7 Easy Ways to Stick to Your Weight Loss Resolutions

7 Easy Ways to Stick to Your Weight Loss Resolutions

Goals are a wonderful way to motivate us to achieve the things we desire in life, but they frequently go unachieved. Write down your "Why," that is, why are you doing this? Most people skip this step, which is one of the main reasons they never achieve their objectives. If you want to lose 20 pounds in 6 months, create a reason why and stick it on your mirror. Aim for a weekly weight loss of 1-2 pounds at most.

Losing more than that amount is harmful to your health. Accept reality and "go with the flow".

"Aims... and resolutions."

Yes, it's that time of year once more.

Why is it that every January 1st, everyone starts thinking about their new year's resolutions? Perhaps "new" isn't the right word; perhaps "recycled" is more appropriate? After all, isn't it true that "resolutions are made to be broken" for the majority of people?

Goals are a wonderful way to motivate us to achieve the things we desire in life, but they frequently go unachieved, leaving us frustrated (again) at the end of the year.

But this does not have to be the case.

Really.

You can achieve your goals or resolutions IF you know how to set them up correctly in the first place. And I'll give you a few pointers to get you started in the right direction...

- Start with the end goal in mind. What do you hope to accomplish in the end? Do you want to slim down? Or do you prefer to go down one dress size?

- Be specific while remaining realistic. It is not enough to simply state, "I want to lose weight." How much _exactly_ do you want to lose? When will it be? "I want to lose 11 pounds in three months," is a better goal. Also, make sure your goal is attainable. If you want to lose 27 pounds, saying you want to do it in the next seven days is unrealistic, not to mention unhealthy! Or, if you've slowly gained weight over the last ten years, it's not quite realistic to say you want to return to your weight ten years ago in a month. 

Break it down into smaller, more manageable "baby steps." Assume you want to lose 20 pounds. That may appear to be an impossible task, but it becomes more manageable when you consider losing 1 pound per week for 20 weeks. That's now doable! You only need to create a calorie deficit of about 500 calories per day by controlling your diet and increasing your amount of exercise to lose a pound per week.

- Now for the big "secret"  the missing piece to achieving your objectives: Write down your "Why," that is, why are you doing this. Most people skip this step, which is one of the main reasons they never seem to achieve their goals. It is critical that you write down your motivations for achieving each specific goal. For example, if you want to "lose 20 pounds in 6 months," write down why you want to do so. 

Here's another hint: Create something "personal and emotional." The more "emotional" the reason, the more likely you are to be motivated to achieve the goal. Assume you have children. "I know being overweight is a leading cause of many health problems  I will lose the 20 pounds and get healthier so that I will not be a burden to my children and will be able to stay healthy long enough to attend my daughter's wedding and be there to carry my grandchildren," is an example of a good "reason why." Assuming, of course, that all of these things are important to you.:-) But I think you get the idea.

"Write it down and post it!" It is usually insufficient to simply think about your goals in your head. You must write down all of your specific goals as well as the "whys," and then post them somewhere you will see them every day. Don't scribble it down in a notebook and toss it in the drawer. Instead, stick it on your dressing table mirror or anywhere else it will be visible. Remember the adage, "out of sight, out of mind!"

- Do not be overly ambitious. Aim for a weekly weight loss of 1-2 pounds at most! Losing more than that amount is harmful to your health. And it'll most likely be due to a loss of water and/or muscle, rather than an increase in unwanted body fat.

- Accept reality and "go with the flow." Don't expect the pounds to disappear overnight because they didn't appear overnight. And sometimes the weight loss isn't as quick (or as significant) as expected. But don't get stressed out because stress will only make you gain weight. It is critical that you do not consider the weight loss process to be "all or nothing." Instead, consider it "slowly but steadily." The weight may fluctuate from time to time, but if you stick to your plan, you'll be thrilled by the end of the year!

Make a positive difference in your life this year by following these simple steps! Best wishes!