This time of year we’re bombarded with messages and pressure to create a New You in the New Year. I’d like to encourage you to relax a little about sticking with Old You for a couple more weeks.
January is a tricky time for pursuing health and fitness goals. Many people are out of routine for most of the month while they enjoy trips, houseguests and school holiday activities. It’s a relaxed social time to recover from the pressure of Christmas and enjoy the sunshine. Lots of relaxed socializing revolves around food and then the month ends with a long weekend. It’s no surprise that by February many people have entirely abandoned the goals they set only a month ago.
I recommend that you set some gentle goals for January and use the time to reflect on your serious goals to begin on in February. Check out my article on the All Or Nothing Mentality for some ideas on manageable goals. The January period might be a good time to focus on getting your body used to 3 litres of water a day. Or January could be the only time of year you have time to play about on MyFitnessPal, even if you only want to input your food a couple of days a week.
Look around you, talk to other people, reflect on what your work and family commitments are for the New Year and how health and fitness will fit around them. As you consider ways of meeting your goals beware of fad diets. Any regime promising fast dramatic solutions to a large problem is probably too good to be true. It certainly is possible to lose 10kgs in 10 weeks if you are prepared to live miserably enough but it’s hard to keep it off. If you drop weight quickly and pile it back on just as quickly it’s more than just demoralizing and embarrassing. It’s damaging for your health and catastrophic for your metabolic rate.
The safest most effective way to meet your weight loss goals through the healthy habits of regular exercise and balanced eating. Set yourself up for success by making a sensible start in January, laying the groundwork for a February launch. Then get on with enjoying a restful, rejuvenating summer break.
January is a tricky time for pursuing health and fitness goals. Many people are out of routine for most of the month while they enjoy trips, houseguests and school holiday activities. It’s a relaxed social time to recover from the pressure of Christmas and enjoy the sunshine. Lots of relaxed socializing revolves around food and then the month ends with a long weekend. It’s no surprise that by February many people have entirely abandoned the goals they set only a month ago.
I recommend that you set some gentle goals for January and use the time to reflect on your serious goals to begin on in February. Check out my article on the All Or Nothing Mentality for some ideas on manageable goals. The January period might be a good time to focus on getting your body used to 3 litres of water a day. Or January could be the only time of year you have time to play about on MyFitnessPal, even if you only want to input your food a couple of days a week.
Look around you, talk to other people, reflect on what your work and family commitments are for the New Year and how health and fitness will fit around them. As you consider ways of meeting your goals beware of fad diets. Any regime promising fast dramatic solutions to a large problem is probably too good to be true. It certainly is possible to lose 10kgs in 10 weeks if you are prepared to live miserably enough but it’s hard to keep it off. If you drop weight quickly and pile it back on just as quickly it’s more than just demoralizing and embarrassing. It’s damaging for your health and catastrophic for your metabolic rate.
The safest most effective way to meet your weight loss goals through the healthy habits of regular exercise and balanced eating. Set yourself up for success by making a sensible start in January, laying the groundwork for a February launch. Then get on with enjoying a restful, rejuvenating summer break.
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