The New Year’s Resolution Trap

New Year’s day…it never fails to evoke feelings of hope and renewal, but is it really a trap?

You’ve been handed a proverbial clean slate – another chance to shrug off your bad habits and reach for your dreams.

In an attempt to bottle that New Year’s vigor, you’ll make a few New Year’s Resolutions. But before you put pen to paper, you ought to know this:

It has been reported that 92 % of all New Year’s Resolutions end in failure.

That means that less than 1 out of every 10 people will successful accomplish their resolutions in 2009.

Ouch – those statistics are brutal. Who in their right mind would take the time to make resolutions when failure is that imminent?

As your trusted source for fitness advice, I’d like to coach you though this sticky situation. Yes, most people fail to achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. However, I am going to clue you in on what the 92% do wrong and teach you what the 8% who succeed do right.

First up, the 92% who failed. These well meaning folks shared a common mistake that put the nail in their coffin before they’d even begun.

They bit off more than they could chew.

In all the excitement of becoming a better person and changing their life in the New Year they made the crucial mistake of committing to do too much. But reality set in, a few weeks or even days into their reformed life, and they gave up.

The 92% gave themselves an easy way out. They approached their resolution with an ‘all or nothing’ attitude. Once the ‘all’ became too tough they opted for ‘nothing’. And just like that another resolution ended in failure – end of story.

Now let’s examine the 8% who succeed with their resolutions year after year. The key to their success is quite simple (you may have even guessed it by now).

They set realistic goals.

I’ll repeat that… they set REALISTIC goals.

• Instead of resolving to lose 50 pounds by June, they commit to exercise 3-4 times each week.
• Instead of resolving to give up all carbs, they commit to bring healthy snacks to work instead eating from the vending machine.
• Instead of resolving to drop 3 sizes in 3 months, they commit to losing 1 pound each week until they reach their desired size.
• Instead of resolving to never eat out again, they commit to eating healthy all week and rewarding themselves with one meal out on the weekends.

Did you see the difference?

If you want your resolution to stick then think of something simple and realistic. Sure, it certainly won’t sound as cool as the resolutions that the 92% make – but they aren’t going to keep theirs anyway.

Remember that the whole point of making a New Year’s Resolution is to become a healthier, happier and more successful person. Small changes done consistently will make a big difference.

If your New Year’s Resolution has to do with losing weight and getting into great shape (and whose isn’t?) then guarantee your success by working with a fitness expert who can show you the ropes and guide you to success.

I’d love to team up with you – together we will transform your body in 2009!

Call or email to get started today.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

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Can You Think Yourself Fit?

Wouldn’t it be great if we could attain the body of our dreams just by thinking about it? What if I told you that your mind actually plays the most important role in your success in getting fit? Sounds crazy, but it’s true…

Our subconscious mind has one all-important job, and it succeeds every time. What is this job? To prove that your beliefs are true. Note the wording here: To prove that YOUR BELIEFS are true. Not to point out what is actually true. Nope, though what a difference that would make.

Your beliefs are the truth for your life. It is that simple. Whether or not these beliefs are in fact true doesn’t matter. If you believe something to be true, then your subconscious mind will perceive the universe around you in such a way that makes this belief true.

Here’s an example, if you believe that in general people like you then when you meet a new person your subconscious will point out reasons why this person does indeed like you. You will interpret their smile and handshake in a different way than someone who has the belief that no one likes them.

So how does this relate to your fitness level?

If you have the belief that getting in shape is hard, that eating healthy is boring, or that weight loss is elusive then you will find getting in shape to be very difficult. If you think of yourself as a fat person, or an out-of-shape person, or just an average person then your subconscious mind will do everything in its power to keep you that way.

Wow – isn’t that amazing? Take a minute to let that sink in.

The great thing about our subconscious mind is that we can train it to work for us instead of against us. All we have to do is change our belief.

I’m sure you have heard the term “Believe and Achieve” – many schools have this painted on their walls and it is even printed on T-shirts. Well, the concept is absolutely true and when applied can bring success to your door faster than you thought possible.

It won’t help if you simply think that it ‘isn’t impossible’ or that ‘it could happen someday.’ These aren’t true beliefs.

In order to have your desired result you need to truly believe with every fiber of your being that you will achieve this goal. If you are overweight then close your eyes and picture yourself fit. If you have fifty pounds to lose then think of yourself as fifty pounds lighter.

You will always be what you believe yourself to be.

I have to admit something…I believe that everyone who comes to me can and will get into the best shape of their lives. This belief is so strong that most often my clients also begin to believe in themselves, and amazing results are achieved.

What proof? Contact me today to get started on a personalized fitness plan that will change your shape and improve your quality of life. I believe in you – now it’s your turn.

Take the first step by contacting me today – Because whether you believe you can or you can’t… you’ll always be right.

Get Motivated to Get in Shape and Lose Weight

The problem with losing weight is typically motivation. People are happy just sitting back on the couch and watching TV. How many times have you seen people stop their vehicle in front of the mailbox to get the mail through the window. Why not drive in and park then walk back to the mailbox instead. It all adds up. No, walking down your driveway will not get you in shape unless you live five miles from the main road. But you have to get motivated to shape up and it can start with the little things.

