12 steps to keep your New Years resolution

FACTS to inspire you

• Obesity has tripled in the past 30 years, 68% of adults are now overweight or obese in UK (National Statistics, 2017)

• Near 1/3 of children aged 2 to 15 years old are overweight or obese (National Statistics, 2017)

• Overweight/obese children has tripled amongst 15 year olds (Andy Puddicombe, 2013)

• A Lancet study found that half of all men and women in the UK will be obese by 2030  (Y Claire Wang, et al, 2011)

 

How do we combat obesity? “eat clean” and exercise - SHOCK!…we’re all more aware than ever of this basic rule.

 

So we know what’s required…but we struggle to do it longterm.

 

 

Here are 12 tips to help YOU make sustainable changes:

 

1. Define your motivation - map out your goal and journey. The greater your organisation and focus the more likely you are to succeed. 

Tip - Wunderlist app (very popular app, I happen to use this too). If you feel more comfortable with a diary then this can work just as well.

 

2. Be inspired - surround yourself with friends/family/individuals who positively influence your goal. 

Tip - tell family/friends your goal - this can serve as a positive reminder.

 

3. See it through - envisage your journey and set realistic goals, anticipate the tough days that are coming and what positive tricks you will do to stay on your path. 

 

4. Throw away the weighing scales - weighing scales positively associate less weight with more health, e.g. starving yourself may provide weight loss but it’s not a healthy habit and normally leads to a binge. We’re in this for the long term win. 

 

5. Find lasting contentment - the ability to feel happy with what you have. Feeling grateful for what you have already is an essential component to health.

Tip - use the 5 minute journal as seen in The New York Times and Fortune magazine - https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/the-five-minute-journal

 

6. Try something different - there is likely a few ways of reaching your goal. If you have been unsuccessful in the past, simply try an alternative method. Search online what works best for you.

 

7. Accept you CAN change - ‘I can't do that’. Sometimes said out loud or internally. Either way with incremental steps, people do reach goals that originally appear out of reach. Stay positive.

 

8. Listen to natural intelligence - your body and mind are amazing and will give you signals through your nervous system about how you're adapting. If you work with your body and don't ignore signals, your body will reward you.

Tip - invest in a health care professional who can reliably analyse your body and nervous system.

 

9. Momentum -  eat well/sleep well/move well - the body is influenced by these three areas and positive momentum will greatly influence the likelihood of your success.

 

10. Avoid comparison - there is always someone out there who is better than you at something. The mindset of comparison can lead to damaged self esteem which is not related to how well you are actually doing on your journey.

 

11. Take 10 minutes each day - 90% of the most successful individuals on our planet as interviewed by Tim Ferris have a mindfulness or meditation routine they perform daily. 

Tip - the one I use is ‘Headspace’. This is a platform for individuals to learn how to take a 2 second pause between emotion (feeling/thought) and action (behaviour). 

 

12. For true health and happiness - once on your journey towards a healthier wellbeing keep in mind your friends and family who are supporting you and encourage them in their own personal journey.