It's a familiar routine...the list of New Years Resolutions. "This year, I'm going to spend more quality time with the kids, I'm going to save more money, and I'm going to lose some of this weight." A familiar refrain...
According to Devlyn Steele, Life Coach, "everyone wants to get in shape, lose weight, meet someone, get a better job, save money, quit smoking, quit drinking and more. So we start out the year no holds barred and go for it!
Unfortunately the results we want don't come as fast as our initial enthusiasm and when we don't see quick changes we lose our motivation. As the weeks go by the crowds in the gym disappear and soon everything is back to normal activity levels as we all slip back into our routines.
Then we stay there until another failed attempt next January. The result is that 2008 will be yet another year where you failed to achieve the changes you wanted.
The New Year motivates us to start, but we need to develop a habit of successful behavior. As Jim Ryun puts it, "Motivation is what gets us started. Habit is what keeps us going." And Ryun might be someone to listen to; after all, he became the first high school runner to break the 4-minute mile, in 1964, and held the high school record for 36 years.
You can develop success habits and remedy lack of or diminished motivation with a life coach technique called "ABC."
A = Action. Start taking action today. We don't achieve change through thinking about it, but by doing something.
B = Bite size. Reduce all your new activities to small daily actions. It truly is amazing how doing something small doesn't overwhelm us and produces amazing results. When we take on too much we either don't start or can't keep it up. Work out 10 minutes a day; send out one resume a day, save a little money every day and the results will materialize over time.
C = Consistency. Through the accumulation of small actions, we get big results. Do your bite size action activities daily!"
So let's get back to our original topic, and my favorite subject. You want to lose weight this year, don't you? You want to have more energy, you want to look better in your clothes, and you want to feel good about yourself when you step in front of a mirror.
The attrition rate for gym members hovers at 35 percent a year, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), and the latest estimates show that almost half of exercisers give up on a new routine within the year.
Using Steele's life coaching model, here are my suggestions for keeping your weight loss goal alive, from the beginning of the year, all the way to the finish line...
A. Action
I had three children in four years. Not only was that a challenge for my body's appearance, but I was kind of busy by then. There wasn't a lot of time to work out. Being an early riser, I sometimes went to the gym while my husband and the kids slept. But I wasn't consistent.
A few years into the project, I became a single mom. If I was busy before, hectic was an understatement now. My body was very low on the priority list. Every year, I reached a new high weight for me and, as a short person, that wasn't a pretty sight.
Once the oldest was able to watch the youngest for a few minutes, I decided to take action. We lived in a small apartment block. I began by running around the building. I told the kids that, if they needed something, to stand out on the balcony and watch for me to run by. I would run around the building a few times and head inside. But I was on my way. As the months went by, and the children became very comfortable with the new routine, I extended my run to encompass the block, and then the neighborhood.
B. Bite size
It all began with a bite-sized goal; to run around the building and get a few minutes of consistent exercise. It worked. I could always squeeze in a few minutes.
C. Consistency
Some days, it was too rainy to feel good about running outside. But I had started a new habit; I wanted and needed to keep it up. The building had four storeys, with a nice wide stairwell. On rainy days, I ran the stairs. Sure the neighbors looked at me like I was a bit of a kook, but I wasn't there for their approval. I was in the stairwell for me. The kids were fine, and I was achieving what I set out to do, keep up my new habit of running for a few minutes.
As they tend to do, the years went by, and the kids got older. I continued running and, at age 46, I ran my first half-marathon. Three years later, using the same habits that I'd developed in those early days of running, I competed in my first Body Building competition. That was a goal I wanted to accomplish before I turned 50 and, at age 49, I look pretty damn good (if I may say so myself).
I encourage anyone that sets a weight loss New Years Resolution this year to follow the same simple plan.
1. Take some action
2. Make it bite-sized
3. Be consistent
And for additional support, send me an e-mail at billiesinclair@mybodywise.org My 90-day program is called Get Your Body Back. It's affordable, effective, and safe.
As a guide on the side, my job is to support you to get from where you are to where you want to be. And having been through many of the challenges myself that you will likely face, I'm very good at supporting others to achieve their weight loss goals...
Let 2008 be the year you finally start...and finish! Billie
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