So, January is here and
my Gym is already full of new people who don’t have clue about how to train,
Gym etiquette or sharing of the facilities.
However, I don’t blame
them, we’ve all been there when we started our fitness journey.
The Gym can be an
intimidating place if you are not comfortable in those surroundings.
The term
“Gym-timidation” has been coined for such a situation.
Sweating, other
people’s sweat, cold iron, Lycra clad ladies and muscle bound blokes in vest
tops are all reasons why the Gym can be unappealing.
The alternative is
working out on your own in the privacy of your own home, however, can you
really motivate yourself to achieve your maximum without the encouragement of
others?
It’s time to shift your
view on Exercise in the Gym, as Body building has lost its appeal and
importance in the fitness community.
The Functional Fitness revolution has changed the way we workout, as we want fitness that helps us outside the gym with exercises that
helps us lift, move, play, dance and recreate ourselves.
The term “fitness”
means adaption to a specific task and
you don’t get that from isolated muscle training. Fitness has 11 components
divided into three categories physical fitness, motor fitness and injury
prevention.
Physical fitness refers
to flexibility, endurance (muscular and heart), strength and speed. Motor
fitness refers to Accuracy, Balance, Power, Agility and Co-ordination.
With this in mind, people
want to exercise for than just health reasons and to lose weight / tone up.
People
also want a challenge, to learn a new skill and get that sense of achievement
that the elliptical or the bicep curl can never bring.
Therefore, it is no
surprise that adventure races involving mud, Bootcamps,
Functional movement
training, Hot Yoga and CrossFit have gained in popularity.
This is because a
community of people working out together to achieve the same goal is more fun
than the loneliness and isolation of your home.
It is not uncommon to pay a
year’s membership to a health club, only to go once and never return, wasting
both precious money and motivation.
Furthermore, working
out in a community is much better when it comes to exercise adherence because
it then becomes a social experience rather than putting earphones on and
jumping on the treadmill, surrounded by people but interacting with no-one
unless they are on a machine that we want to use which brings us full circle
back to Gym-timidation.
Lots of people want to
get fit, let’s make it a social experience and all train together to achieve
the same aim, a better version of ourselves.
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is our specialty at Bulletproofbodies.
We are Physiotherapists and we provide Functional Movement Screening, Orthopaedic assessment, injury diagnosis, Manual Therapy, Exercise Therapy Body Maintenance and Optimisation for you to build a robust and Bulletproof Body.
Being overweight always
comes with several health risks.
The body tends to gain weight due to poor
eating habits, sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical exercises. Today,
health experts and nutritionists emphasize on maintaining a healthy body that
follows BMI (body mass index) standards. However, it's not easy to lose weight
quickly without a proper plan.
Some people opt for
different methods like dieting, exercising, medicines and so on. But experts
say, one can easily reduce weight and optimize his BMI using natural methods
and resources. Let's explore some tips on how to lose body weight in a natural
way.
How can I lose weight
naturally: some killer tips from the experts
* If someone wants to
rely on the natural resources for reducing his weight, he must adopt multifaceted
approach instead of following a single method. He should concentrate on
developing and following a combined plan to influence the systems inside the
body. The methods should be optimized properly to work as a standalone system.
* The natural methods
won't be able to reduce the weight overnight. They take some time and slowly
optimize the systems, burn excess carb and fat inside the body. The process
suits everyone and doesn't expose an individual to any health risks. That's why
most nutritionists and dieticians recommend adopting these natural methods than
anything else.
* Foods and dietary
components play vital role in these natural weight lose concepts. Foods
containing simple carbohydrates are the major reason of fat and carb deposition
inside the body. That's why an individual should remove those ingredients from
his recipes and change his food habits accordingly. This is a secret of natural
weight lose process.
Losing weight
naturally: a comprehensive guide for overweight strugglers
* Carbohydrate plays a
major role in deposition of excess fat and glycogen in different body tissues.
These ingredients are responsible for excess body weight too. So these
ingredients should be avoided as much as possible. An individual should prepare
a plan that's devoid of sugar, flour, rice and starch-rich vegetables.
* Those high carb foods
should be replaced by green leafy vegetables that contain more fibers. The
fibrous vegetables help reducing the body weight potentially. When a person
consumes such vegetables, his bowel habits improves and the excess deposition
of carbohydrate and fat is removed from the body in a natural way.
* Most experts
recommend drinking plenty of water. Water has multiple effects on the excess
glycogen and fat molecules deposited in different tissues of the body. Drinking
plenty of water can easily dissolve those solid deposits into soluble particles
and removes them away from the body through different pores and channels.
* Finally, it's
important to follow a routine, disciplined lifestyle. An individual trying to
lose weight should concentrate on developing proper sleeping habit. He must
plan some time for exercising and vigorous physical activities. It's not easy
to make a single natural weight lose method work! The methods should be mixed
and managed to develop a killer plan to reduce and optimize bodyweight.
Losing weight naturally
isn't possible overnight. An individual can only become successful with his
targets if he follows the rules and bring necessary changes in his lifestyle.
The methods discussed here are considered as the basic approaches towards
natural weight management. Following this will definitely help reducing the
weight over time without exposing the body to any potential threats.
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How hard is it for you
to keep a straight face when one of your friends or family members starts to
tell you how much they enjoy exercise?
They go on to describe,
in detail, their weekly routine of strength training and aerobics. At about the
time they reach the point of telling you about their Thursday kickboxing class,
you're ready to scream.
