Year after year, so many have the same resolution to ring in the new year: LOSE WEIGHT. Yet over 90% of resolutions have already failed by February. Let’s change that. Your 2019 self is hating your 2018 self (and 2017, 2016, 2015, etc.), but this is your time to really make it count.
Why do so many fail their resolution?
I’m glad you asked. A large percentage of people make very vague goals with no real plan or system of support to keep them accountable. Another reason is that people simply have no idea where to start or what goal is realistic! I’m sorry Karen, but walking for 5 minutes a day isn’t going to give you abs. Hopefully, by the end of this post, you’ll have a better idea of what you should be striving for so that you are set up to succeed!
I’ve listed a number of ways below in which you can make your resolution a reality. The key to making this work is commitment and consistency, y’all. You have to pick your plan and STICK TO IT. You can do this!
Tips And Tricks To Shrink In The New Year!
1. Be Realistic and Specific!
If you say that you are going to lose 50lbs in 2 months, well it’s just not going to happen and you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead, be realistic in what you can accomplish. If you want to lose 2 lbs a week until you are a certain weight, then great. Use that. If you only need to lose one pound a week, then stick to it! This will create a better expectation that you are actually capable of achieving. Also, just using the goal “I’m going to lose weight” doesn’t fly here. You need to be specific. If you aren’t how do you expect to actually accomplish your goal? It is impossible to stay motivated without a specific goal in mind and having a plan to reach it. It would also be worth noting to only have one goal. Too many goals is overwhelming and you are doomed to fail.
2. Plan. Plan. PLAN.
Oh yeah, did I mention plans? You can say all you want “I’m going to lose weight,” but if you have no plan to follow, you are going to wander around lost until next New Years Eve wondering why you didn’t accomplish your resolution. You need a plan. I’ll say (type?) this again. YOU. NEED. A. PLAN.
How many times a week will you go to the gym or exercise?
Will you meal prep ahead of time so that you aren’t tempted to eat something else?
How will this all fit into your schedule?
What type of food will you need in the kitchen?
Left over candy in the house? What are you going to do with it?
If you have a plan, it will be much easier to stick to it. This is the difference between wanting to lose weight and actually losing weight.
3. Know what you should eat and stick to it.
It baffles me how many people think that counting calories is bogus. To those people I ask, “How is that working out for you?” You need to know how much you are supposed to eat in order to eat the proper amount if you expect to lose weight.
How will I know how much I am supposed to eat?
Without going into to much detail (I’m going to have another article all about TDEEs and how it works), my best advice to you is to download MyFitnessPal if you haven’t already and it will figure all of this out for you! Now that you have your calorie allowance, STICK TO IT.
4. Set your environment to be productive
If you are sitting at home and there is a pantry full of snacks, you will eat them. Make sure that your home is stocked with healthy foods and that you aren’t surrounded by junk food all the time. Forming willpower is important, but build it little by little.
5. Have A Support System
You are much more likely to succeed if you have someone to support you through the process. Have someone that will help guide you to the right decisions when you are tempted. Surround yourself with positive and supportive people who want to see you succeed. So many people have failed because the people around them simply aren’t supportive. If you hear things like “You shouldn’t be such a stick in the mud,” or “Come on, you can have just one snack,” strap them on a jetpack and send them off. Okay, maybe not that drastic, but you get the point. People can be bullies and force peer pressure on others no matter what age. These are the people that are jealous of other’s progress. Because they can’t succeed, they don’t want you to either.
6. Keep yourself accountable
Did you eat more than you wanted to today? It is coming out of your allowance tomorrow. No more “Day Ones.” You’ve got this. You are in control of your actions. If you fail, it is because you chose to. If you succeed, it is because you chose to.
7. Plan your meals ahead of time.
This is a nifty trick to keep you from overeating. Log the day in MyFitnessPal in advance so you know exactly what you are allowed to eat that day! This is a great way to even fit in the occasional sweet.
8. Think long term
Will this doughnut help me accomplish my goal? If I skip the gym today, am I doing the best I can? The answers are no and no. Be very particular about each decision you make and it will make all the difference. We all have a compulsive side that wants to do what it wants to do. Shove it in a box and tape the heck out of it. You need the part of your brain that is on your team to be the active one.
9. Reward yourself
You should have milestones in your weightless journey to really help you through it. For each of these milestones, set up a reward. 10lbs down? Treat yourself to a movie night. 20lbs down? Time for that new pair of shoes you’ve been wanting. Use your progress as an excuse to enjoy other aspects of life and remind yourself why you want to be healthy in the first place!
10. Find other ways to stay motivated
There will always be people that will try to discourage you from losing weight and having your ideal body. There will always be junk food that will tempt you. There will even be times where you will be doing everything right and your water-weight will make it seem to the scale that you haven’t lost anything. The trick is, how will you stay focused on the prize when those things happen. What will you say to that person? What will you do in the presence of junk food? When you hit a plateau, will you keep going? Plan for these things and don’t let them keep you from your goal.
You are in charge of this year. Make it count! Share your specific goal in the comments and let’s get through this together! For further help, make sure to get my “10 Tips For Your Last Day One” for FREE! You can find the link right on the bottom of this page!
Peace, Love, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
LJ Harris
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