Join Me in the 8% Group!

I posted this in my Back On Track Together OH Group and OH Blog.  I think it is VERY important as we enter the New Year.  I wanted to share here too on my blog.  I hope you find it as helpful as I did.

Here we are in January, past January 1st.  January 1 – the day of resolutions.  I don’t like resolutions.  I have made so many throughout the years only to experience yet another failure in losing weight.

New Year’s – it provides a sense of hope and renewal.  When I think back over my dieting career and failed to achieve resolutions, is New Year’s a set up?  We’ve been given a clean slate with yet another chance to ditch bad habits of the prior year and reach for your ultimate dreams of losing weight, getting back on track, etc., etc.

It has been reported that 92% of all New Year’s resolutions end in failure!  Less than 1 out of 10 people will successfully accomplish their resolutions in 2009.  Yikes!  So, what do the 8% that reach success do?  How can we BOTT and be in that 8% that succeed?

The 92% that failed took on too much.  The motivation of January 1st can be compromised as we march on throughout the year.  The momentum of a January 1st mindset wanes.  They become overwhelmed by trying to do too much all of a sudden and give up.  Essentially, the resolutions are committing to do too much.  Life and the realities of day to day living set in and in a few weeks or even days into their reformed resolution-filled life, they gave up.

In the 92% group, they approached their resolutions with an “all or nothing” mindset.  Once the “all” was too difficult and overwhelming, they went into “nothing” and gave up.  Poof – another resolution ended in failure and accompanying negative feelings about ourselves.

Enough about the 92%, we want to BOTT be in the 8% group.  With the appropriate and realistic strategy, we can enjoy that 8%.  How do they do it?  They set realistic goals that are attainable.  Create monthly goals to be back on track.  Rather than make your list of goals to be back on track and commit to all of them all at once, break them down into manageable successes.  Be realistic.  For example, in January, commit to drinking 64 ounces of water daily.  In February, commit to exercise/activity 3-4 days a week.  In March, commit to no grazing, etc., etc.  One of my favorite quotes is “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  You don’t climb a mountain or travel a thousand miles all at once.  You success with the mountain or a thousand miles in steps.  Why not apply the same to being back on track?

So, if your ultimate goal is to be/stay on track, try these examples as your action steps:

* Rather than making a resolution to lose 50 pounds by June, commit to exercising a certain number of times each week.

* Instead of commiting to give up all carbs, commit to healthy snacks that are planned into your day.  Pass up the vending machine or baked goods at the coffee cart for healthy options you’ve planned.

* Rather than resolving to drop two sizes in two months, commit to losing weight consistently to reach your desired size.  You’ll get there with the focus on losing weight sensibly.

* Instead of making a resolution to never eat out, commit to eating healthy all week and allowing yourself one meal out on the weekends.

If you want to succeed at your resolution to get back on track, think in terms of realistic steps to get there.  It doesn’t sound as exciting as the resolutions that the 92% group make but they don’t reach them anyway.

The point of New Year’s resolutions are to take advantage of the clean slate, the hope and renewal we feel, along with the possibilities that are ahead.  Small changes made consistently will make the difference to achieve your desired success.

So, here’s to all of us in the 8% group – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Cathy, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator