New Years resolutions: a quick guide to doing it right….
It’s that time of year when you begin to think more & more about your resolutions..
Christmas has been & gone and many of you will be starting 2018 by hitting the gym to beat that festive bloat & to kickstart the new you….
I have no issue with new years resolutions and even the most advanced or experienced trainer was once a beginner, however I’ve seen lots or people fail by simply setting the wrong goals or by not addressing the underlying issues around that goal.
E.g. Rather than simply looking to lose weight, I’d always advise looking to change the habits that contributed to the weight loss.
Here are 15 simple tips to help you stick to your resolutions for 2018:
- Set REALISTIC goals… if you are new to training or looking to resume from a long period of inactivity, then going from nothing to 5 sessions a week for most people is simply NOT realistic. 3 sessions a week done consistently throughout the year, will always beat 5 sessions a week for one month only! Do not peak too soon!
- Don’t throw everything at your goals all at once.
- Leave the fat burners & weight loss pills on the shelf!
- Following point 3, look at what consistent changes you can make to your diet before you look at protein powders.
- Forget what you’ve done in the past or what you ‘used to be able to do’. Leave past performances in the past, stop comparing, & focus on what you CAN do NOW.
- Consider that what you may have done in the past wasn’t effective.
- Admit that you don’t know all the answers when it comes to training, & ask for help.
- Don’t rely purely on performing endless hours of cardio exercise. Cardio has a place, but is not the sole answer to fat loss.
- Educate yourself on calories. Download MyFitnessPal & start logging your foods.
- Please, please, please do not follow any extreme weight loss/detox plan!
- Following point 9, avoid replacing meals with expensive ‘detox juices’ and/or systems that use descriptive terminology such as ‘lose weight by having two healthy meals & one of our nutritious shakes for lunch’!
- If you are lost in the kitchen, make it a resolution to learn how to prepare several meals that you can enjoy with ease. Each month, learn a new dish. Include your partner, family, & kids in this process.
- Don’t blindly copy what everyone else is in the gym is doing! Likewise, if you have been given a plan to follow by your trainer don’t switch it around after a couple of weeks because of what you have seen or read on the internet. Trust your trainer & trust the process.
- Progression is key: Before you buy the latest gym gear, Fitbit, or gadget, buy a note pad & pen and log book every session you do. Seek to progress your performance every single time you train.
- Consider this: even if you train really hard 4 times per week for an hour that leaves you with 164 hours left in the week to undo this hard work. Look at what you can do to control your stress levels, your sleep, your hydration, & as previously mentioned, your eating habits.
- (BONUS) If you have any current injuries, get them looked at professionally before you start training.
That’s all for today,
As ever, if I can help you out in anyway to help you truly achieve your New Years resolutions, give me a shout.
Tristan ‘new year, new you? ‘ Buttle.