Keeping Your New Years Resolution by Karen Sessions
Uh oh, It's February; the month when all the new year resolutions begin to fizzle out. Are you among the majority that burn out or are you the elite few that push yourself past what others do?
Perhaps your new year resolution needs a recharge...
Many people start January 1st off 100% full force with strict dieting and training. Anytime you begin fully charged you will run out of fuel real soon. By the second week most people have crashed and by the 4th week many of those left standing have burned out completely. Does this sound familiar?
A new year is about renewal, not restriction which most people do. I witness this every year at the gym and with co-workers. They start January 1st by totally changing their eating, cutting out all the sweets, and they begin going to the gym to get in shape. This is a wonderful idea and plan, but it was planned wrong. This all-or-nothing method of putting all your eggs in one basket is a recipe for failure since there is nothing to fall back on if a speed bump occurs, or a lack of motivation arises.
Every year I see the same people make the same resolutions in the same manner, and every year I witness them crashing and burning, and inevitably adding more body fat than what they originally began with. Setting high out of reach goals, lack of planning, lack of short-term goals, and total restriction are the main reasons these professional resolutioner's continue to fail.
If you want to recharge your new year resolution you should allow yourself some space. Don't have an all-or-nothing mind set. Allow your nutrition to have a healthy variety and treat yourself to a scheduled cheat day. Plan short-term goals rather than one long-term goal and your results will come much quicker.
How to Make Your Resolution Work!
To make your new year resolution successful, focus on working smart and not hard. Work smart by taking things slowly and listening to your body. You can't shed ten pounds of fat or gain ten pounds of muscle in a week, so make your goals and thoughts realistic. Working smart is having a creative balance. Keep a variety in your diet and pre-plan your meals.
Put some creativity in your workouts and always challenge your body. Find an effective workout partner who will push you, as well as make your training enjoyable. Finally, take some time for rest and relaxation, either alone or with someone. Take time out and rid your body of the daily stress and relax. Remember, when you're relaxing your muscles are repairing and growing.
Focus on your short-term goals to make your long-term goals come true. Short-term goals are easily attainable and keep you striving for the long-term goal, which is not far out of reach. Put your short-term goals in writing and view them often. Be specific in your short-term goal writing; note the exact amount of body fat you will lose or the exact amount of muscle you will gain by "x" date.
Remember, written ideas without action are just that, ideas. To attain your goal, light a little fire under yourself. Write out a self-promise and stick to it. If you can't be honest to yourself, who can you be honest with? Focus on what you want.
Helpful Tip:
For those who are dieting, brushing your teeth often will help keep your cravings down. If you find yourself craving the unmentionable, drink a tall glass of filtered or bottled water followed by washing your mouth out with an herbal mouthwash.
Ways to Recharge:
-Follow your nutrition plan with an open mind and challenge yourself.
-Train intense yet briefly. Make each workout count!
-Never overtrain.
-Supplement smart. Iron Dolls has a complete supplement section to aid in fat loss and muscle gains!
-Consume adequate filtered or bottled water daily.
-Allow yourself a scheduled cheat day once a week so you can indulge in your favorite meal to shock your body.
-Plan small short-term goals to reach your ultimate long-term goal. Put your goal in writing and view it often. Make your dream a reality.
-Tell others of your goals and get support. The more people behind you makes the journey that much easier.
-Don't let one negative circumstance bring you down. When you are down pick up the pieces and move on. Realize that you can ALWAYS get back on track. Focus on progression, not perfection.
-Take time and relax. Focus on you once each day with such tactics as; meditation, yoga, self-hypnosis, and stretching. These are all good for the mind, body, soul, and muscles.
-Avoid the pitfalls and become a successful resolutioner!
About The Author
Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including two overalls.
Karen has written six e-books on fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female bodybuilding.
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Uh oh, It's February; the month when all the new year resolutions begin to fizzle out. Are you among the majority that burn out or are you the elite few that push yourself past what others do?
-Plan small short-term goals to reach your ultimate long-term goal. Put your goal in writing and view it often. Make your dream a reality.
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