Happy New Year everyone! Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? New job, new relationship, new location… maybe get in shape? That’s great!

Every year, people across the globe use the calendar as an extra motivator to change the things we don’t like about our present lives, and the situation we are in.

Unfortunately, these positive resolutions are often discarded along the way rather prematurely. Only 8% of people are successful in actually achieving their resolution.

However, People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t  make resolutions!

Is your goal to become more fit in 2016? It’s one of mine, but here’s a disturbing number,

New Study Finds 73% Of People Who Set Fitness Goals As New Year’s Resolutions Give Them Up!”

Here are some common reasons why:

• • 42 percent say it’s too difficult to follow a diet or workout regimen.
  • 38 percent say it’s too hard to get back on track once they fall off.
  • 36 percent say it’s hard to find time.

Nearly half of those who gave up before reaching their fitness resolution goal did so within six weeks or less.

“Studies show that people who resolve to change behaviors do much better than non-resolvers who have the same habits that need to be changed,” says University of Scranton psychologist John Norcross.

Making resolutions is the first step, but, experts say, you need a plan and a healthy dose of perseverance if you want to succeed.

“These habits and behaviors are very difficult to change, and when you don’t have a well-thought-out plan on how you are going to make sustainable changes that fit into your lifestyle, it leads to failure,” he says.

In other words, it’s not enough to simply say, “I want to lose weight and exercise more.” You need a detailed blueprint that addresses how you’ll reach these goals.

“Everyone has strengths and weaknesses,” says Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “If you want to succeed, you need to have a concrete plan that plays into your strengths and avoids distractions [from] your goals by your weaknesses.”

Realistic Expectations

Part of that planning is anticipating situations in which you’re likely to slip up — such as when you’re stressed out, eating at a restaurant, or traveling.

For example, “if you plan ahead and pack a meal for the plane or carry some nuts, you won’t just grab anything because you are famished, and are more likely to minimize the slipups and stick with your resolution for healthier eating,” says Arthur Agatston, MD, author of the best-selling, “The South Beach Diet.”

Hey folks, this idea of fitness should be looked at as a marathon, not a sprint. Your fitness and health is something you can keep with the proper amount of vigilance and dedication.

Of course you’d like to see those extra pounds gone in a hurry, but quick weight loss is usually not permanent weight loss, experts say. Diets that have strict rules, eliminate or severely restrict certain foods, or otherwise take a lot of effort are usually only successful in the short term. After all, anyone can lose weight eating mostly cabbage soup — but how long could you keep that up?

“Very low-calorie diets lead to quick weight loss of not only fat but muscle and bone, too,” says Agatson. “These diets also lower metabolism and when an individual goes back to eating the way they used to (because no one can live on cabbage soup), their slower metabolism will require fewer calories and, ultimately, they gain all the weight back and then some.”

Do you want to make your resolutions stick, or the pounds that seem to keep adding on? If your answer is the first one, then stick around. I will provide you with well-researched, and self -proven knowledge in the weeks to come that will help you to become all you can be in 2016. I am always open to any suggestions/subjects, or questions you may have. Let me know…Peace.