So you made your New Year’s resolution to lose 20lbs in 2018.  Isn’t that the same one you made the year before … and the previous 5 years as well?  You’re not alone, the most popular goals have to do with getting in shape.  However only 8% of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions, according to one commonly cited statistic. There are many reasons people can’t stick to their resolutions, from setting too many of them to getting derailed by small failures.  Here’s how to make THIS year the year you hit those health and wellness milestones.

1. Be Patient:  Breakup your year into quarters and set your goals accordingly.  If your goal is to lose weight don’t expect to drop all the weight in your first 3 weeks, it’s not happening.  You need to be realistic, it took you a little while to put it on and it will take some time to take it off.  You should shoot for 1-2lbs a week for permanent weight loss.

2. Concentrate on Behavior: The process of getting into shape is about what you do on a daily basis.  Just wanting it and joining a gym isn’t enough.  You’ll need to go through the cycle of exercising and eating healthy throughout your week. Schedule yourself on your calendar now for workout times that work best for you.  Sounds basic but you have to permanently carve out that time before your day gets too hectic.

3. Repeat, Repeat and Repeat: Consistency is the key to seeing results. What you do on a regular basis (your behavior) translates to what results you will see.  Putting together some real good weeks adds up to good months, a few good months adds up to a good quarter… and so on.  Making a change demands your commitment.

4. Measure your Progress:  Too many people just start working out without a plan of how they are going to be successful. This could lead to you just giving up over time or even worse an injury.  Baseline your starting point with a comprehensive Health & Fitness assessment. This will not only measure your body composition but will help identify any muscular imbalances or weaknesses you may have that could affect your results. Implement corrective exercises into your program to build core strength.  Retest yourself every 6-8 weeks.

5. Change your Routine:  You’ll need to switch things up often to maximize your results.  Your body will start to adapt to your workouts after a while so by modifying your exercise routine you will continue to be challenged.  Plus you’ll be more likely to go to the gym when your workouts are more dynamic.

“Lenny Turi is a certified personal trainer and owner of Fitness Together in Waxhaw – FTwaxhaw.com”