New Year New Me

by charlie smart in News

That’s what we all say isn’t it, new year new me. What we want to know here at Griffin Fit is what is going to make 2019 special and different for you? Why are you going to achieve your goals this year? Is it the same goal you have set year after year and never been able to fully commit to achieving it? So, in this blog I will list a few common New Years Resolutions, some reasons to try and motivate you to stick to these and also some other bits.

Lots of New Year’s Resolutions are set at the start of the year and for many of us – we’ve blown it by mid-January! Whether that be to do a dry January, go to the gym 3 times a week or to start eating better. It’s hard to stay on track! Especially when it’s cold and dark outside, who wants to try when all you seem to do is go to work in the dark and come home in the dark – what will make you go to the gym after work instead of going home and curling up on the sofa? I’m going to try and help you to see the benefits of these ‘goals’ or ‘resolutions’.

These resolutions are kind of like a promise to yourself, aren’t they? Because they are labelled as resolutions and they come at the start of a new year, there is so much expectation and pressure on you to do well and achieve them.

Common New Year’s Resolutions

  1. To lose weight – we’ve all been there haven’t we, let’s be honest. And we do struggle, it’s normal
  2. To give up smoking – you may have asked for an e-cig or nicotine patches or something for Christmas to really go the whole hog and push yourself into this
  3. To drink less alcohol – maybe you are doing dry January to start yourself off on a good track for the year
  4. To snack less, eat healthier and more nutritious meals – easier said than done right? If you work shifts, its hard to commit to eating at the same times and it might be easier to snack or change your eating habits regularly

Let me let you in on a little secret – if your head isn’t in it, you won’t be able to stick to it. You have to be in a place where you are fully ready to commit and stick to your goals. Why do you think we set goals all year round and not just at the start of the year? “I’ve given up the gym mid-January, oh well I’ll have to wait until next year now”. Doesn’t work like that, we get back on the horse and try again. If you are not ready to start in January, there is no law to say you have to – like I said, we set goals for ourselves all year round. If your head isn’t in it, you are going to struggle and relapse. You’re going to have that sneaky ciggy without your partner knowing. And it’s okay, as long as you keep trying to push yourself to becoming a better you, it may be a really long process – but Rome wasn’t built in a day!

We believe in you, and to set these goals you must have had some determination then, right? These promises we have made to ourselves will help. We all have that ideal self we would like to become don’t we – on one shoulder we have the angel and on the other the devil. Our little angel tells us how our ideal self should be feeling, looking, eating etc – but we all know the devil wants us to drink that whole bottle of wine and order a takeaway! It’s hard to keep a balance and stop that inner conflict.

 

 

A few ways to stick to your goals:

–          Start when you are ready – the pressure and expectation of goal setting is enough to throw you off track without even starting! If January isn’t your time, if you still have sweets, chocolate and lots of alcohol left from Christmas – are you really ready for your health kick yet?

–          Don’t go completely cold turkey – this is a big one. If you are going from smoking 20 a day to nothing, yes amazing if you manage it but I’m telling you – it will be all you think about. With eating healthier, don’t put yourself in such a calorie deficit that your body isn’t used to. Let me tell you – once you lose a few pounds yes it will be great, but you are going to be craving something tasty because your body isn’t used to such a lack of food, those hungry hormones will start to hit hard. And we all know tasty doesn’t mean a salad!

–          Tell others or do it with someone – ask other people to help you stay on track or find a friend or partner to do it with, motivate each other – two lots of willpower is better than one, you could even make it into a competition! If you are one to go out for dinner, plan ahead, check the menu and order what you have decided on rather being under pressure on the night. Make the other guests at the meal aware of your goals so they can help, you never know they could be on the same journey as you!

–          Remove the temptation – It’s still a festive time of year and there will be lots of opportunities where things could go horribly wrong – if you work in an office and your colleagues have been bringing in their unwanted chocolate and sweets (like the bounties and snickers from the celebrations). Ask someone to help you stay on track, remove the temptation from your working space or even walk away from the situation. It will get easier to resist the more you do.

–          Set smaller interim targets – this makes it feel like you are closer to your goals, making you feel more motivated to carry on. Once you are in the mindset and keep thinking of how you will feel when you get to your next small goal it will make it easier to say no. And, when you do get there, you’ll be glad you didn’t take the last biscuit in the tin!

–          Think of the benefits – your health for a starter, and even those around you. Are you making healthier meals for the whole family? Giving up smoking – this will not only put less pressure on your lungs but also the health benefits are crazy and quick starting too! Losing weight – this will help you to be able to chase your kids around, have more energy and feeling more physically able to carry out different activities. Even the simplest of tasks become easier.

–          Try something different – don’t put a label on it, don’t use the same old resolutions that you were not able to achieve last year. Why not say: this year I am going to be the best I can possibly be and this will be my year, you will not be letting yourself down. Don’t put pressure on it or on yourself, maybe try not to tell anyone what you are trying to achieve, that way it is just about you and not other people’s expectations of you too.

 

Take home note: setting goals can be hard, achieving them is even harder. Give yourself a break, you are only human, it will take time and the longer it takes the more likely it is that you will stick to the changes you have made.