According to current research, only 8% of people who set a New Year’s Resolution actually achieve it. The most popular resolutions are around weight loss and improving health.
“We see this all the time here at EPT, and we know how challenging it is to achieve these resolutions. You are all busy—with family, friends, and work—that taking care of yourself takes a back seat.”
We created this 4-step guide to get (and keep you) on track! Learn how to actually re-commit to and achieve that resolution you set a few months ago and find yourself in that 8%!
PART 1. APPROACH
Ah...remember back in late December/early January when you were excited, dedicated, and motivated to attack your New Year’s Resolutions head on?
Maybe you said something to yourself like, “This is my year to really stick with it and achieve my goals!”
But if you’re like over 90% of people who set a New Year’s Resolution, that enthusiasm has waned as the reality of the work required to achieve your goals set in. Maybe you’re still chipping away at those resolutions, but sadly, by March many people have given up completely.
YOUR APPROACH
No one is perfect. Most people who set out to achieve a goal fail because it’s “too hard,” because they didn’t realise the work involved, or maybe even because they lost the belief that they could actually do it. On top of that, so many people try to go after a goal without any type of plan. I’m here to help!
KEYS:
1. Focus on the process rather than the result
Everyone who wants to achieve a goal wish they achieved it yesterday. The key to sticking to it long-term, through the ups and downs, is learning to love the process. If all you do is think about reaching a certain weight, fitting into a certain size, or whatever the end goal is for you, the process will become exhausting, and too often, it leads to giving up.
Recognise that every choice you make throughout each day will lead you closer to or further away from your goals. There is no in-between. If you make choices that lead you closer to the goal 80-90% of the time, reaching the desired result will be the end game of making so many positive choices!
The process leads to the result – not the other way around!
2. Prioritise daily movement
Walking, hiking, jogging, parking your car further from the store, taking stairs instead of an elevator... All of these things add up to big results and help you to develop an active lifestyle.
Once you have that down, focus on simple workout routines you can do at home 2-4 times per week like this one:
10 Squats
10 Pushups
10 Sit-ups
50 Jumping Jacks
10 Burpees
Repeat all of it 3-5 times. You’ll get sweaty, burn some calories, increase your heart rate, and work most muscles in your body in a short period of time!
3. Eat whole foods
Focus on eating foods in their natural state or foods with 3 ingredients or less. Removing processed foods from your diet will drastically decrease your sugar, sodium, and bad fat intake, leading to loss of body fat, better performance, increased energy, and overall better health.
More on this in Part 2. Nutrition.
4. Create a plan and stick to it!
Planning your weeks out ahead of time will set you up for success. Decide what your meals will be (bonus points for preparing them ahead of time), which days you will work out and which days you will focus on daily movement, and block time for journaling. Keeping a journal – whether around food and exercise, your thoughts, or even writing down your commitments frequently – will help keep you on track.
You don’t want to approach a fitness goal of any kind without a solid plan to get you there. The plan should include nutrition, exercise, and mindset components. Consider including reading articles or books that inspire you every morning to start your mindset off encouraged and action-oriented!
PART 2. NUTRITION
Unless you are a genetic anomaly, proper nutrition is going to be the key to getting the results you want.
If you’ve ever heard the phrase “You can’t out train a bad diet,” it is the truth.
If you were hitting the gym hard in the beginning of the New Year and not paying close attention to your nutrition, chances are your results were minimal, you lost motivation, and as a result, fell off track. That is a typical story for the majority of people who make resolutions around their health and fitness.
Here are some suggestions for getting back on track with your resolutions:
1. Eat balanced meals. Heard this before?!
Eat protein, vegetables or fruits, and good fats with each meal. Include a serving of nutrient-dense starchy carbs (like potatoes, brown rice, or quinoa) in one meal per day, and you’ll be golden!
If your goal isn’t fat loss, you can include high-quality starchy carbs more frequently.
2. Plan to be successful.
Planning is the key, so don’t leave this part to chance! Not every meal has to be rigidly structured. In fact, I suggest adhering to all of these guidelines 80% of the time while being flexible in your choices 20% of the time. That will keep you on track without leaving you feeling deprived.
Make a grocery list, shop ahead of time, and prepare your food.
If you “wing” any part of this, there is a good chance you’ll find yourself off-track. It’s true that “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Find recipes that look exciting to try, and go for it!Look at menus and choose your meal ahead of time.
Reality is that you’re going to eat out, and that is totally fine! I suggest reviewing the menu ahead of time when you aren’t hungry and choosing what you will order. Don’t even open the menu when you sit down to the restaurant. This is a great way to stay on track when eating out!
Also, pay close attention to your portion! Chances are they’re serving you double what you need in a restaurant. Bonus! You get two meals!
3. Connect with your WHY. There’s a reason you set the goal. If you want to lose weight, ask yourself WHY? Is it for better health, more confidence, having the ability to do activities that you currently cannot, to live longer? Connecting with a greater WHY allows you to remember why you’re doing what you’re doing when times get tough and you might want to give up. Focusing on the WHY is much more powerful and motivating than focusing on the result you desire.
Write it down. Write down everything about your WHY. What it is, the significance, what you’re willing to sacrifice for it – anything at all! Write it as it comes to you and keep it visible. You want your WHY present to pick you back up when things feel challenging.
Share it. Let people in your life know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it! Those who love and support you can be your best accountability in good times and bad.
Email me. Seriously. Email me at rosie@eliteptstudio.com. I am happy to hold you accountable, help guide you, and keep you focused on the process and your WHY. I have helped hundreds of people achieve their goals, and I know I can help you.
Reserve your spot now!
Think back to times you’ve set goals, whether New Year’s Resolutions or otherwise, and you’ve fallen off track. What caused you to give up on your goals? Was it “too hard” or were you simply focused on the result rather than learning to love the process? Did you have the guidance, plan, and accountability you needed to succeed?
Two of the components that make our program so effective are the plan and the accountability — they are the missing pieces for so many people!
I want to invite you to join the best accountability team in Hong Kong to follow a proven plan to ensure you get back on track and achieve your New Year’s Resolution once and for all!
On Monday 21st August, we are launching our 4 Week Recommit to Resolutions Challenge! We are accepting the first 20 of dedicated individuals who are ready to re-commit to their goals. This seminar is designed to dive deeper with you on your nutrition, exercise, and mindset while keeping you accountable to your goals in our unparalleled support system here at Elite Personal Training.
Tiffany
Business Development Manager
For more information or to register, call us at (852) 2552 9925 or email me at tiffany@eliteptstudio.com
We can’t wait to support you through this process as you set, work toward, and reach your goals! All that’s required is your commitment to take action and follow the plan. This program will sell out, so be sure to jump on this right away!