This is the time of year when all the New Year’s resolutions begin. Everyone starts off with a can-do attitude and it seems like nothing will stand in their way.
But just like every year, life happens. They get busy and finds ways to discontinue their resolution efforts. That’s why most resolutions (and anything for that matter) fail. There’s no plan, no consistency. It’s just a goal.
This New Year, many will create goals of losing weight, losing body fat, fitting into old clothes, etc. While these goals are great, you need a plan to get you there. Not only that, you have to be consistent with that plan to see results.
My goal with this article is to provide you with a plan that allows you to easily accomplish these goals.
So let’s get started!
There are 4 big areas I want to talk about.
1. Strength training
Strength training is a crucial component to losing fat. It helps you retain muscle mass as you lose weight, burns calories, and makes you stronger. If your goal is similar to the goals I mentioned above, you need to be lifting weights.
Here is your plan to follow:
- Strength train 2-3 times per week
- Perform a proper warm up before lifting
- Include all the main movement patterns within your workout
- Include 1-2 intervals per week either at the end of your workout or on a separate day (this could be as simple as 30 seconds on-1 minute off for 10-15 minutes on whatever piece of cardio equipment you want)
2. Nutrition
Nutrition is without a doubt the most important component of any body composition goal. If you are serious about your goals you need to be serious about what you eat. But it’s not rocket science. It comes down to following a few principles consistently overtime.
Here is your plan to follow:
- If you want a calorie count, set calories at 10-11 x bodyweight or 7-8 x times bodyweight if you have a lot of weight to lose (NOTE: you don’t have to count calories if you do not want to)
- Eat 1-2 palm size portions of protein with each meal
- Eat at least 1 fruit and 1-2 fist-sized portions of vegetables with each meal
- Eat at least 15g of fat with each meal
- Drink low or no calories drinks
- Enjoy treat type foods (alcohol, desserts, etc.) moderately each week
- Do not label foods as good or bad, just remember that calories are most important
3. Sleep
Sleep is one of the most overlooked aspect of health and fitness. It is the best method of recovery there is. Not only that, research shows poor sleep leads to more hunger, weight gain, and a weakened immune system. It’s vital that you sleep well.
Here is your plan to follow:
- Sleep at least 7-9 hours per night
- Shut off electronics 30 minutes-1 hour before bed
- Establish a routine before bed to help you get to sleep faster (i.e. shower, brush your teeth, then read a book)
- Make your room pitch black (i.e. use black out curtains, use your phone as an alarm clock)
4. Mindset
This is the one area that can be an all out battle day in and day out. I recently watched the movie Creed. It was an excellent film, and one part stood out to me. There is a scene where Rocky has Apollo Creed’s son Adonis shadow boxing while looking at himself in the mirror.
Rocky says to him “You see that guy staring back at you? That’s your toughest opponent. I believe that’s true in the ring and I think that’s true in life.”
That’s absolutely right. No matter what you do in life, your toughest opponent will always be yourself. There will be days where you don’t want to continue. Days where you want to put other things ahead of your main goal. But I promise you, if you are consistent you will be rewarded.
Here is your plan to follow:
- Determine exactly what your goal(s) is and why it’s important to you, then write this down
- Set a realistic date for when you want to accomplish it
- Each week make a schedule for what you need to do in order to move closer to that goal (i.e. lift 3 x week, prepare meals ahead of time if you know you will be busy)
- Read your goal out loud every morning when you wake up and remember why it’s important to you
- Remind yourself through the day of why your goal is important, especially during those times when you feel like giving up
*****
Most people will tell you not to set any New Year’s resolutions because the majority of people fail. And honestly, most people do fail. But the reason they fail is because they have no plan and lack consistency.
Those are the two biggest pieces of the puzzle. I have given you a plan to follow. And you will get results if you follow it consistently. But it’s up to you to do it. Don’t let any excuse hold you back. Here’s to a great 2016!
Photo credit:
1. https://grow-strategy.com/want-to-grow-your-business
