At the end of every year individuals across the world make New Year’s Resolutions for the upcoming year. Weight loss is always on the top 10 of those resolution lists. It is likely that you had weight loss on your list for 2010. How are you doing? By April or May, the majority of us have fallen off the weight loss wagon.
So why do most people end up ditching their resolution? Time, or lack of it, is frequently the reason people give. Sticking to a workout and healthy eating plan is hard work for anyone. When you are time deprived it is virtually impossible. There is hope, however! By learning and acting on a few organization tactics, you can get back on track just in time for swimsuit weather!
Know Why You Have the Goal: Do you want to loose weight for your physical appearance? How about for improved health? Maybe you want to loose weight to save money on medical bills. The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) reports that 75-90% of all visits to physicians are stress related. Having a workout and healthy eating plan can also reduce your stress. Whatever your reason, know what it is and write it down with a realistic goal date.
Finding the Time: NAPO estimates that the average American wastes an hour a day hunting for misplaced items. Think of the things you can do with an extra hour a day! It is enough to go on a long walk or run, or get to the gym, workout for 20-30 minutes, and then shower and change. A healthier you would be quickly on the way. So, the first step you can take to a healthier, slimmer you is to get your things organized. The less time you waste searching for your keys, reports, bills, etc., the more time you will have to care for yourself.
Take 5: Start the first five minutes of your day reviewing your goal. You don’t even have to be out of bed to do this. It could go something like this:
- Clear your thoughts and get into a quiet state.
- Think about your specific weight loss goals and the reason you want to loose weight.
- Visualize what you will feel and look like when you achieve your goal.
- Write down what you will feel and look like when you achieve your goal.
- Be accountable to yourself and commit to the weight loss tasks you will accomplish today.
That small amount of time at the start of your day will make a big difference in being able to maintain your weight loss momentum.
Understanding You Are Human: No one is perfect, so don’t try to be! Making changes in your life takes time and routines. It is really rare for someone to work towards weight loss and not “cheat” now and then. The trick is to not “loose it” when you do. Expecting to be perfect will only lead you to frustration and eventual failure. Rather than giving up for a lapse in your weight loss plan, relax and start the next day on refreshed footing and back on track with healthy eating and exercising.
Create a Healthy Eating Plan: One of the best ways to stay on track with any plan is to write it down. A weight loss plan is no different. Use your daily to-do list or monthly planner to write down your menus for the day. Check the items off of your list as you eat them and you will be able to easily monitor your progress. Many meal plans quickly go the wrong direction when you get home and find that you don’t have what you need to make a healthy meal. Then out comes the pizza! By having everything written out, you can make sure that does not happen to you. When you are out running errands, check your meal plan to make sure that you have all of the appropriate ingredients to make a healthy meal.
What About You?
What will you do to get back on track? Are you already right on track for your weight loss goals? Share your success tips with everyone by commenting on this post below.
To your success!
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