According to MentalHelp.net, New Year's resolutions are often forgotten or abandoned by the time February comes along. This is partly because people make resolutions that are too big or too overwhelming. Choosing the right resolutions and then planning for them can make a world of difference.
Exercise Three to Four Times a Week
If you've been inactive for months or years, making the resolution of going to the gym every day for two hours is likely unrealistic for you. Not only will your body not be prepared to go from zero to everyday activity, but chances are your motivation won't be able to keep up, either. After all, activity is new to you, so thinking that motivation will suddenly materialize is being a little too hopeful.
A better way to approach this is to pace yourself. Make a resolution to exercise three or four times a week and work at your own pace. If you're out of shape, start with a 15- or 20-minute workout that involves walking, swimming or riding a bike. As you get stronger, extend your workout or make it more difficult by adding activities like step aerobics, running or hiking.
Lose Two Pounds a Week
Forget extreme fad diets that promise rapid weight loss in a week. Not only are they unrealistic, but they're also discouraging. According to MayoClinic.com, the recommended weight loss is one to two pounds a week. Losing faster usually means losing water weight. And if you keep starving your body, you'll eventually start losing muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the faster your metabolism works, so losing muscle will eventually slow down your metabolism and ruin your weight loss efforts.
Because a pound equals 3,500 calories, you will need to eliminate 7,000 calories a week in order to lose two pounds. This can be done by reducing your caloric intake or by exercising and burning calories. For example, eliminating your daily trip to the coffee shop can save you a few hundred calories. A 16-ounce iced peppermint white chocolate mocha from a popular coffee chain contains 400 calories.
Change Eating Habits
Forget gimmicky diets that require you to buy prepackaged foods or specialty items in order to lose weight. Instead, focus on eating healthier foods that naturally contain fewer calories. Not only will this help you lose weight naturally, without feeling hungry or deprived, but you will also improve your health in the process. For example, snack on fruit instead of candy bars. Even dry fruit is fine if you prefer a more candy-like snack. Try eating at home more often so you can control the ingredients in your meals and avoid oily, high-calorie dishes. Get into the habit of eating healthy food as much as possible, and then treat yourself once a week so you don't feel deprived and overeat.
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