Forget New Year resolutions & Ditch Diets that Start on Mondays.

Forget New Year Resolutions

Before the end of a year everyone starts talking about what their new year resolutions are going to be, then after new year everyone tells you about the resolutions that they’ve set and asks you about yours. Every single health magazine has at least one article about resolutions, twitter is full of resolution tweets. By week 5 or 6 they’ve faded, been forgotton or failed. That is until next year.

I think it’s time to change our thinking. I think we should toss New Year’s resolutions out of the window as well as diets that start on Mondays. Rather let’s have an ongoing goal to change one thing at a time. It should be ongoing, one week rolling into the next, month after month, year after year, regardless of the day, date or year.

If you want to lose weight decide on what one thing you’re going to change and do it. If you want to lead a healthier lifestyle, decide on the one thing you want to change and start. When you’ve mastered that one change select the next one. Small changes, big impact. Forget New Year’s resolutions and ditch diets that start on Mondays. Start now, don’t wait.

How fast can I lose weight?

This morning I came across a quote in the newspaper, which I found inspiring. I’d like to share it with you.

 

“In business, as in life, we succeed not because we guessed the future correctly, but because were inspired by our dreams and had the courage to pursue them.”

Muzi Kuzwayo –

CEO TBWAHuntLascaris

South Africa

 

How does this relate to losing weight and dieting? Well have you given any thought to how much time you spend trying to predict the future regarding your weight? Questions like

 

·         How fast can I lose weight?

·         How much am I going to lose each week?

·         When will I reach my goal weight?

·         How long will it take me to lose _ kgs?

·         Which “diet” is going to work?

·         Am I going to fail?

·         Will I succeed this time?

·         When will be the perfect time to start?

·         Can I lose weight faster than my friend?

 

Often we spend so much time questioning how things will work out that we lose

our focus and our dream. So rather than wasting precious time trying to predict

the future

 

Be inspired by your dream!

 

·         Visualize yourself at the weight you would feel happy at.

·         Visualise

§  how you will look,

§  what you will be doing,

§  what you’ll be wearing,

§  who you’ll be with,

§  how you’ll be feeling

·         Run through your dream every day

·         Whatever you focus on consistently happens

·         Focus on the thinking positively and on your strengths

·         Today is all you have – so do what you can today and stop worrying about yesterday and tomorrow

·         Recognize your achievements and reward yourself

·         Have courage to pursue your dream!

 

 

Making Healthier Choices More Often

Having struggled myself for so many years to lose weight, I really do understand the process and how difficult it is to begin. Life is not about perfection – So don’t set yourself up to fail by trying to be perfect. Your main goal should be to

MAKE HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE CHOICES MORE OFTEN.

Here are some practical steps to help get you started.

DO

• Set yourself small achievable goals
• Make healthier lifestyle choices more often
• Exercise – walk the dog, do something you enjoy
• Focus on a healthy lifestyle not just on diet / food
• Practice saying NO (The more you practice the easier it gets)
• Learn a new technique to alleviate stress

DON’T

• Aim for perfection
• Skip meals
• Weigh more than once a week
• Eat fast and allow interruptions during a meal
• Read and eat
• Make excuses

If these lists look daunting then pick just one point from the Do list and focus on that for a month. Write the point down and put it in a prominent place where you will see it every day. Focus on that point daily and practice until it’s a habit! Then start on the next point.