Custom Fitness Concepts

New Year’s resolutions are one of those traditions that are supposed to be good for you and that oftentimes are not. But the truth of the matter is that for most people, making an unrealistic New Year’s resolutions generally sets you up for failure.

If you want to make a New Year’s resolution that you’re actually going to keep, one strategy you can use is to make a resolution that doesn’t put all the pressure to go through with it or to reach the goal on you. This is particularly true if your New Year’s resolution is about staying physically fit.

Tip #1 – Don’t wait until January 1^st

First, if you make a New Year’s resolution to get in better shape, start right away! Be sensible about your holiday eating and drinking habits. There is absolutely nothing wrong with not taking a second plate at a holiday dinner party. In fact, you might be able to cut out 1,000 calories from your evening just by skipping that second serving.

There’s also nothing wrong with having something to eat before you go to a big feast. You don’t have to tell anyone you did it but, if you can sneak in an apple, some fruit or some healthy high-fiber food, it’ll be a lot easier to avoid overindulging when you’re at the dinner table.

Tip #2 – Plan ahead

Planning ahead to deal with the temptations of the holidays really can make a difference. For example, you’ll probably be aware of the fact that your time is going to be much more limited when the holidays come around. To combat the temptation to forgo your usual workout routine, go ahead and plan on cutting back on the time and/or intensity.

If you can maintain your weight over the holidays, a resolution to get in better shape when the New Year comes around will be much more likely to be one that you can keep.  And remember that it’s tougher to lose weight than to gain it so don’t put yourself behind just be struggling through the holidays.

Tip #3 – Make gradual changes

You might consider turning your New Year’s resolution into something you can do gradually. For example, instead of resolving to get in better shape, instead commit to attending a Boot Camp. If you do this, the entire process of getting and staying in shape is something that you’re going to get assistance with via our personal trainers. This means you don’t have all of the pressure to figure out what kind of workouts you’re going to do, how you’re going to change your eating habits and so forth put on you.

Attending a boot camp is not a hard resolution to keep and it can also be much more productive than trying to diet or exercise on your own.  And because boot camps take place throughout the year, making a small change like getting into a routine can result in a big change to your waistline or lifestyle.

When people say that they gained a bit of weight over the holidays, they’re not alone. On average, Americans gain between 8 and 12 pounds between the holidays of Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

Unfortunately, we all know that it’s much harder to lose weight than to gain it – especially during the holidays. The best strategy is to maintain your current weight over the holidays, which already has you ahead of the game come January.

Tip #1 – Start by taking the edge off

The first thing that you’ll need to eliminate is the pressure to overeat. One strategy you can use to accomplish this is to make certain that you eat good for you food before you take off for the party. Having a full belly makes it a lot easier to avoid indulging in fatty foods, high carb foods and the other junk foods that tend to be served at parties.

Also, remember that tons of calories are ‘hidden’ in the wine, gravy, bread and butter, cheese and salad dressing which are oftentimes available at parties, well, the good parties at least!

Tip #2 – Use exercise to fight the blues

The days are getting darker around this time of year and it’s easier to get depressed. Exercise will not only help you to maintain your weight, it will also help you to fight off depression.

If you’re not enrolled in any races or other fitness related activity over the winter months, you don’t have to worry about maintaining an intense training schedule. In fact, it’s okay to lighten it up – cut down your exercise period from  a full hour to a half-hour, for example.  Instead of shooting for 4-6 days/week, do 3-or 4 days/week.

Tip #3 – Remember to drink your water

Another good strategy that may help your appetite is to drink more water instead of eating junk food full of empty calories. It will give you a feeling of being full and will prevent you from getting so ravenous that you are tempted to indulge in the worst food that the holidays have to offer.

A few parting words of advice

During the holiday season it’s important to keep your morale up when it comes to eating and weight, but the availability of large quantities of bad, fattening food and the increased hours of darkness during the holidays can make that very difficult.

Stick to your exercise schedule, adopt smart strategies to keep yourself from overeating and you will not only keep your weight down, you’ll also avoid falling victim to the winter blues. You’ll be surprised at how much a good workout can do for burning off holiday stress and the blah feeling that comes with the dark days.