Weight Loss New Year Resolution Mistakes

Weight Loss New Year Resolution Mistakes

Losing weight is one of the more popular New Year Resolutions many people set, but few of these people ever achieve their goal. They may start out strong and lose a few pounds initially, but before long they are slipping right back into their old, destructive habits and stop losing weight – or worse, gain back whatever they lost. Has this happened to you too?

There are several common reasons why weight loss New Year Resolutions often fail:

- Tackling the Whole Goal at Once

Setting a weight loss New Year Resolution to lose 25 pounds may sound like a good idea, but no one loses 25 pounds all at once. In fact, just the thought of losing a substantial amount of weight can make you feel intimidated and uncertain of your ability to do it.

Setting a goal to lose 1-2 pounds per week until you have reached your goal weight is a smarter move because virtually everyone feels confident that they can manage such a modest goal. You simply focus on one week at a time and before you know it, success!

- Failing to Create an Action Plan

Another common mistake with New Year Resolutions is failing to formulate a clear plan of action to follow each day. No matter what your goal is for the New Year, it’s vital to have an idea of how you will get from where you are to where you want to be. For example, with a weight loss goal you know that you will need to exercise and reduce your caloric intake in order to drop a pound or two each week. You know you’ll need to clean up your diet, nix the junk food, and drink more water.

Taking the time to put all of these action steps on paper or a computer file in a clear, executable plan will usually mean the difference between success and failure. Don’t worry if you aren’t sure how to create an action plan; you can make it any way you like. Your only goal is to have a written plan so you know exactly what to do each day: how long to exercise, how much water to drink, how many calories to eat, and so on.

- Being Unprepared for Challenges

When you set a New Year Resolution, you probably have a mental image of yourself achieving the goal easily and quickly, right? Unfortunately, most of the bigger goals (like weight loss) will not be achieved quite that easily. Instead, be prepared for challenges you will face, and come up with solutions for potential problems. For example, if you know that you’ll start losing motivation a month or two into your new healthy lifestyle, come up with ways to re-motivate yourself, like writing a statement about why your weight loss goals are so important to you. Or if you know that you’ll get tired of eating the same “diet foods” day after day, make it a habit to try new recipes and keep your meals interesting.

Simply by being prepared for challenges, you will increase your chances for success.