So how do you get motivated? Well, put a photo up of your goal on the bathroom mirror. Remind yourself every day why you need to workout, get in shape and eat properly. There is no reason for you to be overweight unless you just choose to be.

You can learn how to lose weight by listening to motivational CDs or even watching DVDs. One way to stay motivated is to go to a gym. They have exercise classes that will help you get fit. You will begin meeting people who have the same goals that can help you stay motivated. They will make you accountable for participating. Ideally the motivation to exercise should come from within. You should want to be in shape and not be overweight. You just have to want to do it.

The motivation to slim up should be simply to live a healthy life. No, it is not particularly easy or fun, especially if you are not accustomed to doing it. But are you going to be accustomed to having a heart attack? A Stroke? Diabetes? The health benefits of getting fit and losing weight far outweigh the inconvenience.

75% of Americans disagree though. They have no problem with being overweight. The medical community now believes that modern medicine has made it possible to stay alive longer and be obese. It makes people relax about losing the weight.

Why would someone want to be overweight and unfit? You can hear the overweight and out of shape coming a mile away. The huffing and puffing as they make their way down the hallway at work or climbing a set of stairs. They cannot move comfortably toting all that weight around. That alone should be motivation enough to get in shape and lose weight.

Get motivated and reduce your fat. Your life will be much better.

Need help? Contact me

Total Lifetime Fitness Interview

In our Total Lifetime Fitness Radio Network Interview, Kristy Lee talks about how people can stay motivated to follow-through on lifetime training programs and how people can realistically fit exercise into their day. She discusses the childhood obesity epidemic and the long-lasting benefits of sports participation for children. Importantly, Kristy Lee discusses how parents can help their children to become healthier and more active.

Listen to Kristy Lee’s interview here

Lose Weight the Healthy Way

Almost 108 million Americans were overweight or obese in 1999. Even now, obesity continues to be a serious problem and is predicted to reach epidemic levels by the year 2020.

One way to prevent this scenario is to make people aware of the risks of being overweight or obese.

Below are just some of the diseases that you are putting yourself at risk for if you are carrying around extra pounds.

• Heart diease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Hypertension

Losing weight helps to prevent and control these diseases.

The quick weight loss methods, which have spread like wildfire these days, do not provide lasting results. More often than not, dieting methods that involve dietary drinks, foods and supplements or pills do not work. If they do, the results are only temporary.

For your weight loss plan it is better to rely on a healthy weight loss option that will provide you with lifetime results. Successful weight loss is a process. You have to set realistic goals and not expect to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time.

Here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the healthy way:

Tip #1: Do not starve yourself.

The key to a healthier way of losing weight is: Do not diet!

You may seem happy and feel that you are losing that unwanted flab on your belly and thighs by skipping meals, but remember that this would not last long. Your body cannot tolerate having insufficient food to fuel the energy that you use up on a daily basis.

If you get used to skipping one or two meals a day, your stored calories will be used up instead of the energy that should have been provided by your meals. So if you just eat one huge sandwich a day, it will end up going straight to your problem area (eg, thighs, buttocks, hips).

Tip #2: Start your day off right.

Remember your mom telling you that breakfast was the most important meal of the day? Well she was right! Make sure you have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism.

Your food intake after you wake up will be used to burn fat all day long.

Tip #3: Eat small, healthy meals frequently.

Five small-serving meals per day is better than having three hearty meals. Eating more frequently, and in small servings, not only prevents over-eating, but also increases your metabolism making calories burn faster.

Tip #4: Decide on how much weight you want to lose.

Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, it is virtually impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks and keep it off. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy and stay healthy for the rest of your life.

Once you have decided on a weight loss plan or program, stick to it and make sure that you follow your own set of dieting rules.

Tip #5: Drink lots of water.

Your body needs sufficient water to burn fat and keep your cells hydrated and healthy.

Tip #6: Avoid consuming too much sugar.

Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, some bread (preferably whole grain), brown rice or whole wheat pasta, plus lean meat and protein-rich foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be indulgences only once-in-a-while.

Tip #7: Exercise.

Leave your car if you are only going a few blocks from home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle, or skate. Use these activities and other home chores if you are too lazy, or simply can’t make it to the gym for a workout or to take an exercise class. Make sure that you do this regularly and you will not even notice that you are already shedding pounds with these mundane activities.

It does not matter how much weight you plan or need to lose. What is important is that you set yourself realistic goals.

Go slow and be patient. Eat healthy, drink lots of water, and be sure to increase your activity level. This will give you a higher chance of losing weight and improving your health, which will result in a new and healthier you.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

Fitness Tip: Forget the Clock

How often do you check the clock while doing cardio? Doesn’t time crawl when you’re busy staring down those last ten minutes? Instead of focusing on every remaining second think of how great it feels to get into shape. Here’s a great way to enjoy cardio: load an enjoyable audio book onto your iPod – you may even end up doing a longer workout!

