The New Year is Upon Us!

Are you ready? Are you done with all the eating that usually comes with the holiday season? If not, now is a good time to start.

Many people make the New Year's resolution to lose weight. But how many people actually stick to it? Years ago, I decided that instead of setting what seemed to be reasonable goals of weightloss for the coming year (you know, like 25-50 lbs. or more?) I would start off simple and easy. I had many years where I got all geared up and wanted to lose a significant amount of weight, I think the first year I was wanting to lose 30 lbs. Low and behold, by the time the end of the year came around, I found myself disappointed that I had only lost 20, 15, and sometimes even just 5 lbs. These numbers were way below my initial goal, and I would beat myself up for not having done better throughout the year to achieve something that I wanted so badly.

A few years ago, I decided to set a more reasonable goal to begin with. The first year I did this, I set my goal at losing 5 lbs. that year. That was it! Only 5 lbs.!! I know what you're thinking, "I want to lose WAY more than 5 lbs. this coming year!!" So did I. But with a number I was sure to hit as my goal, and did within the first couple of weeks, I was even more excited each week as I weighed in to see my progress. It eventually became a game, where I tried to see how far I could surpass my measly little goal of 5lbs. Do you want to know how much weight I lost that first year? 25 lbs!!

So many times, our eyes see more than what we are immediately able to handle. It is great to have huge goals for ourselves. It is even greater when we are able to surpass those goals and continue on to achieve higher levels of greatness. But sometimes, when we set goals that seem like they are so easy to reach, we are disappointed when we don't see the results quick enough. Many years I had a goal of losing at least 25 lbs. in the coming year. NEVER did I reach that goal for the many years that I set it. NEVER! NOT ONCE! But the one year that I decided to start off small, I achieved the greatest goal....I lost more! Once I saw myself hit the 5 lbs. loss mark, I was on a roll! And the weeks that I may have splurged a little, and put back another pound or so wasn't as disappointing, because I had already surpassed my goal of 5 lbs. The rest of the weightloss was extra, something to add on to my goal.

We are all capable of achieving the greatness that we are pursuing. Even if you don't want to start with saying that you only want to lose 5 lbs., start with 10 lbs. It's really just a mind trick, you see. Because losing 5 lbs. is going to happen a lot quicker than losing 25 lbs. And if you aren't losing the weight fast enough, you tend to get discouraged. Being discouraged leads back to binge eating. Binge eating will lead back to gaining weight. Gaining weight will lead you back to wanting to lose weight and being disappointed that you are not doing so. Don't beat yourself into this cycle. Break the cycle this New Year! I look forward to hearing your success stories!

As always,

Good Luck!