According to an article titled Research: Statistics on New Year’s Resolutions, “40 to 45% of American adults make one or more resolutions each year.” Of those resolution makers, 75% will make it past the first week, 71% will make it past the first 2 weeks, only 64% will make it a whole month, and only 46% will make it 6 months.
Now being 4 days deep into your resolutions, how are you holding up? Here at NordicTrackCoupon.com we want to ensure our readers are not only able to purchase exercise equipment at a great price to help them get started on their weight loss resolutions, but to also be one of the 46% that make it past the 6 months in order to achieve their goals.
Here are 6 steps to help you stick to your weight loss goals from LiveStrong.com:
Step 1 – Set an Attainable Goal. Dropping 50 pounds by Valentine’s Day or returning to your high school weight are probably not the most realistic goals, but losing a pound a week or getting yourself back to a health BMI range are more attainable goals. “While setting a goal is important, it must be attainable, or you are setting yourself up for failure and frustration.” Learn Four Ways to Save Money on Your Weight Loss Resolutions to help you keep these goals attainable as well.
Step 2 – Create a Specific Plan Before You Begin. Once you have your goal in mind, next you to need set a specific plan of action on how you are going to achieve that goal. Some specific examples LiveStrong gave include: “Will you count calories? Go high protein, low carb? How often will you exercise, and what type of exercise will you do? Walk every morning?” When you don’t have a set plan of action you will find other things tend to get in the way more easily and you can slip up more often on a regular basis. Check out these Treadmill Workouts you can do to help you set specific workout plans!
Step 3 – Have a Plan B. Along with your original plan, things may still pop up once in a while that may interfere. If you miss that early morning walk because you were up all night with a sick child, or you missed an after work fitness class due to a long meeting, have a plan B ready. You can make up for it over the weekend or be sure to add an extra half hour to tomorrows exercise session. If you beat yourself up because you missed one workout, or even a few days’ worth, you’ll only set yourself up for failure. Even if your plan B is to allow yourself a slip up and get over it, it’ll help you keep in control and help you continue on with your resolution.
Step 4 – Build in Non-Food Rewards. Be sure to reward your hard work along the way. You can get a pedicure for every 5 or 10 pounds lost; buy a new pair of pants if you lose 20 pounds. Having these rewards help give you something to look forward to and help you achieve your goals.
Step 5 – Seek Out Support. Whether it be family, friends, co-workers or even an online community having that support can help. By telling someone your goals you are more incline to stick to them knowing they’ll be asking how it’s going, how many pounds you’ve lost and what workouts you’re doing. Having an online community of people going through the same journey can help support you by being able to talk about your struggles and seek advice.
Step 6 – Focus on Your Weight Loss. “It is tempting to use the New Year as a time to revamp your life, but it takes a great deal of emotional energy to create a new habit… Concentrate on one resolution at a time.”