Keeping that new leaf flipped

The calendar has flown to January and it’s time for the New Year’s fitness resolutions.

Many of you have decided to turn over a new leaf in terms of how you eat, how much you eat, to be more in tune with workouts, pack some lean muscle or shed some weight.

I hate to be a bad news bearer but unfortunately many of you will fail because you suffer from the ‘I want quick results but no patience or discipline’ attitude.

The physique you want will not appear with just the click of a finger.

But you know what? The human body works in the same way it has worked this past century. People are more lazy now and glad to spend their money on useless supplements, detox and weight loss challenges to look like the distorted body images we see on social media.

What works do you ask? Positive mindset, caloric deficit, realistic goals, patience, self-discipline and commitment, exercise, weightlifting, moving around more, eating whole foods and sticking to a healthy and sustainable plan. That’s your magic supplement right there, always real results, guaranteed.

Self-discipline and commitment

You can read all the self-help articles, enlist as many people as you want to help, but ultimately, if you don’t have a deep desire to want to change, it’s not likely to happen. And certainly not easy … It’s your choice.

If you are committed to change, some plans need to be put in place to set yourself up for success. Initially, if possible, gain the support of your family and friends around you and let them know that you want to make a positive change in your health. You will be much more successful if you have the support of loved ones.

Sustainable scheme

Then there are some achievable goals that need to be set, and research often says that you are likely to be 80% more successful if you set yourself one goal at a time. Once you add more, the success rate drops to around 20%. So be committed to taking the time to change and work on goals you can achieve. For example, you might want to start walking most days of the week or break out ‘sweet drinks’ as we in Guyana say. Set a long-term goal, but then divide it into daily and weekly goals that you can achieve – think of them as small pieces in a puzzle, taking one step at a time.

Positive mindset

Mindset is an essential part of success too, and it can often be undoing to change your health when you start to doubt yourself, lose motivation or start focusing on negative thoughts. Certainly, staying positive and surrounding yourself with positive affirmations, supportive people and focusing on your goals can help with your success rate.

And finally, don’t beat yourself up if you’re having a bad day, missing exercise, or overeating. That’s life, nobody’s perfect. Refocus on your goals and carry on. Being low on yourself will only produce negativity, which is not beneficial to your overall result.

By using some of these strategies, you can help the journey be much smoother and your chances of success much higher. That does not mean it will be easy. Change is not always easy, but it will be worth it.

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