New Year Resolutions

New Year Resolutions

Didn't find your answer?

It is the time of the year when papers and adverts will be full of weight loss, stop smoking, find your perfect partner, new year new you etc etc.

This year as you know will not be any different any other year. The books about "how to"  and diet business carry on because we simply do not achieve our goals/good intentions we set.

I would like to try and address this from a slighlty different angle - not here is my list of resolutions.

Has anyone acheived their new year resolutions? What made you so different? 

How does one acheive their resolutions/goals etc. It requires a change in mindset rather than here is my wishlist? What is that change? 

I fall into the massive majority - here is my wishist. I spend massive amount of money of gym membership, diets books/food. I have a wiifit and ex bike - used about 4 times in the whole year.

This year I want to change and not give in to the herd - join a gym, diet club. Come Feb/Mar - "Can't be bothered I have too much work".

So it does not the spending of money that will achieve my goals it requires a massive change in my brain. This is where you lovely AW folks come in. Help!!!

Replies (7)

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By taxhound
02nd Jan 2011 18:43

Get a dog!

Then you HAVE to go out for a walk, every day, rain or shine.

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By FirstTab
02nd Jan 2011 18:52
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By cymraeg_draig
02nd Jan 2011 19:19

Dump the gym membership and save yourself a fortune.

Sell the Wiifit & bike.

Try natural excercise - what the body was designed for - namely walking.  Take up a hobby like landcape or wildlife photography & you'll soon find yourself walking miles.  Take up a sport - just for fun.  Maybe volunteer at your local animal shelter - walking the dogs, cleaning out the kennels, it's all good excercise.

Why waste your life stuck inside some boring gym when you could ectually enjoy excercise and see new places or do something useful while you do it ?

And if you want a new years resolution - resolve not to put up with any more HMRC incompetence and stupidity and go for their throats every single time they screw up (which is most days).

 

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By cheeeetah
03rd Jan 2011 17:55

The New Year Resolutions.......But how?

There are (I guess) two general methods of giving up something – ie changing ones conduct:
a)    This can be done by force (threats of punishment if transgressing), or
b)    Deciding to change.  Something you want to do.

With the first, having a policeman-type standing by, forcing you to stop, does not get rid on the underlying decision/urge.  It just supresses it.  The second is better, as it does impact on the source of the trouble: the decision to do it or not do it.  

Well, here is one way I read about some time go, which is helpful:
Tackle each resolution separately:
Say smoking:  Get a bit of paper a list out what is good about smoking (on one side) and what is good about NOT smoking on the other side.   Put down all the silly reasons and all the important ones etc etc until you have the lot written down.  Now, review them and decide what is the right thing to do....continue or not.  Hopefully there will be a clear-cut obvious way to go with the question.  One side will look more sensible than the other. 

Sometimes it helps to remember why you started smoking (or whatever it is being decided upon).  That first time, when you wanted to impress someone or something like that.

Then tell all your friends you have decided to continue (or not).  That helps a bit.

With smoking there is the druggy aspect to deal with too so, if you did decide to give up smoking, you need to support the decision with a practical scheme of how to get through the cold turkey.  Maybe the pads are needed to wean one off the nicotine drug.  Or maybe you’re the super strong type that just says, "That’s that!" and no more smoking afterwards.  However, consider a strategy to help with the practical changes. (Maybe, how to deal with spouse's reaction to the change "I will tell him/her the doctor told me I must give it up".  And what about the smokers club membership?)

Good luck!

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By David Winch
07th Jan 2011 11:50

Don't Torture Yourself

As others have said, the key is regular exercise.  Don't kid yourself though.  Walking up the stairs once a day isn't going to do it!

On the other hand, having some [***] (aka Personal Trainer!) forcing you to hurt yourself several times a week isn't a long-term enjoyable pastime either.

Find yourself some activity that you can do without really thinking about it, that you do while you're enjoying something else, and stick at it because you want to, because you enjoy it.

If you're pretty unfit, you'll probably find you need to exercise your limbs first, without getting too out of breath.  After a while you'll discover that you can give your heart and lungs a work out too.  Then it becomes a game of leapfrog as strength, stamina and suppleness take it in turns to be your weakest and strongest links.

My belief is that many more people under-exercise than over-eat.

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By NBWNBW
07th Jan 2011 14:50

Set the goals correctly

The goals (resolutions) should be realistic and specific.  'Lose weight' or 'get fit' are not specific enough.  'Lose four stone' is probably unrealistic.

One you have achieved a goal ('lose half a stone' or 'run two miles') you will be motivated to go on further ('run two miles in less than 20 minutes', perhaps).

Good luck

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By Shirley Martin
09th Jan 2011 18:04

Hungry, incentive, target and enjoyment

Hungry:  For years I tried dieting and exercising but didn't stick at it.  Even when my husband changed his ways, due to a heart attack at 47, I couldn't motivate myself.  I just wasn't hungry for change.

Incentive:  Then I got breast cancer.  After successful treatment I was told lose weight, change my diet and exercise.

Target:  I set myself a target weight loss of 30 lbs.  I lost 20 lbs through using my husband's exercise kit at home but then got bored and plateaued.

Enjoyment:  Then I switched to swimming, which I enjoy - except during January and February when the poll is crowded for some reason!  I set myself a new target of swimming 5 hours per week.  For me this equated to swimming 6 miles a week doing breaststroke - the most beneficial stroke for breast cancer patients.  It was difficult to find the time with a part time job and disabled mother to care for but I had a good incentive - no more cancer.

For 2010 I set myself a target of doing a Swimathon.  For my first swim in the pool in September 2009 I swam 16 lengths in just under one and a half hours.  The Swimathon in April 2010 meant doing 200 lengths in 3 hours - a sixfold increase in speed, not to mention the distance.  I did it in 2 hours 45 minutes.

I still have my incentive and for 2011 my target is to swim an average of 26 miles per month - still works out at 6 miles a week but means I have to make up for those weeks which individually fall below 6 miles.  I have now also reached my target weight loss of 30 lbs.

I hope you find your (non life threatening) incentive and an enjoyable way of meeting your own target.  Don't beat yourself up those times you don't quite manage it.  After all, every time you do manage it is an improvement on what you've done in the past.

Good luck

Shirley

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