So it’s the 1st of January (or soon after when you’re reading this) and you really want to make changes this year. You might be feeling inspired by peoples motivational Facebook posts about last year or you might really just want change this year. But how can you set a New Years resolution and actually stick to it? How can you not be a cliche and hit the weight loss goal, stop smoking or hit a new career hire?
As a personal trainer i work with people’s short term and long term goals every day and I see some very interesting and easy to notice attributes when I meet people that usually show me very quickly how motivated they are to smash their goals. Here is my best advice.
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Don’t join the gym if you hate it!Yes, i’m a personal trainer and I just said DON’T join the gym! Do you know how many people join the gym every January and then go once, twice, or even maybe for a few weeks and then pay their Direct Debit to the gym for the rest of the year and not go? Gyms love these people of course!
If it hasn’t worked for you before, it probably won’t this time so don’t torture yourself.
Join a class or running club, train with a friend or get a personal trainer. Join a sports team or try a new activity. There are so many ways to get fit without the gym.
2. You must actually decide what you want
‘Weight loss’ is not a goal. Why do you want to lose weight? Have you got an outfit you want to get into? Have you got a waist size you want to get to? Do you have a distance you want to run? I can almost guarantee if your goal is simply to lose weight, you’ll lose motivation because there is nothing to celebrate along the way. Pick something – a dress size, a weight, a top to get in, a distance to cycle/swim/run and hit that goal, celebrate and then set another one. It’s like getting in a car and not setting your sat nav and then driving around going to no where. You’ll drive but you’ll never hit your goal. Same with weight loss.
3. Don’t make changes you can’t stick with forever
If you do something temporary, you’ll get temporary results. Changes to your diet and exercise regime need to be realistic enough that you can stick with them long term. Anyone can eat celery for a day (actually, i couldn’t. Maybe one meal!) but if you can’t stick to it you’ll
Outdoor training at the studio
feel deprived, restricted and most likely end up on a binge of all the things you’ve not allowed yourself to have! Increase good food and reduce CRAP (Caffeine, Refined Sugar, Alcohol and Processed carbs) and make sure you never go hungry. Use the 80:20 rule and make sure you always enjoy your food!
4. Tell someone what you’re doing
We all need support and that includes me. Personal I tell my partner, I make a vision board which is stuck at the end of my bed so i see it every morning and every night and i tell my professional mentor. We all need someone to keep tabs on us. Tell your friend, sibling or join a Facebook forum of other like minded people and let’s all keep each other motivated this year!
YOU CAN DO THIS!
Wishing you all a super happy and most importantly – healthy 2017. If we can help support with any of your health, fitness or nutrition goals then please get in touch.
We can’t wait to start our brand new half marathon training programme this Thursday and hit one of my goals which is to help at least 20 people run their first ever race!
Yours in health and fitness,
Hannah
Chief Catalyst at Lean Body Vision