Hands up if you recognise this cycle:
Step 1 – Overindulge at Christmas (we all do it – no judgement here!)
Step 2 – In the week between Christmas and New Year, start talking about all the things you’re going to do differently from January 1st
Step 3 –Announce multiple ‘New Year Resolutions’ often including ‘this is the year I’m going to lose x number of stone’ – Join a new gym, maybe even hire a personal trainer. Re-join some sort of diet club (slimming world/weightwatchers)
Step 4 – In January and maybe even most of February, put loads of energy into a variety of different diet and exercise programmes and initially see some decent results losing a couple of pounds here and a couple of pounds there and start feeling better.
Step 5 – By late February or early March, life just starts to get in the way and you miss the odd workout in favour of staying late at work or dinner and drinks with mates.
Step 6 – In early spring, all New Year’s resolutions are forgotten and you’ve just desperately waiting for summer to come along. Those pesky little pounds that you worked so hard to shift in January gradually sneak back on, maybe even with another couple just to add insult to injury.
Step 7 – Repeat from Mid December
Now you see it in writing, doesn’t it just seem a little crazy to you? I worked in an office for over ten years and I’m really familiar with this cycle. The number of faddy new diets, each more bonkers than the last, never ceased to amaze me. Every year I went into work in the first week of January and watched it happen over and over and over again. It’s almost part of the whole tradition of Christmas itself. It used to drive me mad year after year.
Maybe it’s time to try something new? Maybe the one resolution that will work for you this year is that is a commitment to breaking that crazy cycle!
Try something new this year: the way we train at All Change is based on 3 key principles: 1) get outside into the fresh air 2) try as many different sports as you can in a year, you’ll find things that you like doing and 3) Make it fun – you’re more likely to put the effort in and stick with it if you’re having fun. If you can stop thinking about the number of pounds you want to lose and start thinking in terms of long term health and fitness gains, then with these three principles in mind, you’ll find activities and workouts you like doing and you’ll get more out of the whole process.
If you need a little guidance or want to work with a partner to help you get the most out of your journey, then get in touch. We can guarantee that you’ll have an awful lot of fun while you’re getting fitter, stronger and healthier!
