Taking Baby Steps to Keep your Weight Loss Resolutions! Part One:
Tried going to the gym recently? Good luck finding an open elliptical. However, if you go after the 21st, you are probably in the clear.
Millions of Americans made similar New Year’s resolutions for the year 2013: they vow to lose weight, get in shape, and become healthier. Whether someone’s goal is to head to the gym more or eat healthier, what it all breaks down to is essentially the same thing. With approximately 60% of American adults being overweight or obese, everyone rang in the New Year with cheers and kisses along with the hope they might shed some weight in 2013.
A majority of those Americans will give up on their resolutions within three weeks of vowing to hit the gym 4 days a week or eat 3-5 servings of vegetables a day. The biggest reason such New Year’s resolutions fail is people set too large of goals. Instead of taking baby steps to achieve their healthy goals, people try to take gigantic leaps. They promise themselves they will lose five pounds in a week instead of promising to attempt to lose five pounds in a month.
The best way to achieve any goal is by taking small steps. Small steps are a great deal easier to make in the beginning and will not set you up for frustrating failure like the large leaps will. Each small step will seem easier to achieve and with the accumulation of multiple small steps, you will eventually reach the bigger goal without even realizing it.
So for one month, this blog will be dedicated to providing you with small steps you can use to achieve your weight loss, fitness and healthy eating goals. It will also provide you with ways to help you stick to your resolutions without giving up like many do.
One common misconception about weight loss and being healthier is that they can be done by either eating healthier or exercising more. Both becoming a healthier eater and starting to become more active need to be incorporated in an individual’s life in order to see successful results.
Starting with exercise…
If you are an individual who hates working out and always finds an excuse to not make it to the gym, there may a solution for you and it can be accessed at Northeastern’s very own Marino Center. Group fitness is an amazing way to fall in love with becoming active!
For fifty dollars a semester, you can sign up for one class a day as many days a week as you would like! To pay the fifty dollars up front may seem a little expensive, but say you love Zumba classes, the average Zumba class across the nation costs between ten to twenty dollars. Even if you take three Zumba classes a week every week this semester, each class would cost approximately $1.20. If you take classes multiple times a week, it will ultimately be a great deal.
In the spirit of setting small achievable goals instead of large seemingly unattainable ones, if you do sign up for group fitness, start about by telling yourself you will try 2-3 classes this week for the next couple weeks. Vary the classes so you can find a couple that you really enjoy. Figure out which classes are challenges for you that you may be sore after and which ones are easier. Eventually you can work out a schedule of 4-5 classes a week in which you take a class that may leave you feeling lousy the next day and then the next day you can take a break or take an easier class.
If you are new to group fitness, classes range from 45 to 55 minutes with the 45 minute classes usually being easier. On the class registration website, there is a brief description of each class. Some classes are more geared toward cardio and others are designed to sculpt your body with weight and resisting training.
The best part about group fitness is that everyone working out around you is doing the same thing you are. You are much more apt to complete the workout just because you are in the presence of others sweating as much as you. If you are just running on the treadmill, unless you are self-motivated or have a friend pushing you to complete your workout, nothing is going to stop you from jumping off and making your way to Stetson East for fresh baked cookies.
Another awesome aspect of group fitness is if you have a group of friends who also signed up, you can plan “workout dates” and laugh at each other as you dance hopelessly in the back of Zumba class.
So start small with the 2-3 basic classes a week for at least the first two weeks, and figure out what classes you enjoy, which classes challenge you and leave you sore, and the classes you can complete without leaving drenched in sweat. After week two, begin alternating those challenge classes with the easier ones and remember to give yourself a day or two off a week to let your body recuperate.
Remember to remind yourself that after one “Cardio and Abs” class you will not have a six pack and your butt is not going to be rock hard after one spinning session, but if you are consistent, after a couple of weeks, you will see a change in your body. Don’t forget to reward yourself! After you finish a week worth of taking a few classes, go out and buy a cute new pair of yoga pants or a new workout tank top. Don’t treat yourself with lots of junk food, or you will derail your progress!
Next week’s focus: nutrition and eating healthy (in college and on a budget)!