Welcome to 2025. Time to refocus on what you want for your life.
Is your health or weight on the list of things you want to change this year? You are not alone; 45% of us set losing weight as a New Year’s resolution. But, setting the goal and making it happen are two very different things. Only a quarter of people who make resolutions keep them for the full year. But don’t be discouraged. WEIGHT LOSS IS ACHIEVABLE, and with some planning, discipline, and the right tools, you can turn your resolution into a reality.
Here are some tips on making 2025 the year you reach your weight loss goal! Come with us on the journey…
What is your weight loss goal?
Write down your weight loss goal (goals written down are more likely to be kept). For example, “Lose 20 kgs”. Write it in big letters; make it real. Fantastic—this is where you’re heading, your kilo DESTINATION. By the end of 2025, this is the weight you want to have reached.
- Make it realistic
- Make it specific
- Write it down
But this kilo goal is not actually your resolution.
Your resolution is what you are going to do to help you reach that goal...
DECIDE ON 3 SMALL STEPS
Now that you know where you want to head, you need a way to get there.
So, next write down 3 small steps you resolve to do to help you achieve your goal—make this for 1 month only. For example, “I will walk 3x a week in February,” “I will replace 2 meals a day with FastFx for 4 weeks,” and “I will weigh myself every day for 4 weeks”.
- Make them specific and clear
- Make them quantifiable
- Make them time specific
It’s good to make your steps small and time specific because smaller steps are more manageable and achievable. At the end of each goal reached, reevaluate. You achieved your steps in February; could you extend those into March?
WORK OUT WHAT GETS IN YOUR WAY
Now, next to each step, write down the things that stop you from achieving that step. The things that cause you to slow down, detour, or even crash. For example, you might find it difficult to control your calories at work drinks, or you stop exercising when the weather gets cold. Identifying and addressing your roadblocks will help you stay the course. To help with this step, check out our article.
PLAN TO ADDRESS THE ROADBLOCKS
Next to each thing that gets in your way, make a plan to address it. For example, if you are tempted to snack after work, arrange to meet a friend to go for a walk so you keep busy until dinner time, or schedule a task to do in that time to keep you away from the fridge.
HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED?
Your motivation for losing weight is the fuel to help keep you moving forward. Understanding WHY you want to lose weight is what will keep you progressing. Just deciding to lose 20 kg isn’t enough—you need to dig deeper into WHY you want to lose the weight. It might be so you can play with your kids, or lower your blood pressure, or feel great in your wedding dress. If you haven’t discovered your WHY, check out our article.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS—Weigh yourself regularly.
Weighing yourself regularly is essential to keeping your resolutions. When you weigh yourself daily, you see, early on, if you’re getting off track, and you can make changes accordingly. Seeing the scales going down will encourage you and make it easier to keep at it. Research has shown that people who weigh themselves daily lose more weight than those who don’t.
DON’T GIVE UP
All journeys have stops and starts. Sometimes we slow down, sometimes we stall, and sometimes we crash. But, no matter what happens, if you continue to make some progress, no matter how small, then you will eventually get to your destination. The same is true for weight loss. Don’t let setbacks and slip-ups totally derail you. So you had a pie for lunch? It’s OK—don’t give up! Don’t criticise yourself. Just start again with the next right bite.
Pull yourself out of the ditch and get back on the road. Self-correct at slips before they turn into landslides.
MAKE AN ACTION PLAN
Now make a to-do list. Write all the steps you need to take in order to start making your resolutions happen. For example, call the friend who you want to keep you accountable, or order the FastFx, or join the gym, or buy a new pair of trainers. Write down each specific thing you need to do to start achieving your weight loss goal.
Now you should have a step-by-step to help you complete your New Year’s resolution. You have your end goal and your short-term goals. You have identified things that might stop you from achieving them, thought about ways to over come those possible glitches and created specific steps to get you started.
Now get going; start ticking things off your list.
Start your goal here