Every year, gyms fill up with countless new members who have made new years weight loss resolutions. By the time February hits, 30% of those people have given up, and by the end of the year, 80% have dropped out.
What happened? Where did all the motivation go? These resolutions should mean we’re ready to take charge, and make changes and improvements to our overall health and well being. I understand that most people who decide to set off on a journey to lose weight in the new year are truly inspired.
The intentions are there, but there are elements missing, which are crucial to actually making weight loss achievable and sustainable.
The thing about losing weight is, it’ll happen whenever you are truly determined to make it happen. It requires commitment, consistency, dedication, and perseverance, whether that’s during the new year, or in July.
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1 – Unrealistic Expectations
Some people dive right into the new year with the expectation to lose 20 pounds or more in a month. While that’s a great long term goal, actually achieving this in only 30 days is a whole different story.
It’s possible. Don’t get me wrong. But what is the desired outcome? Most people want to lose weight and keep it off. However, when we dive into the new year with a goal of dropping 5 pounds per week, that’s pretty much weight loss boot camp.
And no one wants to go to boot camp. So, when you lose those 20 pounds, it’ll feel like a goal accomplished, and you can head right back to your old habits. However, those old habits are why those 20 pounds were there in the first place. So, without some kind of commitment or plan to keep it off, that unwanted weight will find its way back.
HERE’S HOW TO LOSE 15 POUNDS IN 3 MONTHS or less with a plan to help you keep it off.
2 – Going On A “Diet”
There’s a problem with the “going on a diet” mentality. The thing with diets is that they’re all restrictive to some degree. That’s the reason they’re diets. So, eliminating the very foods you love from your meals is another form of weight loss boot camp.
Whether it’s Keto, Paleo, or any of the other countless restrictive eating plans out there, they aren’t designed to be sustainable long term. Of course, you hear and see stories of people who dropped insane amounts of weight.
But the question is, how many of those people kept that weight off long term following the same diet? At least this Keto diet plan has set up an 8-week system you can follow. Plus, that plan adheres to the most important weight loss concept, which is calories.
Diets are no fun, and most people can’t wait to be off them completely.
LEARN WHY A DIET IS NOT NECESSARY FOR WEIGHT LOSS HERE.
3 – Insane Calorie Restrictions
I don’t know a single person who could eat 500 calories per day sustainably. However, I see folks in FB groups discuss this topic. I don’t know anyone who could eat 1000 per day and still maintain a healthy lifestyle.
One of the worst things you could do for your body is drop your calorie count down to dangerous levels. By eating 500 – 1000 calories a day, you’ll lose weight initially. But the problem with such a restrictive eating plan is that you’d also be depriving yourself of the very nutrients your body needs to be a healthy human being.
Plus, fat loss happens seamlessly when you take in enough protein each day. By restricting your calories to such low amounts, you won’t be getting sufficient protein. Having enough protein each day ensures the weight you lose is pure fat, and not muscle or bone density.
So, aside from starving yourself, the weight you lose will very well be in the form of muscle and bone density, which can cause confusion in the mirror. You won’t get the proportionate look you’re after, and the numbers on the scale won’t make sense.
LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS EATING 1200 OR FEWER CALORIES A DAY.
4 – No More Junk Food
Some people decide to stop eating out and throw junk food in the trash. This is a major set up for failure. Once again, this is a method to try to fool ourselves into believing that we enjoy exclusively eating carrots and celery sticks.
We cannot conquer the mind in the long run, so why even try in the first place? You can still go to McDonald’s or Chipotle and enjoy a meal. In fact, here’s a list of fast food meals at 5 restaurants under 500 calories.
The same goes for junk food. You don’t need to throw out everything in your pantry and refrigerator to lose weight. It’s all about eating mindfully. This is how to eat junk food and lose weight at the same time. I’m not suggesting you eat junk food regularly, as it has several other negative consequences. But you can lose weight and eat a cheeseburger if you want.
In the end, weight loss is a direct result of calorie consumption. When you overeat on your daily calorie budget, you’ll gain weight. When you under eat on your daily calorie budget, you’ll lose weight.
LEARN HOW TO SET UP A SIMPLE CALORIE DEFICIT FOR WEIGHT LOSS HERE.
5 – They Have The Wrong Mindset
The biggest problem with weight loss new years resolutions is that most people dive into them with the wrong mindset. Every single item listed above has something to do with this.
When it comes to weight loss success and sustainability, mindset couldn’t be more important. However, most folks embark on a journey to drop unwanted fat with the idea that they have to restrict themselves from eating the very foods they love.
Weight loss is a process that requires consistency and determination. When diving into it with a quick fix mentality, we’re setting ourselves up for failure.
New Years Weight Loss Resolutions In Summary
It’s fantastic that so many people in the world have new years weight loss resolutions each year. It’s important to note that losing weight is just as effective in July as it is in January.
The work required to lose weight and keep it off is the same any time of the year. There’s a reason 30% of people give up their weight loss resolutions by February, and 80% are out before the end of the year. It all has to do with mindset.
There is no magic weight loss solution, even though the health & fitness industry would like us to believe so. If you’re serious about weight loss, then my guess is it wouldn’t matter whether it’s January 1 or August 23. Getting started is just getting started, summer or winter.
My suggestion is to educate yourself on the ins and outs of weight loss. Understand what you can realistically achieve in one month. Find out where you can expect to be in 6 months when you’ve followed a solid nutrition and workout plan.
LEARN ABOUT THE BEST WEIGHT LOSS PLAN FOR BEGINNERS HERE.
I hope you found this article to be helpful. If you have any questions or comments regarding anything written here, please let me know and I’ll be more than happy to get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks so much for reading!