Making realistic New Year’s resolutions – plus quick tips for success!

It’s the new year which means you may be looking at setting some New Year’s resolutions. Something along the lines of:

“Next year I promise I will going to get to my goal weight by cutting out all vices, eating healthier and exercising more.”

Sounds big! Ambitious!

BUT before you get caught up in the process of trying to carry out these resolutions, let’s look at at the importance of setting realistic goals for the new year.

Setting realistic New Year’s resolutions

1. Take it slow and review

Take one day at a time when you’re trying to lose weight as rushing into these resolutions without a plan may backfire. Before you set your resolutions, look at your day on a plate and track your exercise and mindset during the day.

If you are on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, chances are your day on a plate is not just healthy but delicious too!

You may find your downfall is lack of time, motivation or opportunity to exercise. Perhaps you’re under pressure at work or stressed out at home and find your diet slips in certain situations.

Make sure you commit to writing down the positives and negatives of your day so you can visually pinpoint what is stopping you from losing weight and increasing motivation or energy.

Changing or coping with the obstacles you encounter day-to-day will help set the foundations for your next resolutions.

2. Setting the resolutions

Ok, you’ve identified some obstacles, now it’s time to set those resolutions!

Regardless of what your obstacles or resolutions are, be aware that setting incremental small, meaningful goals instead of one big overwhelming goal, will offer you the best chance of success.

This is because the achievement of goals naturally spurs us on to achieve yet more goals, as the sense of accomplishment gives us the motivation to continue.

3. Break it down to smaller steps

If weight loss is your goal, break it up into increments that you are comfortable with. For example, 25kgs means losing around 1kg a week over six months or around 1.5 kgs over four months. That’s as heavy as a bag of rice, per week!

Reaching these goals will give you the confidence and push you need, then if you concentrated on the (overwhelming) total of 25kgs.         

Making sure your resolutions are realistic is crucial to setting yourself up for success come the New Year.

By setting unrealistic goals, you set yourself up for failure which sees you start the year under pressure and overwhelmed at achieving a mammoth task.

Here are some more quick tips for success

• Keep a set of runners and work out gear in your car or by the door for when the opportunity arises.
• Get a monthly planner up on your wall and make note of kids schedules or deadlines due and work your exercise routine around these.
• Get into meal prep: If you haven’t got the time or space, make sure you’ve made and frozen healthy options in anticipation of vulnerable moments when you reach for the unhealthy stuff.
• Lower your expectations, results take time which comes with consistency.
• Sensibly reward yourself as you meet your fitness goals.
• Publicly commit to your goal or spend money on achieving it to hold you accountable.
• Team up with a workout buddy; you’ll find it’s harder to skip working out if you know someone is depending on you.
• Even when you feel unmotivated, a little is better than nothing so don’t stop eating right and woking out. It will soon become a habit and when you see and feel results, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it in the first place!

Here are 5 scientifically-backed ways to ensure you stick to your resolutions.

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