Given up on your New Year’s Resolution?

The No.1 New Years Resolution is to lose weight, get fit or live a healthier lifestyle. It’s now the end of January and by now, most of you have found an excuse not to follow through with it. Is yours still in existence or are your sneakers collecting dust already?

One of biggest mistakes people make with new year resolutions is that they try and take it all on too fast, they take on the exercise regime too furiously, training everyday, restricting their diet too much and saying ‘I’m going to lose 30 pounds this month’. Another big mistake is on the other spectrum – some people have no plan at all and therefore do not set any goals.

I set my new year’s resolution at the beginning of 2011 and I am happy to say I’ve still stuck to it 1 year later. This is the reason for me writing this post today so I can hopefully motivate some of you out there to hold on.

The number one advice I have about new year’s resolutions is that you should set small goals, take baby steps and set your sights on improving your lifestyle and not just losing the xx number of pounds. Don’t set a number to yourself.

My biggest regret in the past is my yo-yo dieting due to the fact that I failed to see that I was just creating more harm for my body. It was making me more depressed than the satisfaction of getting to my goal weight. It was because I set a number on the scales but didn’t  have the right frame of mind, I only concentrated on the scales.

If you happen to fall off the bandwagon and indulge on the tub of ice-cream or chocolate bar, hop straight back onto your healthy eating plan straight away. Don’t give up and binge even more. Its not too late and that mishap is a natural thing that we all do. Get into the mentality that its about changing your lifestyle and being healthy because with these changes comes the happiness that you ultimately sought. You’ll find that you’re a happier person and that your relationships are better for it aswell.

Another mistake people make is that they take on too much, too fast. They make radical changes to their diet by eliminating carbohydrates, only drinking juice etc. A good approach is to start slow, for the first 3 days, start a food journal to see what your actually eating. You’ll probably find that your eating habits are fine 80% of the time and the other 20% you tend to lose control. You just need to work out the 20% when you lose control and how to change it. You don’t need to change 100% of your life.

Please follow FitnessPal blog and feel free to comment, let us know your thoughts and tips on how you keep to your new years resolution.