As we near the end of 2012 (and I swear I can remember 2012 starting just the other day), we near the beginning of Resolution Season. You know, that wonderful time where we make grand statements about how we are going to better ourselves for good in the next year. And if you’re anything like me, they usually only attain a sort of middling success or they fail dismally after a few good weeks. Fitness resolutions are also extremely popular, since the New Year is seen as one of the times to restart your life. “This year!” we exclaim. “This is the year it’s all going to happen.”
Well, one of the biggest detriments to keeping the fitness resolution is the way in which virtually all of us go about it. We’re all about the number on the scale, so we say, “Alright, I will lose x number of pounds.” But if we are successful in attaining that number, we go, “Sweet! Now I can totally reward myself with that pie/cake/drink/burger/pizza!” But you can only indulge or reward or slip back into old eating and exercise habits for so long until you’re right back where you started. Yo-yo dieting is a thing only because the way people approach food and exercise isn’t sustainable.
So how do you keep those fitness resolutions and make a more permenant, healthy change to your life? I’m so glad you asked! Here are three tips to keeping you on the path to success on your fitness journey. Keep in mind that smaller, workable changes are what will help keep you on track. It doesn’t feel as sexy or as impressive as making a huge life change, but huge life changes are really difficult because habits are just as difficult to break.
Add vegetables. So often we think of diets as calorie restrictions or as taking something away. “Diet” doesn’t have to be a four letter word that we say sadly when other people are enjoying food while we’re stuck picking at a lettuce leaf. No, “diet” is simply the totality of what you eat, and it’s probably the most important component of your fitness journey’s prolonged success. If you load up your plate with vegetables, you’re more likely to only eat one slice of pizza instead of three or four. And most importantly? The veggies themselves have great vitamins and minerals, are loaded with fiber, and are generally low in calories! (That is, of course, if you don’t smother them in ranch. Don’t do that. Dip your fork in the dressing if you gotta have it.)
Do what you like. I’m not sure why, but people seem to think the keys to fitness victory are either a) on the treadmill/elipitical or b) in a DVD collection sold through infomericials. True, if you actually do Insanity the way it is meant to be done (and have made a dietary change as well), you’re going to get an 8-pack and have sweet, sweet tickets to the gun show. Not many people can go from 0-60 fitness-wise, and if they do, they have a super difficult time maintaining it. I’m not endorsing Kasier Permanente in any way, shape, or form, but I thought the video below was a cute take on “finding your thing”. Some people love Zumba, some people (COUGHCOUGHJONATHANCOUGH) do not. Some people love to run, some people (ME) do not. Some people get hot and heavy for adventure races and some people aren’t into them at all. And that’s ok. If you find something you like, chances are you’re going to stick with it even after the honeymoon stage is over. Once you get into the habit of moving and being more active, you can start to explore and try new things, like strength training or swimming or adventure races.
Remember why you’re doing this in the first place. Keep your eye on the prize, literally: make sure you have short-term and long-term goals. Want to lose 50 pounds? Great! Make sure you try and lose 10% of that first. Want to run a faster mile? Great! Set a goal and then work towards it a little at a time.
Above all, do this resolution for you and not because you feel pressured to be somewhere. Remember that you’re doing this to feel better, move better, and have better health. This actually happened to me recently, and it made me step back and really think hard about what I want out of being active and eating well. I realized that I was no longer working out for me. I was going because I didn’t want to let other people down. Going to the gym was increasing my stress level when it should have been decreasing it! I’m still trying to “find my thing”, as it were, but as long as I know that I’m doing this to make myself feel good, then I will be fine.
And so will you.
