me in our lifes we have all made a new years resolution that we haven’t stuck to – I know i have. This year, lets stop the cycle of resolving to make change and then not following through. If your resolution is to take better care of yourself and become more active and healthy, i guarantee you will have a much better year if you stick to your resolution . Here are my top 10 tips to help you get started.
1. Set Realistic Goals
The worst thing you can do is set goals you know you will struggle to stick with, for example, never running before and then saying
you are going to run 10km every morning before work! The surest way to fall short of your goal is to make your goal unattainable. Set a goal that is attainable for example – i am going to start running, aiming initially for 2 runs at 30 mins.
2. Plan Ahead
Hopefully you didnt make you resolution on New Year’s Eve. If you wait until the last minute, it will be based on your mindset that particular day. Instead, it should have been planned well before December 31 arrives.
3. Make a “Pros” and “Cons” List And Use an inspirational picture
Make a list and keep it on your fridge or desk where you will see it everyday to keep your motivation strong. Develop this list over time. Everyone has an image in there mind of what body they would like, or has a person they admire whos physique they would like to attain. Well get an picture of that person and stick it somewhere you will see it everyday and remind yourself what you are aiming for and that if you continue to put in the hard work you can acheive it.
4. Don’t Keep it To yourself
Don’t keep your resolution a secret. Tell your partner, friends and family members who will be there to support your resolve to change yourself for the better or improve your health. The best-case scenario is to find a friend who shares your New Year’s resolution and motivate each other.
5. Reward Yourself
This doesn’t mean that you can have a CHEAT DAY and eat absolutley everything you feel like on that one day. Have a REWARD meal, and eat something you have been looking forward to through the week but keep it to 1 meal and don’t go crazy. If your Resolution was to stop Drinking Alcohol, go out for a nice meal instead or treat yourself to a massage
6. Track Your Progress
Track your progress – if you goal is to lose fat- do the caliper test, take photos, and weigh yourself once a week on the same day, and record all changes.Instead of focusing on losing 20 kilos, concentrate on the first 5. Keep track of each small success. Short-term goals are easier to keep, and each small accomplishment will help to keep you motivated.Use a food diary, such as myfitnesspal to help you stay on track.
7. Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Nobody is perfect, if you slip up , dont stress about it as it won’t help you achieve your goal. Do the best you can each day, and take one day at a time. Tomorrows another day, get back on the bike and start again!
8. Stick to It
Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and six months for it to become part of your personality. It won’t happen overnight, so be persistent and patient!
9. If you start failing use the 24hr method.
If you have totally run out of steam when it comes to keeping your resolution after a few weeks, don’t despair. Start over again! Recommit yourself for 24 hours. You can do anything for 24 hours. The 24-hour increments will soon build on each other and, before you know it, you will be back on track.
10.Hire a Personal Trainer/Nutritionist/Join a bootcamp
By signing up with a personal trainer or enrolling in a bootcamp course you are commiting to making the change. You are paying money out upfront and therefore WILL turn up to training sessions as you are now both financially committed and you know that you will be getting a phone call/text message to see where you are if you fail to show. Also, it takes the guesswork out of planning your training/diet. A good personal trainer will give you a schedule to follow when you are not training together but push you out your comfort zone on your sessions together. A good PT will always provide nutritional information and guidelines too.