The Fitness Maven

Many people who have struggled with their weight and their eating, and have finally gotten them under control, say the same thing. The way that they started to improve their lives and their health was by doing more today than they did yesterday. This is a very gentle way to ease into change. What does it mean? Yesterday you didn’t exercise at all. Today, you can commit to walking one flight of stairs. Yesterday, you ate two candy bars. Today, you only ate one. Whatever it is that you did that wasn’t as healthy as it could be yesterday – you can change today. But you don’t have to completely overhaul your entire life and make yourself uncomfortable (and hungry). You can simply add one thing (or detract one thing) that will make a difference in your life.

And people who have followed this plan can attest to the dramatic changes that can occur over time. Maybe they go from walking one block a day to running a 5K. Maybe they go from eating 3000 calories a day to eating 2000. These are the changes that can really make a difference and they can be done slowly. But the point is to start and to do one little thing today that will help to improve your life.

Many people use the new year as a time to reflect upon last year and to make resolutions. And if they keep those resolutions, then it’s a great opportunity to wipe the slate clean and to begin again. But if they don’t keep them, then it just becomes a cycle of trying to commit to making a change and then not making it. The majority of people, unfortunately, find themselves back to where they started by February 1 or soon thereafter. So, how can you make your New Year’s resolutions stick? Here are some suggestions to keep you on the right track.

1. Don’t make radical resolutions. You got the way that you are overtime – so you can’t expect to change everything overnight. Keep your resolutions realistic.
2. Don’t consider that you’re making resolutions. Rather, try to think of one thing that you think you can truly change in your life and stick with. Think of it as a new way of being, not as a resolution you hope to keep for a bit.
3. Make a plan. Simply saying that you want to lose ten pounds this year isn’t going to get you there. You need a plan of action. What do you plan to take out of your diet? How much exercise will you put in? What are some small goals you can create for yourself?
4. Give yourself smaller timelines. Rather than saying that you play to do x or y in 2017, give yourself a smaller timeline. Set monthly goals and see if you can stick to those.