A whopping 67% of Australians began the New Year with the resolve to leave behind the scallop and chip wrappers of 2011 and lose their unwanted festive season kilos. However, a recent survey of more than 2000 Australians, commissioned by Quickslim Australia shows many may have already fallen off the weight loss wagon.
The survey found that although two thirds of Australians have previously set New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, only 24% of respondents actually achieve their goal that year, with lack of motivation, support and poor goal setting as just some of the hurdles Aussies struggle to overcome.
According to nutritionist Chris Lynton, no matter how much you want to lose weight, there are a few major factors that need to be assessed before you start. “January is a month where people look to get back on track and lose weight after enjoying themselves a little too much over Christmas, but it doesn’t take long to get back into old habits once the New Year gets under way.”
“To ensure you stay motivated, it is important to plan your weight loss carefully using specific, measurable, and achievable goals, rather than one big sweeping ‘I’m going to lose weight this year’ goal.”
According to Lynton, tracking your progress weekly/fortnightly also allows you to identify things that you may need to change with your diet and exercise plan. It also measures your weight loss regularly and keeps you motivated to continue on your mission. Controlling hunger and cravings is one of the biggest challenges when trying to lose weight.
“If you’re already struggling with sticking to your “healthy diet” New Year’s resolutions, don’t be disheartened, simply re-establish your goals, and get going again,” says Lynton. “Part of achieving weight loss long term is learning to fall off the wagon, and get back on board quickly, before too much damage has been done.”
Chris Lynton recommends these 4 fail-safe tips for keeping your 2012 weight loss resolutions on track:
1. Set smart goals. This does not take long. Set aside one Saturday morning to go to a café and spend 10 minutes re-setting your goals. Print them out so you can be constantly reminded. Break down your journey into bite-sized chucks so you can’t fail.
2. Put your goals all around you. Have your goals on your mirror or fridge or somewhere you will see them every day. Put pictures up that will increase your motivation. It might be a killer dress or bikini that you would love to fit into. It might seem cheesy but it works.
3. Get a support system. Get as many buddies as you can and work together to lose weight. Friends provide motivation and support when you most need it.
4. Celebrate your wins. Make sure you celebrate your short-term achievements with things that support your goals – e.g. a holiday or new outfit – but never with food. By celebrating with fatty foods, you will reduce your results and increase your cravings for forbidden foods that you should be cutting out of your life.
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