Bikini Season: How do we keep the resolutions we made?
By Trevor Marum
For some people a resolution is something we reserve for once a year and a tradition that is too quickly ignored. To little surprise, next to improving one's finances, increasing one's "health" is at the top of the list. But what does it mean to "be more healthy" or "lose weight" and why by Valentine's Day have most of us forgotten about our resolutions?
The answer often lies in that we really don't know what the resolution means and that is where the battle is already lost. A goal is a specific behavior we intend to achieve (not hope). If you don't even understand what your goal means (i.e. "be healthy") then how will you ever reach it? So don't be vague. Set a specific goal.
Many of my clients when they first meet with me say, "I want to get in shape". Does that mean look like a fitness model or a swimsuit ad? Almost always my clients will agree that is not "achievable" (all of the time); hence, the second part of my advice, make sure your goal is specific and realistic. Instead of wanting to be "in shape", tell me what kind of swimsuit you are hoping to get into this summer - a bikini, a tankini, a full piece, or to wear one for the first time in 5 years in public. Let's look at the new goal, instead of "I want to get in shape", we now say "I want to wear a bikini for my cruise on June 5th". And hidden in this goal is third part of my advice; your goal is best achieved with some motivation like a cruise, a high school reunion, a marathon, etc.
Since not all of us are going on a summer cruise, you may need to look for the motivation elsewhere. With one of my clients we started with why he thought he was unhealthy. Well, for one, his doctor told him so when his cholesterol was 230. His goal was to lower his cholesterol through diet and exercise to 200 by his doctor's appointment in 8 weeks. And if you are paying really close attention you will see the forth element of successful goal setting which is putting a plan and a timeline in your goal.
An action plan is the blueprint of a goal. Just like successful building, if you don't do a detailed drawing you will have inherent structural flaws. This is one of the hardest elements for most of my clients and a primary reason almost all of them have come to see me in the first place. Often referred to as Program Designs in the fitness field, a well-educated fitness trainer can give you specific workouts to help you reach your fitness goals just as a dietician can give you an eating plan. If creating an action plan eludes you, seek a professional.
We've learned how to set goals but how do you actually achieve them. Make a commitment. Saying it is not enough. Write it down or commit to another person and let them hold you accountable; i.e. your personal trainer. This is why I do not feel bad when I charge my client for a session they did not make, unless of course it is for emergencies.
Visualize the goal. What do you look like ten pounds lighter? Can you actually see yourself in the bikini? If you cannot, it is likely that you will not reach your goal as it is too lofty; practice seeing yourself as the healthier you several times a day. Visualize yourself making it to the top of the hill on your bike or taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator. If you laugh when you think of the idea, then you probably aren't really planning on parking at the back of the lot at Costco.
Measure your success. If you are trying to "lose weight" make sure you are actually taking body measurements such as circumference measurements or body fat percentages (a personal trainer can do a skin-fold test to give a more accurate measurement). Using a pedometer is another trick to successful fitness goals.
Let's say you are the type of person who works better in a team environment and gets more done when working in a group (admit it - you never would have finished that science project if it wasn't for your partners) then partner up on your fitness goals also. Join a sports team, a mother's stroller fitness group, hire a personal trainer, or sign up for an adventure travel excursion.
Finally, in my experience how do most people disrupt their own fitness goals? Commonly a person will focus too much on the numbers, not allowing themselves to see other achievements or potentially that the goal has maybe evolved. For example, a client comes to me to lose 15lbs. After I do an assessment, I learn the client has a severe shoulder injury and plans to get surgery in the upcoming months. Therefore it is time to switch goals and not worry as much about the numbers on the scale but instead how to strengthen the weaknesses that caused the injury to begin with so they can actually perform the exercise properly. Gladly I can say we are able to evolve their goal in certain cases to even "avoid surgery". Another way to find yourself at the next New Year's party with champagne glass in hand making the same resolution again for the forth year is that you didn't really care about the goal to begin with. If you have a 100-item list of goals you would like to achieve it is time to make a top ten and then a top five. Make your fitness goal a priority. Maybe this year you need to get your budget under control first before you consider fitting into a new Vera Wang size 4 dress for your best friend's wedding. And if both things are important learn to not make your expectations too high and we can work on getting you into a cute, sleeveless dress before Spring while coming up with less expensive ways to get fit such as joining a local walking club. This way your budget and your fitness goal are both priorities because the only way you will get to your goal is by making it more than a mere midnight toast.
