7 Tips to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution

January 9, 2018

It is that time of year again! When the gyms become overly crowded and many people are trying out the newest fad diet. Every year, more and more people make their New Years resolution fitness related. Whether that is to lose weight, get fit, get strong, or run a marathon, people are focused on bettering themselves. Unfortunately, about 80-90% of people give up on their resolution by February. They may give up too easily, not organize their time and priorities, or go at it all alone. Going into 2018, try following a few of these tips to help stick to your resolution:

1. Be Reasonable

Make sure the resolution you are setting for yourself is realistic. You cannot expect to drop 50 pounds or add 200 pounds to you bench press within a month. Setting big numbers like these can also be discouraging, which may lead you to give up quicker. Instead of hoping to drop a high amount of weight very quickly, aim for losing 4-5 pounds a month or a pound a week. Instead of having your daily slice of pizza every day, trade it out for a salad. These small goals and changes will make a large impact throughout each week.

2. Find a Partner in Crime

Whether it is a friend or family member, get somebody with a similar resolution in mind to do it with you. Trying to pursue a resolution by yourself can be difficult. When you work with someone, you both can encourage each other and overcome more obstacles. You can push each other in the gym and help out one another to avoid tempting sweets. In the end, this can help build your relationship together and help you both achieve your goals!

3. Make a Date

So, you are trying to run your first 5k or want to finally squat 315 pounds? Well set a date to challenge yourself! Give yourself a few months to prepare and train. This will help you to keep on track, knowing you have a goal to reach by a specific date.

4. Get Help, if You Need it

If you are unsure of how to start eating healthy or how to properly lift weights, ask someone that can help. Find a dietitian near you that can help teach you how to properly eat nutritious foods based off of your goals. If you are new to a gym, find a trainer who is passionate about helping people and will teach you proper workouts to meet your needs.

5. Drink your H2O

Water is extremely important for a healthy body. Drinking water helps aid in weight loss, gets rid of toxins in the body, aids in digestion, can improve your mood, improve your skin, and many other amazing benefits. You do not need to carry a gallon with you every where you go, but that helps! If you do not have access to a water cooler at work or school, grab a couple water bottles to keep in your bag or refrigerator so you can have access to water throughout the day.

6. Avoid Temptation by Meal Prepping

If you get to work and see a spread of doughnuts or pizza, there is no need to panic. Take some free time to prep your healthy meals ahead so you will not have to be hungry and tempted. Of course, you should never deprive yourself! Moderation is key is weight loss and with many resolutions. Fully depriving yourself from foods you enjoy may cause you to be ravenous around greasy foods or sweets when the time comes. One slice of pizza will not completely ruin your progress. As long as you get into that habit of making your own, healthy foods, your body may no longer crave the unhealthy, processed foods it once did.

7. Look Back on How Far You’ve Come!

Let’s fast forward a few months to April. You thought you would be stronger by now or the scale would be lower. Don’t get discouraged! Take a look back at where you were before the New Year started. You now look forward to going to the gym everyday. You are more energized and in a much better mood. If the scale is not as low as you expected, remember that muscle and fat feel and look different. You can lift more than you could when you started and have more muscle tone than before. Your bench press is more than it was back in January. Small progress is better than no progress. Remember that you are bettering yourself each day with the healthy decisions you have stuck with!