We’re just a few days into the New Year. Are you still feeling the same resolve to make this a healthier year?
It’s no secret that gym clubs are swarming in the month of January. More fruits and vegetables are purchased in January. Changes are being made across the board.
Yet it’s not uncommon for this to start dropping off in February and March. By April it’s pretty obvious who are going to be the ones most likely to stick it out.
While the good intentions are there, it won’t be what keeps you going. There has to be more to it.
It’s really quite simple, though, as far as how you make that happen. You must determine ahead of time what steps need to be taken in order to go beyond having good intentions. In other words, what will get you to the place of being successful?
I think one of the most important things we need to keep in the back of our mind is that the focus should be on making lifestyle changes. This is why it must be something that you can do long-term.
Several years ago I joined a weight loss program called “Prism.” No offense to those who love this program or have been successful with it but personally, it felt like it should be called “Prison.”
The things you had to cut out (for a lifetime) were just too difficult. I could see doing it temporarily or knowing I could enjoy a piece of bread every-so-often but to commit to a lifetime of never eating certain items. Well, it felt like I was being shackled.
There was no sense in doing a program that I couldn’t adapt as a lifestyle. So whatever you decide to do—when it comes to your eating habits and exercise—ask yourself ahead of time, “Is this a lifestyle change that I can make?”
When it comes right down to it, fitness should be a lifestyle change. Not something you do short-term.