If the New Year finds you making promises to abstain from wine, chocolate, and bread for the rest of your life, you’re not alone. Following the indulgent Christmas season, it’s pretty natural — and thrilling — to make health objectives like exercising more and losing weight.
However, most of us struggle to keep such resolutions.
Let’s be honest: it’s challenging to stay motivated in the middle of January.
Instead of giving up on your goals after two weeks, consider applying these simple (and surprisingly enjoyable) tactics to help you remain on track to weight-loss success this year. Read on!
1. Establish SMART objectives.
Consider what you want to achieve — whether it’s reducing weight, eating more whole foods, consuming less sugar, cooking regularly, or beginning a new workout regimen — and then set two to three challenging but doable objectives. The best goals pass the SMART test, indicating that they are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timely
It’s critical to set goals that you can stick to, so start simple. It’s easy to lose motivation and delay if your objective is too far away. Instead of committing to losing weight, which is a noble but overly broad aim, Benté proposes setting a more precise goal of losing 10 pounds in five weeks.
Write out many simple, concrete measures you can do each day, week, and month to reach each objective. When you’ve achieved your initial target, take a step back and examine what you need to do next to reach the next milestone on your weight-loss journey.
2. Make a Vision Board
Get excited about your goals in the new year by making a vision board. It’s easy to do: Find a magazine and cut out pictures that represent your weight-loss goals (maybe a beach body or a healthy snack) and glue them to a board. You can also use this dream board to cut out coupons that incentivize you to stick to your goals, like a voucher for a massage, two movie tickets, or a date night with your partner.
3. Use a Reward System
You should set up a reward system you want to earn for every goal, perhaps every 10 pounds lost or every ten workouts completed. The key to staying motivated is knowing just how great it’ll feel to achieve your rewards. Once you’ve met the goal, look back on the journey and celebrate what you’ve accomplished.
4. Create a Support System
Find a small group of people who are also trying to lose weight. Accountability makes it easier to reach your goals. Make a plan for how you’ll keep each other motivated, like a weekly check-in with a group text, encouraging email, or weekly in-person meeting.
5. Create a Detox Plan
If you’re looking to lose weight, it’s a good idea to cut out processed foods and eat whole foods full of nutrients and lower in sugar and refined carbs. Try fasting for a day or two each week or eliminating processed foods for a few days or weeks.
6. Stay Hydrated
Drinking lots of water throughout the day is an easy way to stay hydrated and prevent yourself from overeating. The goal is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink 75 ounces of water each day.
Conclusion
Remember the most crucial part: You’re the one who decides how hard you’re going to work, how bad you want it, and what you’re willing to sacrifice to reach your goals. Stay focused on the end result and don’t give up just because things get hard. Your New Year’s resolutions are only as good as your commitment to them. Set smart goals, stay accountable, and don’t give up.
If you are in search of an experienced dietitian in Birmingham, AL, who will help you with your fat loss goals, look no further than our experts here at Weigh to Wellness. All our weight loss programs are overseen by board-certified medical professionals with over 25 years of experience in weight management. Call us today and let us discuss all your weight loss options.