Small Steps to Health

Regulars vs. New Year Resolution Members at the Gyms

March 25th, 2008 by asithi · No Comments

March — the time of year when spring is just around the corner and the crowds starts to thin out. This is the time of year when regulars get their gym back and the New Year Resolution members slowly drop off the bandwagon — again.

Why is there such a big difference between the regulars and the New Year Resolution crowd? The New Year Resolution crowd might start the year with a new nutrition or exercise program with excitement, ready to succeed and reach their goals. At this time of year, most of them starting loosing their momentum and get discourage. What is the secret the regulars know that the New Year Resolution crowd has yet to figure out?

1. Unrealistic expectations kill motivation.
It is difficult to keep on exercising and eating healthy without seeing the results you envisioned. I have written a previous post on unrealistic expectations and weight loss.

2. Weight loss is not a simple equation.
We know calories in vs. calories out = weight maintenance, loss, or gain. But our bodies are complex organisms with many needs and priorities. It has to overcome years of poor eating habits and lack of exercise. It takes time to deal with these difficulties. Instead of focusing solely on the scale, you need to check for other changes that might have occurred during the 2-3 months you tried getting healthier. Do you have more energy? Do you sleep better? Have you loss inches around your waist? I loss 2 inches around my waist, but I have yet to see a drop in my weight. Weight loss is unpredictable. My sister looses it around her abs and hips first, hence making her weight loss noticeable. Whereas, I loose it around my upper body, making is seems as my lower body is bigger than before. Our bodies respond differently to weight loss.

3. Perfectionism is impossible to maintain in the long run.
Regulars know that we should all be able to skip a workout or eat ice cream once in a while. It is ridiculous to think that we should aim for perfection when we are trying to loose weight. Is it some sense of pride to think you will be the first person to never skip a workout and never let another sweet pass through your lips? You must learn to accept the fact that sometimes you will slip up. It is not the end of the world. It is no big deal if you acknowledge what you are doing, consciously make the decision, and get back on track as soon as you can. Learn from these occasions, but do not spend your time and energy obsessing about it.

4. Focus on what you can actually control rather than the number on the scale.
Regulars make the consciously choice to workout at the gym throughout the year. Consciously choose to eat well and exercise whenever possible. It is something you have to think about multiple times of day, each time you choose to put something in your mouth or take the elevator instead of the stairs. You have to do your part everyday to loose weight.

History is not destiny. In the past, you stopped going to the gym around this time of year. But this year can be a different story. Rewrite your ending this year and change your results. Consciously make the decision to do your part everyday and let your weight take care of itself. You are bound to loose it if you move it.

Until next time and thanks for stopping by.

Tagged Fitness, Motivation

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