While I'm thrilled my parking space is back, I hate to see that enthusiasm disappear, taking these new exercisers with it. It's typical for many of our resolutions to lose their luster a few weeks or months into the new year. The question is, why? You may think it's because there's something wrong with you, that you don't have the willpower to stick with it. But, take heart...your failure may be just what you need to reach your goal.
The Thrill is Gone
Resolutions sound so good when you make them, but the reality of reaching those goals is often a far cry from what you imagine.
One key reason we fail is because we usually make resolutions during the holidays--a time of stress, overindulgence and guilt. In How to Make New Year's Resolutions Stick, guest author Pauline Wallin states: "During the month of December people tend to overindulge...we promise ourselves that after the holiday season is over, we will definitely take control...we feel confident about our New Year's resolutions because we have not yet confronted any prolonged physical deprivation or discomfort."
Think about it...how many times have you made the decision to change something because you're feeling guilty? I know I'm guilty of that, usually because I need a way to make myself feel better about my failure. And there are other reasons we abandon our resolutions, such as:
- Lack of results. Not losing weight fast enough? Maybe your weight loss timeline is off-base. There are many factors involved in your body's response to exercise, some of which you can't control: gender, age, goals, intensity of workouts, diet, genetics, and lifestyle (getting enough sleep, reducing stress, etc.). It also depends on how you're measuring progress. If you use a scale, your weight may actually go up if you gain lean muscle (which weighs more than fat). The bottom line is, it could take weeks or months to see significant changes, even as those changes are happening in tiny increments every day that you make healthy choices. Many people give up before they see these results, thinking they're doing something wrong.
- Lack of planning. Making permanent changes in life requires planning. Going from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one involves much more than scheduling a few gym workouts...the rest of your life may have to change to support your goals. Another problem is hitting the gym without a clear idea of what to do. This can lead to confusion, frustration and, for many, quitting.
- Setting unrealistic goals. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, reasonable and trackable. If the goal you set doesn't fit all of those criteria, keeping working on it until it does. Many exercisers set goals to look like celebrities or fit into clothes they wore 30 years ago...but is this reasonable? I wouldn't mind looking like Madonna but that's unlikely to happen without massive plastic surgery. Stick with goals that work for YOUR body, YOUR lifestyle and what you're really willing to do with your exercise time.
- Reality bites. It's fun to imagine yourself exercising, but actually doing it is a whole other matter, isn't it? The first time you break into a run may leave you gasping. Hefting a set of dumbbells for the first time may feel as foreign to you as sprouting wings and flying. It takes time to build strength, power and endurance and allowing your body the time it needs to get used to it is essential for permanent change. That means starting slowly and adding small challenges each week to progress.
- Biting off more than you can chew. Going from sitting in a chair all day to 5 days at the gym is a big change. Huge change...perhaps too much of a change? Your body needs time to get used to exercise and, guess what...your mind does too. When you do too much too soon you run into problems like constant soreness, fatigue, risk of injury and a general feeling of hatred regarding exercise. As mentioned above, easing into workouts gives your mind and body a chance to deal with these new life changes in small doses...this is where permanent change happens.
- Taking yourself too seriously. Getting healthy and losing weight is important...but it doesn't have to be so grim. How we look and feel can be an emotional thing and those emotions sometimes creep into our exercise programs, making them feel like a punishment. Moving around can be something you come to enjoy for other reasons than burning calories and losing weight if you change your attitude
