What are your New Year’s Resolution?

New Year Resolutions do work!

I know longer smoke. I no longer drink to excess. I watch what I eat too. That said it is not just about January 1st when we should decide to make lifestyle changes. This is where many of us do find it difficult, how to approach it and how to stick at it.

The next few steps will help you stick to those New Year’s resolutions that may have been on the list for a few years. I use to weight nearly 19 stone (266 pounds / 120kg), smoke excessively and eat plenty of sugary / fatty snacks. These are some of my tips on how I turned things around.

Setting new year exercise goals

I start the year off with a goal. Before any exercise plan, healthy eating plan or signing up to the local gym which is offering free membership, I ask myself the simple question, am I happy? Is there something really bothering me? What do I want to overcome more than anything in the world?

My weight upset more than anything. I was emotional. I was distraught. On the other hand I thought this is great, I finally had some focus. I wanted to be happy and I was prepared to do anything to feel good about myself.

Who needs hamburgers when you can have eternal happiness. The power of our emotions is greater than any junk food.

Changing exercise and food perceptions

I found exercise exhausting. My pace was wrong, my attitude was wrong, my thoughts toward exercise were wrong too. My goal was right though.

I was now prepared to fight the fight and do everything to lose weight. My goal was an emotional one. It touched a nerve. It was a raw feeling. My attitude changed, I became fitter, I burned fat, I felt great. My goal was too powerful to ignore. Yes exercise was boring initially. Running, swimming, cycling. A load of rubbish if you ask me. Did it make me feel better? No not really.

I would think that was a waste of time. I just felt I had to do it to lose weight. However, slowly but surely I became engaged. I began to enjoy myself. Getting out was great. Doing something other than eating was an improvement. I want to better myself each time. Swimming a further 250 metres, cycling for another 15 minutes, increasing my running pace. It began to come together. Exercise is good for you. I was confident. I was happy. I was energised. I was losing weight. Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!GET IN.

Health eating goals

Vegetables, fruit and portion sizes. I cannot speak more highly of them. They played a huge part in my weight lose. The exercise was great but I was consuming better quality food, reducing my portion sizes, changing the preparation process of my food and drinking less alcohol too. So how did I do this?

Change is difficult, especially when you consider a lifetime of bad eating habit. You got it, my goal. It was still there, sitting on my shoulder like the angel of conscience. I was finding it difficult to relapse. I had come full circle. My emotions were too powerful. I was going to succeed. I couldn’t be beaten. I would eat all the broccoli on my plate, the fruit salad was eaten without issue and water was the perfect drink during meal times. Happy time were here to stay. Just under 14 stone now.

Working out at 6am most mornings, running my own personal fitness training business and helping others to reach their own health and fitness goals is an incrediable feeling. COME ON YOU CAN DO IT. Every year is now a great year.