Don't Jack With Your Program!

You know what I think is one of the biggest reasons people don't lose weight on a program?  Because they don't follow the program in it's entirity.  They do part of it, but not all of it.  They hire a coach and do the exercises he says but don't follow the eating plan.  Or do a pretty good job of following the eating plan 5 days out of the week, but go off the rails and eat whatever they darned well please two.  Or follow the eating plan perfectly but don't exercise the way he tells you to.  Or decide they're going to have rice with dinner even though the coach told them to just have asparagus and fish.  You get the idea.

Here's the thing: With most programs, whether they are a company-owned plan like Jenny Craig or a pricey one made by a coach personally for you, your best success is dependent on doing ALL of said program.  It's made to work as a whole.  You take one part of it out, and like the gears in a watch, either the whole mechanism stops working or it isn't nearly as effective as if you did the program in it's entirety.

If you are working with a coach, I would advise to put blinders on and just DO it.  Don't read Weight Watchers material if you are following Julie Lohre's program.  (But if you are doing Weight Watchers, read ALL of the material.) Don't decide it's time to brush up on the Paleo diet or read "The New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women" when you are paying Mike Davies to make a program for you.  Why?  Because in there somewhere is going to be something that isn't going to be what your coach or program has lined up for you.  You will start to doubt the effectiveness of what they have you doing.  And with doubt comes lack of enthusiasm. And with lack of enthusiasm comes lack of adherence.  And with lack of adherence comes lack of results.

Commit to whatever plan you are doing in it's entirety.  Focus like a laser beam, block everything else out, and just GO!  Pick a plan, follow the WHOLE plan, and stick with it.  You'll be the one getting the results while others are saying "This plan just doesn't work for me."

Forget Making Fitness Your New Years Resolution!

The term "New Years Resolution" sounds temporary-  Like it is only supposed to last through the in new part of the year.  Instead, make your fitness goals a "Life Time Resolution".

The problem with making weight loss and being more fit sound like temporary goals, even if you reach those goals, is that they aren't temporary at all!  Who wants to lose the weight just to gain it back?  Or get fit just to lose all of the progress they have made and go back to what they were before they set the goal?  "Not I!", said the cat!  These are goals that we want to be permanent, and to make them permanent you have to start patterns and habits that you will employ for the rest of your life.  Otherwise, you are going to find yourself right back where you started.

So save your New Years Resolution for one-time good deals, like buying a new house or re-doing the spare room.  Your health-related resolutions should have nothing to do with the New Year and have everything to do with being resolved to live a healthier life from this point on out.