Weight Loss Calendar – Don’t Fail to Plan, or You’re Planning to Fail

First things first: go and get on your scales. Take a good look at the number and kiss it goodbye because after today, you will never, ever see that horrible number again.Did you know that four out of five people who make New Year’s resolutions will eventually break them, and a third of people don’t even last until February, a survey of 15,000 people by time management firm Franklin Covey found.

Nearly 40 % of those surveyed said they broke their resolutions because they’re too busy, and a third said they simply weren’t dedicated to their particular goals. However, experts say the real problem is that we make resolutions that are too vague or not achievable and quite frankly completely unrealistic, so we quit.

Get moving

Find a meal plan for every day of the month to meet a 1400-calorie day. Each day outline a plan for a low calorie breakfast, under 500 calorie lunches, and a max of a 600 calorie dinners. Mix and match your way to a scrumptious 1400-calorie day, and adjust easily to fit your daily calorie goals – don’t forget to allow snacks, try a handful of nuts or dried fruit!

It’s so easy to get distracted or bored and turn to food for comfort or entertainment. A personal trainer is a great person to hold you accountable and keep you motivated. I know that a lot of you may not be able to afford a personal trainer but if you can even afford one session at your local gym you will reap the benefits.

 The lies that we all tell ourselves…

“I’m going to count every calorie” 

When you wake up on January 1 thinking, ‘welcome to the first day of my new diet,’ you’re automatically setting yourself up to fail. We all know deep down that diet means hunger, misery, and abandoning your normal comfortable routine. Instead, pledge to make healthy low-calorie food choices. You’ll see more weight loss and achieve greater fitness if you simply resolve to cut processed and refined foods from most meals.

“Liquid calories don’t count”

Some dieters are under the impression they only need to monitor the calories in the foods they eat, not what they drink, to shed a few extra pounds. But the truth is unhealthy beverages are just as fattening as unhealthy foods. You might not realize how many calories you consume every time you take a sip of your favourite soft drink or juice. The average sugar-sweetened soft drink contains roughly 150 calories per serving. It’s easy to see how quickly calories can add up!

“I’m going to the gym at least 5 times a week”

Weight loss is a simple formula: burn more calories than you eat. Start slowly and add more workouts until you’re exercising for about 30 minutes, maximum five times a week. On the surface, this seems like a worthy New Year’s resolution, but let’s be realistic it’s hard to keep exercise and fitness in mind when you don’t plan for it. If you miss one of your scheduled workouts, squeeze in a 30-minute walk — exercise isn’t confined to the gym, you can even do simple exercises from your sofa! Or if the gym bores you, why not adventure to Milton Keynes or another indoor ski facility and get your kicks that way?

“If I eat less I won’t have to do as much exercise”

Okay, we’ve all done it. Anyone trying to do weight loss has done it I’m sure. Are you guilty of starving yourself? In part, I think starving yourself is common because it’s a very pervasive myth in society that in order to lose weight you need to eat less. It sounds rational, so people don’t confirm it before passing it on. So we just stop eating. Aside from the fact that starving yourself is not healthy, there’s one major reason why dramatically cutting calories is bad: it doesn’t work!

“I need to weigh myself at least once a week”

For your weight-loss declaration to work, you need to have accountability and chart your progress, every step of the way. Don’t fancy the scales? Not a problem. Why not get a pair of jeans that you haven’t been able to fit into and use them as your scale. Not only will you not get hooked up on pounds but you will have something to look forward to!

 “I mustn’t keep eating my favourite food”

You are setting yourself up for a large fall; firstly you are saying ‘never’ which is an unreasonable command to ask of yourself. The other is that you’re depriving yourself of the foods that make you happy. A better weight-loss resolution is to enjoy those unhealthy foods in moderation as depriving yourself of the taste you truly want can often only lead to overeating later.

“I’m going to skip breakfast to help me lose weight”

Think you can save fats and calories if you skip toast? It’s a big mistake. There’s serious truth behind what’s become a cliché: breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. If you don’t eat a healthy breakfast, it can sabotage your weight loss goals. Come the afternoon, you’re starving, and you’ll overeat because you’re so hungry. Better to make a New Year’s resolution to eat smaller meals and healthy snacks throughout the day.

“I can have this piece of rubbish food if I skip lunch later”

SKIPPING MEALS MAKES YOU FAT – and it is one of the worst things you can do for your body as well as your mind, your metabolism tend to slows down, and you’re much more likely to overeat later in the day.

“I’m going to do it all by myself”

When you resolve to lose weight and exercise more, remember you  don’t have to post it on your Facebook page or tweet about it daily – because that can get rather tiresome. However try and find some support either through online diet groups or among close friends and family. Weight loss buddies can provide that extra motivation you may need, cheering you on when you’re feeling stressed at work or frustrated that the pounds aren’t coming off faster.

“Well another tiny piece isn’t going to make any difference”

The problem with even a small piece of cake is that it still is loaded in carbohydrates in the form of sugar. In someone who needs to lose weight and/or has sugar cravings, this is very bad and should be avoided! Why not try and reward yourself by having a bubble bath or buying yourself a new item of makeup?

“I’ll start again on Monday, the weekends don’t count”

First, it matters because it impacts your weight loss and your weight loss goals matter! Second, it matters because EVERY time matters. Every time has consequences for the next time, and even the time after that. If there is only one thing that you remember to do – DONT reward yourself with food, you are not an animal!