first thought was the answer must be related to diet and weight loss. I was not far off! Not surprisingly, changing the way you eat and maintaining weight loss via a diet were the most difficult to continue. Fear not, though! This post will change that for you.
WHY SET NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS TO MAINTAIN WEIGHT LOSS?
Setting resolutions—or more importantly, making a decision to just change your lifestyle is key to maintaining weight loss. You can take a look at my video on reaching your weight loss goals for details on how to actually reach them.
1. Accountability: When you make a concrete decision to change your lifestyle, accountability is important. You are accountable to yourself for how you go about the changes.
2. Drive toward motivation and focus: Being motivated for change and being able to focus on what you’d like to accomplish are two key benefits of setting goals.
3. Priority: Prioritizing where your energy should go to have success is a bonus!
WHY DO NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS TO MAINTAIN WEIGHT LOSS FAIL?
- Lack of support: They always say having a buddy to talk to, compare notes and weight loss recipes with, and to take part in physical activity is important. I also think that finding the best time to workout is key to staying active.
- Not planning: Plan when you’ll exercise and plan your meals (read the ultimate guide to planning here). Thinking ahead is a big step toward changing your habits.
- No motivation: Why do you want to make these changes? Is it for more energy or to be healthy for your family? Find motivation.
- Giving up: When we fail or have a minor slip-up, it is easy to give up. Don’t let yourself be derailed. Start your efforts again.
5 TIPS FOR HOW TO KEEP NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
Keep these tips in mind and watch my video where I go deeper into detail. I’ve got a great video on fat loss tips, too!
- Focus on one thing at a time. What do I mean by this? For example, rather than try to quit sugar, hit the gym daily, and drink tons of water, choose one of these goals and make that your focus. Master that, and then move on to the next!
- Make your goals measurable, specific, and time-oriented. I like to do this because when you hit a goal, it gives you so much motivation! Crush a goal, celebrate, and attempt another one. Look at it this way. If you can climb 25 stairs at the soccer field, make it a goal to conquer those 25 stairs 3 times in one set. Awesome and achievable!
- Set yourself up for success. A great example for this one is to go back to the idea of quitting sugar. Don’t attempt to cut sugar out of everything all at once. Cut back on the sugar you use in your coffee (by the way, coffee has health benefits). Once you get used to that, reduce your intake of processed foods and so on. You’ll feel amazing taking one step at a time!
- Create a big goal with small stepping stones. Small successes mean a lot. Sure, you should always dream big. But having small stepping stones where you can say, “I did it!” along the way will give you the boost you need to keep going.
- Understand your “Why.” Find out why these goals mean so much to you. The why behind the goal is really essential for success. Are you doing this for yourself and your sense of self-love? Are you doing it so you can keep up with the kids all day long? These are good reasons! Find a reason for your goals and they’ll be easier to maintain.
NEW YEARS RESOLUTION TRICKS: MAINTAIN WEIGHT LOSS
Along with the tips listed above come a few tricks for helping you maintain weight loss. Watch this video for 30 weight loss hacks and then take a look at the following tips:
- Try intermittent fasting
- Eat lots of lean protein
- Choose low glycemic index carbs (like vegetables, grainy bread, and oats)
- Eat more fiber because it helps your metabolism (read this informative post on fiber)
- Know your triggers (stressed out – walk instead)
- Drink water instead of caloric drinks like soda and wine
- Eat healthy fats like avocado and olive oil
- Look for healthy replacements such as in flour
HOW TO ACHIEVE WEIGHT LOSS WITH EXERCISE
To round off the post, I really need to add just a little blip about exercise. It’s really done a lot for me, changing my body composition and making me stronger. To learn about my workouts, reps and sets, take a look at my WORKOUT video.
Exercise really makes you feel good and releases endorphins that have great effects on the body. How to get your weekly quota of exercise?
Start with an exercise that is easy to do, like brisk walking. Before you know it, you’ll be looking forward to those daily walks. Then you can add sprints, stairs, and additional challenges to your walk.
If you can find a workout buddy, that’s always fun. But even if no one is available, fit whatever exercise you can into your day. Three 10-minute sessions can be as beneficial as a 30-minute workout.
Be sure to add some strength training into your weekly exercise plan to build muscle. Keeping a journal is really helpful. Not only does it motivate you, but you can keep track of what you do when.
