How To Make A Weight Loss Resolution… And Stick With It!

Every December, like clockwork, the health and fitness industry starts pouring money into their advertising and marketing campaigns. From discounted memberships at the local gyms, to coupons, and special promotions for the latest fad diets, it’s impossible not to see that this is big business by the time January rolls around.

Having worked as a fitness instructor in several gyms over the last 20 years, I know that the month of January is always the largest month for new gym memberships… hands down. It’s this predictable cycle we see every year that causes the gym owners and diet peddlers to jockey and position themselves for their slice of the New Year’s Resolution pie.

In the third and fourth weeks of January, most aerobic classes are packed with fresh faces. But by the end of February, most of the crowd has thinned, and by March… things are pretty much back to normal. A few of those new faces do manage to stick around, though, and before you know it, they’re no longer considered new. Somehow, they managed to beat the odds; and when you look at their progress, it really shows, because they’re energetic and they look great.

So, as we begin another new year of life on this beautiful blue planet, what can be done to help make us become one of the few that actually stick to their New Year’s resolution? In this article, I’m going to share with you some of the common traits that I saw and heard from many of my students as to what they did differently, and why it worked for them.

• They Were Serious This Time: To be successful in reaching your fitness goals, you have to be genuinely ready to stick with it – no matter what. Winning at the weight loss game requires a commitment to changing your lifestyle. These changes require time and a new sense of resolve that the old ways are no more. Try to prepare yourself by being ready emotionally to make your health and weight loss the priority in your life. You’ll know when you are ready.

• They Planned Everything Out: Resolutions never seem to work if they are done on a whim. Any impulsive decision is doomed to failure because it simply cannot withstand the test of time. By definition, a resolution is a commitment to change, and a New Year’s resolution usually means that this change needs to last for at least a year… right? Take the time to plan out every aspect of your weight loss program: from your diet, to nutritional supplements, to how and when you will exercise.This is why using a professional, formulated program like our recommended 30 day cleansing program is a great idea, because it provides you with a simple system to follow and tells you what to take each day. Studies show people following a program gain better results than dieting alone, and the Isagenix 30 day cleanse would be a fantastic way to kick-start your new year.

• Be Clear And Specific: If you go into this with vague and general ideas of how you are going to lose weight, you’ll never last through February. By not being specific, you invite confusion and way too much wiggle room. This goes hand in hand with having a good plan. Be very specific about how much weight you are going to lose. Know beforehand what your eating routine will consist of, and when you will exercise each day. Being detailed and specific with what you want and how you intend to get there will cut through the occasional fog, and give you clarity when you need it.

• Be Realistic With Your Plan: Forget turning this into some rapid, super fast plan of attack. Being unrealistic or overly optimistic can cause disappointment and discouragement.  Being discouraged is the number one reason for giving up. Make your planned weight loss something that you can live with and is realistic… don’t set yourself up for failure by being too aggressive.

• Have Some Fun And Enjoy: This last tip is, in my opinion, very important, because no one can last very long if everything we do to get healthy is a drudgery. You have to look forward to some of the things in your weight loss journey, or the idea of lifestyle change will never happen. These things are different for everyone, but maybe it means that you will take dance classes twice a week, or begin studying yoga. Often it can mean simply joining a new gym, to meet new friends or have a change of environment. Whatever it is, give this some thought and put into your weekly routine some healthy activities that you know you’ll look forward to.

Will You Make It Into March?

We all know that New Year’s resolutions are an annual tradition that most people laugh about and don’t really take too seriously. And that’s fine; because we normally expect (in a light-hearted way) for most people to fail. What’s unfortunate, though, is that a lot of people go into their resolutions with high hopes, only to give up in no time at all. By following the suggestions I’ve outlined in this article, you can give yourself a much better chance for success… and be one of the chosen few that we still see committed in March.