Can't never could.

As we move forward with our resolutions and strive to break a bad habit or create a new one on a daily basis, let's think for a moment- is this realistic?  Did you set achievable goals?  We have to take one step at a time and be patient with our progress.  No one ever said, "I'm going to run a marathon today" and accomplished a run of 26.2  miles without a lot of dedication and training before the big day.

Being a group fitness instructor, I see 100's of people hitting the gym in January with BIG goals.  The trick to success in developing motivation to stick to your goal is a gradual start.  Yesterday in an intense strength and endurance class I taught there were two new students.  They struggled the entire class and sat out to catch their breath half the time.  I commend them both for trying, but it was very obvious they left feeling like they failed.  What are the chances they will come back?  Very slim I would guess.

We tend to get impatient very quickly when it comes to losing weight.  There is not a magic pill.  It takes commitment, motivation, and patience.  AND, we have to be logical in how to make that happen.  Baby steps.  Measure your success every two weeks.  Don't get on the scale twice a day!  Your body weight can fluctuate up to 6 lbs daily due to water.  I recommend measuring circumference of your waist, hips, thighs and arms with a measuring tape and just stay off the scale altogether.  Another form of measuring your success is body fat %.  You can have this done in just about any gym with a personal trainer.

So... before we get any further into January setting ourselves up for failure because our New Year's resolutions aren't realistic, let's rethink and re-plan our next few weeks with goals that are attainable!  Smaller waists and firmer butts is what we all want and if you find yourself saying I can't, then do something you can!