This may not sit well with you, but it’s something that you need to know, and so I’m just going to come out and say it.
See, the way I see it they’re insulting your intelligence. Who are “they”? THEY are the talking heads you see on TV and hear on the radio. And I’m convinced they’re trying to make you fatter. Every year at about this time all you see, hear and read about are people making the big three New Year resolutions – more money, quit smoking, and to lose weight. Now, I don’t know the success rate of the first two, but as a fitness expert and someone who has helped dozens and dozens of folks lose weight and get in better shape, I can tell you (and statistics prove) that most people who resolve to lose weight in the new year are doomed.
In fact, an article I just read on CNN.com said that most people who have a New Year resolution to lose weight, would fail. In the same article, clinical psychologist Mark Crawford of Roswell, Georgia said that one reason people fail is because they sabotage themselves. I believe this to be true. I’ve seen it myself. You’ll start off in mid to late December telling yourself that you will commit to losing weight starting the new year. Over the weeks building up to the New Year you formulate a plan of sorts… to eat less, make better choices, exercise more, and pick up better habits. And that’s the EXACT roadmap to failure! And that’s why I’m writing you today – to warn you of this impending doom IF YOU’RE ABOUT TO MAKE THIS “NEW YEAR RESOLUTION” MISTAKE. Here’s what I mean.
I’m going to be brutally honest with you, because I can’t see the “media” telling you this truth any time soon. The reason most people fail at losing weight in the New Year is because:
- Your goals are probably un-realistic and so you’re already setting yourself up for failure.
- You’re unprepared. Sure you have a general idea that you want to lose weight. But you most likely do not have a game plan.
- Your goals are unclear.
- You lack support. Because the going will get tough, and your support system is what will see you though to your goal.
Imagine going to another country you’ve never been in before. Now imagine if I handed you a GPS but didn’t give you an address (a goal). You’d probably fail at getting to your destination, wouldn’t you? Now imagine if I said your destination was a house about 150 miles north. Well, you now have a general idea, but you’ll still never get to your destination and therefore fail. Get the picture? Now imagine if I handed you a GPS and gave you the address of the house you needed to end up at. Once you type your goal destination into the GPS, it will give you VERY specific turn-by-turn directions AND a very realistic timeline in which you’ll arrive. It makes sense, right? Yet, nearly 96% of all people who set weight loss goals for the New Year don’t know how much they want to lose. And if they can pin point a number they want to lose – they still don’t have a “turn by turn” game plan to get there.
The reason I’m on this soapbox and having this rant is because I’m sick and tired of good people being misled and being told half-truths. Frankly, I hate the idea of a “new year resolution”. That’s just way too much pressure on anyone. Plus, the way I see it, you can do anything you want, anytime you want. You don’t need to wait till the New Year. If you’re the type of person that I think you are, I’m willing to bet that you can do anything you put your mind to and you can do it whenever you want. Now, if when you want is now, then start now. And if when you want is in the New Year, fine with me, start then. But do it because you made the decision to do it and not because the talking heads on TV and radio influenced you to do it. And now that you know how NOT TO FAIL, you can achieve whatever goal it is that you want to achieve. I believe in you!
Brien Shamp brings you 22 years of experience as a Body Transformation Expert, Personal Trainer, Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach, Massage Therapist, Strength Coach for College & Pro Athletes and Reiki Practitioner. In 2011 he was nominated one of the top ten trainers in the country. Brien has a degree in Biomechanics from UC Davis and extensive graduate studies in Exercise Physiology from SF State. Brien won first place in the Met-Rx World’s Best Personal Trainer Contest in 1999 and was nominated Best in the Bay by KRON 4 for Weight Loss in 2009. He is an active author in Parenting on the Peninsula, Ms. Fitness Magazine and his FREE Blog with thousands of subscribers at www.BrienShamp.com.
