The #1 New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight and unfortunately most people quit their plan and lose motivation before February 1st. The next eleven months are then centered around getting back on a consistent food and exercise plan.
Before you know it, the next year is here and weight loss is still your #1 resolution. This cycle sounds like the definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome.
Well, 2014 is the year that the insanity stops! Here are 3 tips to make 2014 the year you permanently achieve your weight loss goals and ignite your metabolism.
Tip 1 – Shift your mindset, it’s all about 1%.
By January 1st, the excess bloat and weight gain through the holidays makes us want to get it off as quick as possible, which triggers the “all in” and quick fix mindset. This puts us in a state where we don’t care how the weight comes off, we just want it off! This momentum can work for a couple weeks but then life gets busy again, motivation begins to drops, we’re less rigid with our food plan and workouts are missed.
The most effective adjustment is to shift your mindset from “all or nothing” to 1%. Imagine creating 1% health improvements every day for the next 365 days. Every 1% improvement becomes a little victory to build upon. The key to winning this new year is working small incremental changes into your lifestyle so that they become a permanent way of life.
Tip 2 – Food is your foundation.
Once you have the right mindset, the next step is getting the right information. Unfortunately the average dieter is drawn to the hype of quick weight loss and buys a new diet book every 90 days! The reality is there is no workout that can out work a bad diet. Just like in life, true change is created by implementing the right plan consistently. Eating “right” is as simple as “eating in 3’s”, which means enjoying a meal every 3 hours with a balance of protein, fat and carbs. This way of eating stabilizes your blood sugar, balances your hormones, protects your muscle, burns your body fat and reprograms your metabolism.
The cool thing is you can also eat the foods you love. Just follow these portion size recommendations based on your hands:
For women – 1 palm of protein, 1 fist of carbs and a thumb of fat every 3 hours
For men – 2 palms of protein, 2 fist of carbs and a full thumb of fat every 3 hours
Here’s a FREE Jump Start plan to help you master your food in 2014:
http://venicenutrition.com/jumpstartfemale.aspx
http://venicenutrition.com/jumpstartmale.aspx
Tip 3 – Workout Smarter.
Once your mindset is 1% and you’re eating in 3’s, now it’s time to learn how to maximize fat burn by optimizing your exercise. If you enjoy your workout, you are less likely to quit. Here are two great ways to keep your workouts fun, challenging and productive.
1). Choose exercises that you love. There is nothing more boring or monotonous than mindless exercise. So find things you love to do! Maybe it’s a sport like tennis, racquetball, basketball or soccer. Maybe it’s joining a running or cycling club. Maybe it’s getting active with your family by going on hikes, playing pick-up football games or my personal favorite, rockin indoor trampoline dodge ball at Skyzone. My point is this… get out and explore activities that you’re passionate about and actually look forward to doing.
2). Activate your core- whether you’re doing push-ups, cardio, cleaning the house or sitting at your desk, strengthening your core is the best way to stay strong, burn fat and prevent injuries. Your fat is burned in your muscle so the more muscle you use throughout the day, the more fat your burn. Basically your core starts right under your chest and ends about your mid-thigh, and is comprised of your entire abdominal and hip region. Your core is involved in every movement. The stronger your core, the stronger your body and the more calories you burn! It’s very easy to activate your core; simply sit or stand up straight and pull your shoulders back. Next, pull your belly button into your stomach and tighten all the muscles in your stomach and back.
You’ll feel a big difference when your core is activated and when it’s not. Start practicing by activating your core 5 times a day for 3 to 5 minutes. Then build up to 5 times a day for 10 to 15 minutes and in no time you’ll be keeping your core tight all day long and making your body the powerful machine that it is!
There you have it… 3 easy tips to make 2014 the year you truly take back control of your health and kick all future weight loss resolutions to the curb!
Happy New Year!
Mark Macdonald, Creator of the Venice Nutrition System and Author of NY Times Bestselling Book, Body Confidence
