- New Year's
Action Plan
- By Lynn Bode
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)
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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, 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. |
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. 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). |
