Happy New Year! Already?!

Need Help Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions? While 2016 is coming to a close, it is a time to reflect on the past year and look forward to 2017 and the many ways you can better yourself. How many of us even remember what our New Year’s Resolution was for this year? One in three people make a New Year’s Resolution each year but how many actually keep it the whole year? Less than 46% of people will even follow through with their resolution past June. This is a sad fact especially since most resolutions are related to weight loss and being healthier in general. But, this doesn’t have to be you! We have four tips to help you stick to your resolutions for the ENTIRE year.

1. Journal

One of the biggest parts of keeping a resolution is having accountability. By keeping a journal or a notebook handy, you can write down what you ate that day or how your workout went and look back to reflect. It can also show you what to not do for the next day when you feel a craving for that little piece of chocolate. The important thing to take away from journaling, is that you can see what you are doing each day and see what works and doesn’t work for you.

2. Short Term Goals

A year seems like a really long time to keep to a goal or resolution but if you break it up into small goals for the entire year, then it is much more manageable. You can set three month goals to break up the year and at the end of that time, reevaluate what your goal should be for the next three. If you want to lose weight, you can set a goal of losing 10-15 pounds by March and if you only lose around 5 you will be able to look back at your journal. By reflecting on the past three months, you can weed out the mistakes that were made and the challenges that you had. Set a new plan of attack to tackle the next set.

3. Bring a Buddy

You don’t have to do this alone! Have a friend join our gym with you and check out some of the great classes we have to offer. They can help motivate you when the going gets tough! You can keep each other accountable throughout the year and celebrate each goal that you both have achieved. Remember to celebrate even the little wins!

4. Make a Schedule

One reason people give up on their resolutions is that they just forget about them. We all gete caught up in the daily activities of life, but if you block out a specific time for your exercising routines, it makes it that much easier to commit and follow through. Another great tool to use for motivation is My Fitness Pal. This tool can help with calorie counting, macros, calories burned, and progress made towards your goal. It is a great motivator when looking at how many pounds have come off since you started! While New Year’s Resolutions are notorious for being dropped in the first month of the new year, that doesn’t have to be the case for you. If you find that you need an extra push from your Flex Family, don’t hesitate to ask. We are always here to help. Cheers and Happy New Year!