Are you so over 2020? Ready to ring in the New Year? For many that means New Year’s resolutions. Overwhelmingly, the number one resolution in popularity is… all together now…. “Losing Weight”.
But surveys on keeping resolutions is disheartening.
“Sundried conducted a survey with a reach of 4,000 people and found that 43% of people expect to give up their goal after just one month. Research shows that 95% of New Year’s Resolutions are fitness related, but after just 3 months, only 10% of people think their resolution will last.” (Alexandra Parren, Research Shows 43% Of People Expect To Give Up Their New Year’s Resolutions By February March 15, 2020)
Oh no! But c’mon, that is just one survey right? Then there is this one…
“A Study of 800 Million Activities Predicts Most New Year’s Resolutions Will Be Abandoned on January 19″… (Jeff Hayden Inc.com November 2, 2020)
ENOUGH! Just because 350,000 people want to jump out of planes each year with only fabric attached to strings strapped on them, doesn’t mean that I want to. Even though over a million people in the US have snakes as pets, doesn’t mean I ever will. So just because a huge percentage of people fail at losing weight, doesn’t mean that you will. After all, there is the percentage of people that have succeeded! And I believe in you.
Let me rephrase that. I believe in you if you believe in me and what I know.
You may think that now is the time to start that new fad diet. After all, you’ve heard that you will see success quickly and therefore stick to it. I’ve known a LOT of people that have tried this route and all that I know, in the end, have failed. Many of them ended up regaining the weight and even adding more. As a personal trainer, this is what I know to be true. With extreme diets, you might have success at first, but likely cannot indefinitely maintain the behaviors needed to sustain the loss. Rather than making drastic changes that are near impossible to sustain, work on behavioral changes that will become a part of your lifestyle.
So how do you increase your chances of success? First set a SMART goal:
Specific – Don’t just resolve to ‘lose weight’. How much, by when and how you will make it happen?
Measurable – Establish a way to assess your progress. You have to be able to measure it to manage it.
Attainable – It should be challenging but not unrealistic. Don’t set yourself up to fail but you want a goal that is satisfying to reach.
Realistic – You must be willing and able to work toward the goal.
Timely – Have a specific date to complete your goal. The date should be realistic, but not so far out that it isn’t challenging and you aren’t seeing progress.
Is setting a SMART goal enough? Only you can answer that, but as a personal trainer, I can say that it is just as satisfying for me to coach my clients to success as it is for them to achieve it. We are a team. Additionally, if my clients don’t feel and, in time, see a difference, I’m out of a job. It’s to my benefit to help them to succeed.
In summary; make a decision to get healthier, set a SMART goal and team up with someone that knows what needs to be done and will keep you accountable. Even all this is not a 100% guarantee of success and anyone that promises you success is not forthcoming or they are delusional. So, in the spirit of being fully aboveboard, the ONLY way to guarantee permanent weight loss is to amputate.