Did you know, research shows that 95% of New Year’s Resolutions are fitness related, but just after 3 months, only 10% of people think their resolution will last. Now you’re probably thinking to yourself “I’ve worked out every day this year so far I’m on a roll so this won’t be me”. We really hope you are in that 10%, but really what we want to accomplish from this is if weight loss IS your goal, how can you lose it sustainably and avoid yoyo’ing with your weight in 2023.
Most people start their fitness journey because they want to change something about the way they look. This can involve weight loss, “toning” (fyi this is not a real term…more on this later), building muscle, etc. Unfortunately, being motivated by a physical goal only lasts so long so relying on wanting to lose that 20 pounds you have wanted to lose for the last 3 years isn’t going to work as your only motivation. There will be days when you’re tired, excuses or roadblocks happen, and you don’t care about the number on the scale.
#1: What’s your greater purpose?
Working out and participating in fitness has to be something that serves your life with a greater purpose. So try changing your mindset! Why do you want to lose that 20 pounds? This could be:
You want to have more energy
You want to feel comfortable in your own skin
You want to feel strong
You want to experience less anxiety
You want to feel less achy or pain
There are so many “feelings” that are generated from fitness so start with a feeling goal. When we are motivated by wanting to feel a certain way, on those days that are tough, that’s what will make you show up for you and slowly over time, weight loss will be a secondary goal that happens.
#2: Enjoyment vs. Structure
There are different levels to fitness based on where you are starting from. How do you classify your fitness level? Here’s a quick reference point:
Beginner: You have never worked out longer than 3-6 months consistently. You have only walked or ran on treadmill, elliptical, or randomly walked around the gym trying pieces of equipment but not sure if you’re doing any of it right. You could have also only tried youtube videos here and there.
Moderate: You have worked out consistently for 6-12 months in the past. Maybe you took group fitness classes or had a personal trainer, but at some point you fell off.
Advanced: You have worked out 12+ months consistently and are currently still working out.
If you are in the beginner category, THAT IS OK! You don’t have to be here forever. But we need to dive into the root cause of WHY you have never made it longer than <6 months. Was it accountability? Did you enjoy the workouts you were doing or did they feel more like a task? Was it due to injury or pain? Or maybe just simply not knowing what to do minus the elliptical? No matter which of the above it is, we highly recommend using a specialist/Personal Trainer. The goal is long term, a trainer can help get you on the right track to move you into the advanced fitness level where you no longer need them. They can also help you find workouts you actually enjoy but are structured properly to prevent injury.
If you are in the moderate category, you did it before so you can do it again! But what was it that derailed you last time? It can be some of the same reasons in the beginner phase or simply you just became disinterested/unmotivated. A lot of the time, when we take the same group fitness classes over and over or we do the same type of repeat physical activity, we “plateau” on our results. You may need to work with a trainer just to help you with STRUCTURE and PROGRESSION.
Usually people in the advanced category are fitness instructors or motivators so use these people as a resource!
#3: Your Health
We only have one life to live, why not make it the best one we can? We don’t worry about the state of our health until it’s too late or the pressure is on to try and fix it. So don’t label “weight loss” as this year’s New Year’s resolution. Label it as a lifestyle change and understand lifestyle changes take time! Healthy, sustainable weight loss is 1-2 pounds/week. If you try diet pills, trends, crash diets/fad diets, etc. they could help you lose the weight quickly right now, but if you can not do a “diet” for the rest of your life then the weight will come back on which causes the yoyo weight effect. Yoyo’ing your weight is a dangerous place to be as it goes deeper than just what’s happening on the outside. If you are saying to yourself “I lost 50 pounds doing keto 2 years ago”, but that 50 pounds has come back on, and maybe more, then keto did not work for you.
So we are not about all of the negatives here at Klasik Fit….what are the solutions here?!
Get support where you need it (Personal Trainer, Physical Therapist, Registered Dietitian, Therapist, etc.)
Don’t fall into the quick fix tricks & make a commitment to yourself to focus on lifestyle changes
If you catch yourself slipping, find an accountability partner
Take your health seriously now
Helpful Resources: Goal Setting Tips – What To Expect From A Klasik Fit Training Session – How Klasik Fit Works