Have you made any resolutions for 2014? You are not alone. More than 45% of people make New Year’s resolutions. Here’s how to keep them.
The University of Scranton Journal of Clinical Psychology reports that the top 5 resolutions made by Americans are:
- Lose Weight
- Get Organized
- Spend Less, Save More
- Enjoy Life to the Fullest
- Staying Fit and Healthy
Despite the fact that almost half of all people make resolutions, only about 8% report successfully achieving their resolutions and about 49% have “some” success with their resolutions. Here are 5 ways to keep those resolutions and join that successful 8%.
- Make sure it’s for you (#1, #4, #5): Most people who begin a fitness journey have an “aha!” moment. That’s a moment when they determine that they are ready to make the choice to live a healthier lifestyle. Whether it’s to improve health, improve stamina, lose weight or just feel better, the decision has to be for you, not for someone else. Ask yourself: do I really want to do this? How important is it to me? Am I doing it for me or because someone is making me feel bad about myself? When you focus on making the decision for you, you are more likely to stick with the goal of losing weight or staying fit and healthy. You are also more likely to look on your fitness journey as a way to enjoy life to the fullest.
- Use apps to make the most of your efforts (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5): Yes, this tip helps you with all of the top five resolutions! Accountability and tracking are key in achieving any goal, whether it’s made at the New Year or in the middle of July. Don’t let the thought of tracking your progress get you down! It’s a great way to get your grocery lists and meal planning organized. Here are a few to get you started:
- My Fitness Pal: Keeps track of your calories and your calorie burn. It has an amazing database of foods and recipes (including take out and restaurants!), just search and include. You can also enter your own recipes, save them, and accurately count the caloric intake. It works.
- Map My Fitness: If you’d like to track your workouts at the gym even more effectively, then this app is for you. Record your workout details, including duration, distance, pace, speed, elevation, calories burned, and then share it with your friends for increased accountability.
- Fooducate: Sure, it has weird name, but this great app does a lot more than simply help you track your food. It gives you detailed info on each food, helping you make better choices, both for your lifestyle and for your budget. As they say, it’s almost like having a dietitian on speed dial. Choosing smarter helps you make better grocery lists, simplify your life and save money (as well as meet your fitness goals).
- paceDJ: Music is a motivator and keeps us on pace to achieve the individual session goals. This nifty app allows you to choose the tempo for your activity and then creates a playlist. Or, you can let it determine your pace and have it choose songs with a similar tempo.
