Your New Year’s Fitness Resolutions

It is an American tradition to make New Year’s resolutions, but it is oh so hard to keep them.  Getting into shape or loosing weight are common resolution that appear on many of our lists as to what we are going to do in the new year.  Some people will be successful, but many will not.  Why?
There are many reasons to the why.  A common one is that we are totally unrealistic with the goals that we set.  A goal that is too high or beyond achievement is not realistic at all.  We will get discouraged and quit.  An example would be to say you will loose one hundred pounds this year.  The chances of that happening are probably a million to one.  A realistic goal is to say you want to loose a pound a week.  That is realistic and achievable.  Fad diets are not a good way to loose weight.  The sensible way is to eat four small meals a day for a total of 1800 calories for a woman and 2100 for a man.  The four small meals tricks your body and maintains your metabolism.  Your body knows when you skip a meal or severely skimp on a meal and adjusts (i.e., slows) your metabolic rate.  This you do not want; you want a normal or accelerated rate.  The four small meals also prevents you from feeling starved and wanting to binge.
Another example of an unrealistic goal is to say you will walk/run a hundred miles a week.  A realistic goal is to say you will improve your walking/running endurance by five percent a week.  So if you are able to walk a mile a day five days a week (5 miles), a realistic goal would be to increase your distance by 5% a week (week 1 – 5 miles; week 2 – 5.25 miles; week 3 – 5.5125 miles; week 4 – 5.7881 miles, etc increasing by 5% each week).  It may not be practical to measure these calculations, so get in your car and measure a tenth of a mile.  Is it five houses, a block, half a block --- you get the idea.  Or buy a treadmill for your home.  There are a lot of nice ones on the market.  While exercising you can read a book or watch TV.
The four small meals, each between 450 – 525 calories depending on your gender, should be eaten around 8 AM, Noon, 4 PM and 8 PM.  At a minimum this will maintain your normal metabolism and prevent you from being hungry when you go to bed.  Your walking/running routine should be at the same time each day, preferably in the morning before a meal.  The exercise will raise you metabolism not only when you are involved in it, but also for many hours afterwards.
If you belong to a fitness club or the “Y”, three days a week get involved in an exercise class.  It is a social event.  You will make friends.  And your new friends can become a part of your “coaching” team offering compliments and encouragement.  On the two alternate days, walk or run.  I recommend walking because there is less impact on your joints.  What is important is the distance you cover.  You burn about the same amount of calories no matter whether it is walking or running.  It is the distance that is important.  If you use an exercise machine you have in your home, I recommend an elliptical trainer.  There is little impact on your joints and many will get your legs and arms moving.  An alternative to the elliptical trainer is a recumbent exercise bike.
Don’t weigh yourself every day.  Don’t record your distance every day.  Instead make a chart and record your weight and distance walked/run every week or two weeks.  You will be pleasantly surprised with the results, which becomes a reward for “well done.”
I believe you can do it.  Believe in yourself and hold yourself accountable.  Don’t be discouraged if you back slide.  Just restart where you are and keep your eye on the goal.

Article by

Will Keeney