As this a common time of year for people to set new goals, I thought I’d share 3 of the most common mistakes I find people make when it comes to setting News Year’s resolutions in relation to weight loss and health goals in general, I hope you find it helpful!
Doing everything in the first week:
If your new year’s goal is to lose weight, instead of trying to drink more water, plan all your meals on Sunday, go to the gym (workout at home) 3x per week and go to bed earlier all in the first week. Why not try just one of these for the first 4 weeks. By doing this you will allow time to create a new habit and most importantly one that will be more long term.
Once you have mastered one then you can move on to the next. A few months down the line you’ll find that you have created lots of new habits gradually without feeling overwhelmed, resulting in long term change! This approach does require you to practice patience which again is a key skill in creating long term lasting change not only for weight loss and maintenance but for any goal you wish to achieve.
Not tracking progress or acknowledging your wins:
Once you set a goal it can be very easy to become side tracked or disheartened if you can’t see results. To avoid this, I would suggest investing in a journal where you can write down your goal and when you would like to achieve it by, remembering to make the timeframe realistic. Then from here you can write down the daily and weekly steps you are going to take to get there. This could be things like taking note of each work out you do, recording a food diary or simply acknowledging a positive change you made and how you felt. By doing this you can monitor your progress to see what is working and what isn’t and also celebrate your wins.
Again if weight loss is your goal take a few photos and measurements before you begin as this will help you see your progress, which can really help when you have days when you feel a little less motivated. Speaking of motivation, you might want to check out my video about why motivation isn’t the best thing for weight loss, click here to check it out.
Going it alone:
Remember that is definitely okay to ask for help when you are setting out on achieving a goal or new year’s resolution. When it comes to making positive changes to reach your health goal, finding a buddy to going walking or running with can really help you stay committed to your new exercise routine. If you have a day and time in the diary to meet someone, you are less likely to find an excuse not to go, it’s also a great way to have good old catch up too and check in with each other’s progress.
Another option could be to hire a coach in this area to develop a plan for you, to offer advice and to help you overcome any doubts or plateaus you may come across. At Sana Vita we offer a free discovery all to explore ways in which we can help you achieve your health goals whether it be weight loss, have more energy or to simply find a routine that works for you, feel free to book in by commenting below or sending us email.
I hope you have found this helpful and good luck with setting and achieving your new years resolutions!
To your health and happiness in 2021,
Áine and Sarah x
