American Fitness Professionals & Associates

by Lynn Bode, CFT

Creating a New Year’s Resolution can be a great idea, especially if you

are resolving to get healthier (weight loss and exercise are the top

resolutions made). But if you don’t have an action plan it may be doomed

before it ever gets started. Unfortunately, the majority of individuals

who make a new year’s resolution end up breaking it. By February, nearly

half have already failed.

The following shows how many of these resolutions are maintained as time

goes on: - past the first week: 75% - past 2 weeks: 71% - after one month:

64% - after 6 months: 46% (1)

But don’t let those stats convince you to plop down on your couch with a

bag of chips. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more

likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make

resolutions. (1) So, if you want to lose weight or just get more fit in

2006, then resolving to do so may be beneficial to you. Just make sure you

have an action plan that helps ensure your success.

A Department of Labor survey of adults asked them to identify the biggest

issue that prevents them from achieving their New Years Resolutions or

goals. The top 3 reasons identified were as follows: Procrastinating 33%;

Lack of discipline 24%; No game plan 19%.

Here is a specific action plan for diet and fitness related resolutions

that will help eliminate these three top issues.

. Find a positive support system. For some, family may be just what they

need. But, if your family members are struggling with the same diet or

weight loss issues as you and aren’t ready to commit themselves to change,

then you might want to look elsewhere. Friends may also be an option, but

again if they are struggling with their own issues then you might want to

enlist other help. Try finding a local support group of like-minded

people, go online for a virtual support group or seek out the help of a

professional personal trainer or dietician.

. Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today. One of the biggest

obstacles new dieters/exercises face is just getting started. If you

continue to say “I’ll start tomorrow”, then you may find that tomorrow

never comes. You repeatedly push it off and before you know it another

year has passed by while you remain in the same place you were before. If

you promise to start tomorrow, then do it! Don’t allow any other

“priority” to get in the way. At the risk of sounding cliché, Just Do It!

. Start a new exercise plan slowly but remain consistent and build up on

it. Follow this example:

o Week 1: Walk for 20- 30 minutes just 2 times per week.

o Week 2: Increase your walking frequency to 3 times per week. Add in one

day of strength training. Try 5-10 exercises to target your entire body.

o Weeks 3-4: Maintain the three days of walking and increase the strength

training to two times per week.

o Weeks 5-6: Increase the intensity of your walk sessions by increasing

the speed and/or increasing the incline. If possible, walk four times per

week and strength train 3 times per week.

o Weeks 7-8: Time to change things up to keep your body challenged and

avoid plateaus and burnout. Try adding a different cardio option at least

two times per week (swimming, jogging, playing a sport, etc.). For the

strength training, try new techniques like pyramids or supersets. You may

need to enlist the help of a personal trainer for new ideas.

. Start a new diet plan slowly but consistently. Avoid labeling any foods

as “bad”. Eat a variety but in moderation and include more of the

nutritionally dense foods.

o Week 1: Improve your hydration through your daily water intake. Try to

consume approximately 64 ounces per day.

o Week 2: Add in one extra vegetable a day until you are eating 5 servings

of vegetables every day.

o Week 3: Include one serving of lean protein at every meal.

o Week 4: Limit starches and sweets (simple carbohydrates).

o For more weekly dietary guideline advice, visit www.workoutsforyou.com

. The above exercise and diet recommendations give you a substantial game

plan for your first two months. All you have to do is implement it. Post

this action plan on your refrigerator or somewhere else that will force

you to look at it every day. And, mark every action on your daily calendar

to ensure it doesn’t get bumped by some other priority.

Also, remember that setbacks are normal and should not spell disaster for

your resolution. If you are following your game plan 90% of the time and

only 10% of the time falling off the wagon, then pat yourself on the back

and cut yourself a little slack! If you find yourself starting to really

wane from the plan, then tap back into what helped you initially get

motivated. Don’t give up. Just start where you can (even if that’s taking

a few steps backward) and head toward your goal.

(1)Source:

Auld Lang Syne: Success predictors, change processes, and self-reported

outcomes of New Year’s resolvers and nonresolvers, by John C. Norcross,

Marci S. Mrykalo, Matthew D. Blagys , University of Scranton. Journal of

Clinical Psychology, Volume 58, Issue 4 (2002).

About the author: Lynn Bode is a certified personal trainer specializing

in Internet-based fitness programs. She founded Workouts For You, which

provides affordable online exercise programs that are custom designed for

each individual. Visit: http://www.workoutsforyou.com for tips, sample

workouts and more. Fitness professionals, learn how to support your

clients online, visit: http://www.trainerforce.com