Kristy Lee Wilson

Fitness Tip: Surround Yourself with Winners

One of the key qualities of all successful people is that they avoid negative people and they spend the majority of their time surrounded by those who have already achieved what they themselves seek to achieve. Hanging out with people who just talk about their goals, or getting in shape, but never take persistent action will ensure that you never reach your goal.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

Fitness Tip: Know Your Outcome

Have specific goals. Get a photo (or several) of what you WILL look like when you reach your goal, and then focus only on that image. Quickly erase any negative beliefs or images that may enter into your mind during your day.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

www.kristy-leewilson.com

Recovering From Weight Loss Setbacks

It happens to each of us at least once on our weight loss journey. We go on vacation and live a little only to come back and step on the scale. When we do, we’ve gained back some weight and are disappointed. Or, you could be an emotional eater who is going through a personal crisis that results in added pounds.

The next step is the most important one. The choice is between struggling to recover and continuing to slide back into old habits. Before the choice is made, we must realize something about ourselves. It’s okay to slip up. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Forgive yourself and forget that it ever happened.

Setbacks are a part of weight loss and any kind of goal we set in life. There has yet to be a time when everything in our life went according to plan. If it did happen for you, you need to write a book and let the rest of us off the hook. Assuming that it has not, it is something that we must learn to deal with or it will crush us to dust.

If you wisely choose to struggle and recover, try to discover what caused the setback in the first place. The answer will help you to not repeat the same pattern again. A common cause of setbacks in weight loss is emotional eating. Unfortunately, you don’t find out that you are an emotional eater until you get emotional and begin to eat.

Emotional eating is not normal eating. Emotional eaters eat to relieve stress. You don’t have to be hungry. The act of eating something that pleases you releases those same “feel good” endorphins as exercise. It’s a cruel joke, I know, but there it is. The trick is to pinpoint emotional eating before you’ve gained too much weight.

Struggling is not pleasant for anyone. As you battle back, your mind may tell you that you messed up. Learn to ignore it by replacing that negative feedback with positive words of encouragement. Accentuate the positive things about yourself. Are you a star on your job? Tell yourself how good you are at what you do. If you have kids, bask in the knowledge that you are a great mom or dad.

Take on a partner. This person can be trying to lose weight also. They will be in charge of telling you the truth and not just what you want to hear. You will do the same for them. By pointing out the good attributes of someone else, you will learn to do it for yourself.

Weight loss is a lifelong process. Even when you lose the weight, you must work to maintain that loss and continue to be healthy and fit. Don’t give up so early in the game. Learn to deal with setbacks and get on with working towards your weight loss goals.

www.kristy-leewilson.com

 

Should You Exercise At Home Or At The Gym?

Making the decision of where you will go to exercise is a very important step in reaching your fitness goals.  A lot of factors contribute to this decision, and each one should be considered well before you start exercising.  Once you have made a decision on where you will go to exercise, you can then move on to deciding how you plan to work out.

Exercising at home has many advantages.  The finance department is one of the best advantages.  With the gas prices being what they are today, it is quite obvious that you’ll save money on fuel as well as wear and tear on your vehicle by choosing to exercise at home.

Gym memberships can often be quite expensive and may include other things that you don’t really need such as child care or swimming pools.  You also won’t need to be concerned about the latest trends of exercise gear as you most likely will be exercising by yourself at home.

Keep in mind that working out at home does require a bit of financial obligation.  Even though you may plan to run, it is very important that you have good quality running shoes.  This statement applies to any type of equipment that you may purchase to use at home.  If you go out and buy cheap equipment, you’ll probably end up getting hurt or getting frustrated because you aren’t making any progress.

Along with the financial gains, exercising at home may also help those who don’t like to work out in public.  If you are worried about how you look in gym clothes, it is very comforting to know that the only person who has to be with you when you exercise at home is you.  Also, when you exercise at home, you don’t need to worry about time at all.

Those of you who are motivated by being with people you know or come to know while working out away from home, a gym may be a better idea.  At the gym, you’ll also have more of a selection of equipment as well, far more than you’ll have at home.

If you need other services than just weights and equipment, the gym may have just what you need. If you plan to swim a triathlon, you’ll find the swimming pool at the gym to be just what you need to prepare yourself.  Swimming is also a great exercise for your body and cardio, as it will work muscles in your body that you probably didn’t even know you had.

Gyms will also offer you classes that you may find very motivating.  If you attend class on a regular basis, you may be motivated enough to continue so you don’t have to defend yourself when asked where you’ve been or what you have been doing. You can also meet new people in class, or just help others along if you choose.

All in all, making the choice of exercising at home or at the gym is a choice you should make based on your goals and personal preference.  The most important decision you’ll need to make is to determine what type of environment you want to be in and how you want to accomplish the fitness goals you have set for yourself.

Once you have given it some thought and weighed out the pros and cons, you’ll have no problem making the choice.  Always keep in mind that once you’ve made your choice, you can always switch if you aren’t happy with the choice you made.

Get Fit and Stay Fit!

Kristy Lee Wilson

www.kristy-leewilson.com