Self-improvement, or at least the desire for it, is a shared American trend. It’s why the ‘New Year’s Resolution’ exists! Lets face it, its tough to stay “on-track,” during this stressful time of year, but its still no excuse to just fall off the grid and wait until January.
Now that fitness is booming more then ever, it is pretty clear that the ‘New Years Resolution,’ is just a media driven tactic to tempt us to spend money and make impractical decisions. Suddenly we feel the need to purchase an ‘one time value’ gym membership. According to gym membership statistics, 67% of people who purchase a gym membership never use them. We are pushed to eat healthier, so we go the extreme and join a weight loss challenge with zero credibility of any scientific nutritional evidence. Then we hire a way overpriced personal trainer without any research behind his/her qualifications. Sadly we make all these efforts to get back, and according to Business Insider, 80% of New Years Resolutions fail by February!
In researching, I found an article written in Shape magazine on the Top 10 Reasons You Dont Stick to Your New Years Resolutions. My favorite tip is #7: Having No Plan of Action. We set ourselves up for failure because we commit to this resolution with no plan in place to actually achieve it.
Lets face it, this is the time of year that initiates the trend for weight gain and poor health habits. Turns out more holiday weight gain studies also agree.”Even small gains over the holidays are a cause for concern, because we generally do not lose the weight throughout the rest of the year. Over time, small gains during the holiday period can account for 51 percent of lifetime fat accumulation.”
People always ask me, how come you can eat ‘whatever you want,’ but don’t gain weight? My answer is always, because its a LIFESTYLE! The secret is LIVING a healthy lifestyle instead of BATTLING the cyclical war of weight gain. Obviously it’s easier said than done, which is why implementing a consistent plan of action is important towards making this reality. A goal without a plan is just a wish!
Here are some of my TIPS towards starting and maintaining a healthy life in 2018:
- Stop talking, posting, texting, and whining about it! DO something about it! Write down a schedule and treat your exercise, sleep, and eating habits like a job and JUST DO IT!
- Set realistic weekly and monthly goals to help motivate you towards staying committed. Hold yourself accountable regardless of what else could possibly come up and try not to restrict or “cut out,” things that you know you will eventually binge on 3 weeks later. Find an honest balance and keep everything in moderation. This way, you do not set yourself up for failure and end up feeling disappointed.
- Find HELP AND SUPPORT! Seeking expert help is not unrealistic for the start of a major lifestyle change. Having a plan without knowing how to exercise or what to eat, certainty isn’t easy. It seems that with the social media boom finding “fitness experts,” is pretty simple. As a Doctor of Physical Therapy with 7 intense years of schooling, I am concerned at the level of education/experience that these fitness experts claim to have, so be sure to do your research before you settle or pay money to someone who ends up causing you more harm than good.
My hopes in writing this blog post is not to “sell” my services, but to genuinely help others who want to make these lifestyle changes and are feeling lost or stuck. Trust me, you are not alone! Feel free to contact me for lifestyle coaching consultations or any Physical Therapy, nutrition, or fitness related questions at my email [email protected] and let me help guide you in your journey towards a healthier, happier, livelier, new YOU! My passion lies in helping others lead healthier lifestyles safely and effectively. In my efforts to maximize my availability for training and helping clients, I offer online fitness challenges welcome to all fitness levels and that includes virtual lifestyle coaching consultations, nutritional guidance/support, and live workouts to be performed anywhere in the world!
Visit my www.MariaPontillo.com for more information.
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