2024 Fitness Goals…THREE Tips to Stay on Task.
It’s the first week of the year. We may still be in holiday mode, unwilling to relinquish the joys of Christmas, the New Year, family, friends, food, and drink. It’s time to look ahead to what the new year will bring. What positive change can we make? What is your New Year’s resolution?
The most popular resolution is weight loss. Therefore, like most resolutions, it can often fizzle out and lead to failure. Here’s my top 3 tips to stay on task this year to help you achieve your health and fitness goals in 2024.
1. Don’t Focus on Weight
What?!?! If my goal is to lose weight, I’m not supposed to focus on my weight??? Right! Do away with the bathroom scale. It may only lead to feelings of failure and frustration. Put your focus on the steps, or process, to lose weight and keep that in the forefront. Do not weigh in everyday, or even every week. Again, you may be disappointed because we don’t lose weight in a linear fashion. If you do choose to still jump on that bathroom scale, use it once a month, even every other month, or even every 4 or 6 months. You will be more at peace with yourself, and this will lead to sticking to that resolution instead of feeling defeated and doing away with your resolution.
2. Understand Your Body’s Caloric and Protein Needs
Why do I say to not focus on weight? It’s because 99% of the time when people say they want to lose weight, they are really saying they want to lose body fat. Proper weight loss occurs through an energy deficit that combines exercise and nutrition. If you combine increased protein intake into the mix, you will increase skeletal muscle mass and decrease fat mass. In general, if you multiply your weight (in pounds) by .8 g/ day, it will lead you to an appropriate suggested amount of protein intake. Of course this is a general starting point. You may need to dial this in based upon other factors such as the amount of exercise you’re perfoming weekly.
For more accurate and detailed calculations, have a listen to this link by Jaime Rothermich RD, CSSD, LD, PPSCxKB : The 5 NUMBERS you need to know!
3. Make Small Changes and stick with them
Whether it’s changes in exercise or nutrition, consistency is the key. This consistency is achieved by making small changes that are achievable. For example, daily 20-30 minute walks are an easy habit to implement. Over time, after making these daily walks habitual, you can increase the frequency or implement another method of exercise. These small habitual changes can lead to big changes over time.
Keep these 3 things in mind and you will be more apt to keep up with that New Year’s resolution. Enjoy and focus on the process over the end results. Doing this will keep you disciplined and consistent, which in turn, will achieve that end goal. Take it day by day. There will be times when the motivation will not be there, and you will stray off track. But that doesn’t mean the next day (or even the day after that) has to be the same. So what if you had a bad day (or weekend) where you eat or drink everything in sight? Don’t worry. Let if go and be better the next day. Don’t focus on the weight.
Understand what your body needs. Implement those small changes. And trust the process. The results will come. Here’s to a healthy and prosperous 2024. Happy New Year!
As always,
GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS, WHEN IT NEEDS IT.
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