I gotta say. Every year when I wake up on January 1, I expect it to feel different than the day before. It feels like there should be a physical change in the atmosphere that marks the new year. The blank slate. Because the truth is: there is no difference. Nothing changes when the clock strikes midnight or 9:36 am. There’s no magic in the air the first week of the new year to give you motivation or drive towards your goals. Nothing changes overnight. Sometimes change doesn’t happen over weeks or months, but years.
I’m already tired of TV two days into 2020. If I have to see another Peloton or Jenny Craig commercial, I might throw my TV out all together. Yes, the new year is a great start date to get motivated and see how far you can get towards your goals before 2021. Everyone’s doing it! How long does that usual resolution last? 21 days. How long does it take to make something a habit? 66 days. So the chances of you actually sticking with your goal because you start right now? Slim to none.
So how do you actually do it?
Most people starting a weight loss journey want to dive right in. Buy all the books, order the special foods, join a gym, buy new shoes and get moving! Right? Wrong. If you are starting a journey this new year, I encourage you to take it slow. Make small changes over time, each day, each week till you start seeing progress. If you dive in deep now, you’ll get overwhelmed if results don’t match. In order to make lasting changes, you have to focus both on long term and immediate goals and successes. Let’s say you’re out to lose 50 pounds. That’s realistically going to take you six months. Have you ever worked towards a single goal, aligning every choice throughout your day for six straight months? Unlikely. But what if you had check points along the way? What if you started small and counted every victory in your journey and not just the end result? This is the way to make lasting changes.
My Dos and Don’ts for starting this whole process:
Do buy the books and new shoes. Get as excited as you want! Just keep in mind that things will go off track. You won’t lose 30 pounds this week and only buy clothes that fit you now. Get books that focus on behavior change and healing past trauma, NOT DIET BOOKS. Trust me on this one. While your diet probably needs improvement if you’re looking to lose weight, it’s not the only issue. You know how to eat healthy. The real question is, why haven’t you been treating yourself better?
Don’t order the food. Eat real food. If you’ve read this blog before you know I hate companies with packaged food and shakes because it’s not actually teaching you to feed yourself. I know Nutrisystem ‘worked’ for Marie Osmand but….SHE GETS PAID PEOPLE. If you’re dependent on any one company/product/food source, what would happen if it disappeared? Most people don’t have lasting weight loss on these programs because they fail to transition back to normal foods.
Don’t order an online health coach. Meet a real one. I’m so happy we have so much access to online fitness, health, and nutrition coaches. If you are in maintenance, I’d say go for it. But someone starting their journey needs hands on, real life, support. If you can’t pay for a trainer or specialized coaches, find friends that can help support you through your journey. That annoying girl that’s always trying to get the office to sign up for 5K’s? She’d be a great choice. No one coming from your journey will every judge you for where you are. Marathon runners understand how hard those first 5K’s are. Olympic weightlifters started with 10 pound dumbbells too. If you can find a coach or friend that has walked the walk, they will be nothing but supportive.
Don’t always workout alone. Meet new fit friends. I’ve met some of my best friends in the gym both at the beginning and end of my journey. It’s hard at first. It’s hard to put yourself on display. Go for group walks. Meet up for hikes. Make a fit community for yourself.
Do let others know you’re trying to make changes. Don’t depend on them to care. I mean this in the best way but, most people don’t give a crap that you’re on a diet. I lost friends as I changed my life. I’ve been unfriended on facebook when I post about running too much. I’ve lost touch with people who no longer fit my lifestyle. I’ve had to cut out toxic people that couldn’t accept changes in me when they couldn’t changes themselves. If you depend on the encouragement of others, you won’t develop the ability to motivate yourself. Don’t depend on the love from outside, find the love from within.