Making Smarter Resolutions

“I resolve to lose weight!”

“I'm going to finally get in shape!”

Sounds good! What's the problem? Both of these resolutions are vague - would losing one pound be enough? Five? Ten? And what’s “in shape” mean? Ripped to shreds? Huge muscles? Just overall healthy?

Ok. Then how about this?

“I’m going to lose 50lbs”

Well, the end goal is very clear. But is it realistic? If this person loses 20lbs, would it be a failure? 20lbs is great! But 20lbs isn't 50. That’s another major problem with many resolutions: they’re overzealous. It’s like wanting to be President - sure you can do it, but you're likely to fall short.

So what makes a good resolution?

Make it reasonable.

Don’t make a resolution that’s bold or extraordinary. You can always add more to it, so don’t bite off more than you can chew. Success with smaller goals will empower you to take on more.

Make a plan.

Don’t be vague about the main goal. Quantify it if you can. Identify specific mini-goals you’ll need to achieve on the way to your main goal. Then identify specific actions to accomplish those mini-goals.

Make it a priority.

Set it at the top of your list and don’t compromise. If you had a critical job interview or a killer trip planned, you wouldn't let anything stop you. Once you get into a routine, it'll be easier to keep things going.

Example:

Goal: I want to lose 20lbs total this year.

The plan: Try to lose 2lbs each month, knowing I might not make it some months (and I might not be able to keep up that rate as I’ll lose more easily at first and less quickly as more weight comes off)

Mini-goal #1: Resistance training interspersed with cardio drills 3 times a week for 45 minutes.

Actions for #1: Hire a personal trainer to teach me what exercises to do. Eat a handful of almonds after work and exercise as soon as I’m changed and set up. Pre-pick my playlist and don’t touch my phone for the workout. Do this Mon, Wed & Thurs.

Mini-goal #2: Reduce my overall daily calorie intake without feeling deprived.

Actions for #2: Cut out the unnecessary heavy-hitters first: sugary, whipped cream covered latte, weekend margaritas, evening covid piece of candy. Hire a nutritional coach to figure out how to substitute better food choices. Find healthy treats so I can reward myself without getting completely derailed.

Mini-goal #3: Do an hour of something active each weekend.

Action for #3: Share with friends that I'm doing this and plan ahead to do these things with them. Make concrete plans.

If your resolution is important to you, take the time to map out a plan. Success takes effort. If it were easy, everyone would be fit and healthy. A year from now, when you look back, will you be grateful for the progress you made or left with regrets? That’s up to you, and it all starts with making smarter resolutions.

Good luck!

How to get fit without really trying

If you think that becoming fitter and healthier requires a pricey gym membership and hours of lifting, cardio, and careful meal planning, you’d be wrong! While all of these things can be helpful, you can still realize a fitter and happier version of yourself through smaller (and fun) changes to your lifestyle. How you view your day-to-day activities can have a big impact on your health.

Dance! Go dancing with friends, have a dance party with your toddler, or just jam out by yourself in your living room. Dancing not only helps burn extra calories but boosts our mood and brightens our whole day. Take it up a notch: take a dance class or dance-based cardio class like zumba.

Like to garden? Great! A half hour of gardening can burn up to 200 calories. You'll also feel great when you see the results of your handiwork. Take it up a notch: try doing some heavier yard work like raking, mowing or weeding. Looking for even more? Take on a heavy duty landscaping project yourself rather than hiring a company to do the work (be sure a doctor clears you for vigorous exercise first).

Do simple exercises while waiting for something to happen. Have something in the microwave for 1 minute? See how many squats or jumping jacks you can do in that amount of time. Watching your favorite tv show? Do hopping drills or squats during the commercials.

Getting together with friends? Try meeting for something active rather than sitting down for food or drinks. Drinks are expensive, and I'm sure you always end up eating more junk than you would like. Instead, go for a group walk, bike ride, or a hike on a trail. It’s much quieter than going to a bar, anyway... you might actually get more of a chance to talk and catch up.

Just say no to elevators and escalators - pretend these don't exist. It can be a little more challenging to find the stairs in some buildings, but do your best to only use stairs to get where you're going. You'd be surprised how many extra calories you can burn this way!

Do something (anything!) on your lunch break. Taking a walk during your break is ideal, but even just getting away from your workstation and walking around the office is better for your physical and mental health than eating at your desk. Stepping away from the challenges of your job, even for only 10 minutes, can have a big impact on your stress levels and mental well-being (both of which have an effect on your overall health). If you can get in a brisk walk or lots of stairs, even better!

What fun ways can you come up with to make your lifestyle more fit in 2021? Leave them in the comments here, or hit us up on twitter, fb, or Instagram. We would love to hear your ideas and what has worked for you!