You'd never be able to
find the time to spend 90 minutes at the gym every day. Needless to say, even
if you could carve out a chunk of time, you can't imagine going on the same
tirade about how much you loved your daily sweat sessions. Wouldn't it be great
if you could tell this person that all of their time spent in the gym is a
total waste?
You might just get your
opportunity to do so. The majority of gym-goers pay for their membership simply
because they want to lose weight or stay slimmed down. But as it turns out,
exercise isn't really the key to weight loss and maintaining an ideal body
type.
The best way to ensure
that you look good in our jeans, and this includes your aerobically attuned
friend, you need to eat right. While exercise is beneficial to your overall
health, bouts of 30-40 minutes four times a week is all you need to reap the
cardiovascular and brain-healthy benefits. However, if looking good is a
priority, above all else, proper diet and nutrition are required for anyone to
stay at a healthy bodyweight for their height.
In fact, exercise might
even backfire if your goal is weight loss. Studies show that most women who
began a moderate or rigorous exercise regimen, during which they exercise 60-90
minutes most days of the week, end up eating more than they had before they
started. Rewarding yourself with a muffin or extra helping of pasta after a
hard workout serves to negate the energy expenditure.
A single muffin might
not seem so horrible. But you might not think so if you realize how much
physical activity it would take to use the calories that a post-workout snack
contains. A single muffin can contain as many as 360 calories. This means that
you would need to mow the lawn for 66 minutes, jog for 33 minutes, lift weights
for 115 minutes or fold laundry for 230 minutes before that muffin is all used
up.
Also, exercise sends
your appetite into overdrive. The human species was not designed for strenuous
physical activity. We were meant to be moderately active throughout our waking
hours. So when we run five miles in the morning, our body compensates this
energy loss with an extra bagel.
And if you think you
have the ability to use will power and discipline to help you sidestep the
pitfalls of increased appetite and using food as a reward, think again. We can
only fight our biological make-up for so long. Ask any yo-yo dieter and binge
eater. The act of fighting against your natural tendencies will only make the
problem worse. You'll end up gaining more weight than what you had initially
set out to lose.
The next time you find
yourself stuck in a conversation with a fitness guru you might want to stop and
remember this article. If there happens to be a blueberry muffin nearby, offer
one to your pro-exercise friend. Hopefully they'll be thrilled by the news of
how much more time they'll need to spend in their favorite place on Earth.
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Intermittent Fasting
(IF) refers to dietary eating patterns that involve not eating or severely
restricting calories for a prolonged period of time. There are many different
subgroups of intermittent fasting each with individual variation in the
duration of the fast; some for hours, others for day(s).
This has become an
extremely popular topic in the science community due to all of the potential
benefits on fitness and health that are being discovered.
WHAT IS INTERMITTENT
FASTING (IF)?
Fasting, or periods of
voluntary abstinence from food has been practiced throughout the world for
ages. Intermittent fasting with the goal of improving health relatively new.
Intermittent fasting involves restricting intake of food for a set period of time
and does not include any changes to the actual foods you are eating. Currently,
the most common IF protocols are a daily 16 hour fast and fasting for a whole
day, one or two days per week. Intermittent fasting could be considered a
natural eating pattern that humans are built to implement and it traces all the
way back to our paleolithic hunter-gatherer ancestors. The current model of a
planned program of intermittent fasting could potentially help improve many
aspects of health from body composition to longevity and aging. Although IF
goes against the norms of our culture and common daily routine, the science may
be pointing to less meal frequency and more time fasting as the optimal
alternative to the normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner model. Here are two
common myths that pertain to intermittent fasting.
Myth 1 - You Must Eat 3
Meals Per Day: This "rule" that is common in Western society was not
developed based on evidence for improved health, but was adopted as the common
pattern for settlers and eventually became the norm. Not only is there a lack
of scientific rationale in the 3 meal-a-day model, recent studies may be
showing less meals and more fasting to be optimal for human health. One study
showed that one meal a day with the same amount of daily calories is better for
weight loss and body composition than 3 meals per day. This finding is a basic
concept that is extrapolated into intermittent fasting and those choosing to do
IF may find it best to only eat 1-2 meals per day.
Myth 2 - You Need Breakfast,
It's The Most Important Meal of The Day: Many false claims about the absolute
need for a daily breakfast have been made. The most common claims being
"breakfast increases your metabolism" and "breakfast decreases
food intake later in the day". These claims have been refuted and studied
over a 16 week period with results showing that skipping breakfast did not
decrease metabolism and it did not increase food intake at lunch and dinner. It
is still possible to do intermittent fasting protocols while still eating
breakfast, but some people find it easier to eat a late breakfast or skip it
altogether and this common myth should not get in the way.
TYPES OF INTERMITTENT
FASTING:
Intermittent fasting
comes in various forms and each may have a specific set of unique benefits.
Each form of intermittent fasting has variations in the fasting-to-eating
ratio. The benefits and effectiveness of these different protocols may differ
on an individual basis and it is important to determine which one is best for
you. Factors that may influence which one to choose include health goals, daily
schedule/routine, and current health status. The most common types of IF are
alternate day fasting, time-restricted feeding, and modified fasting.
1. ALTERNATE DAY
FASTING:
This approach involves
alternating days of absolutely no calories (from food or beverage) with days of
free feeding and eating whatever you want.
This plan has been
shown to help with weight loss, improve blood cholesterol and triglyceride
(fat) levels, and improve markers for inflammation in the blood.
The main downfall with
this form of intermittent fasting is that it is the most difficult to stick
with because of the reported hunger during fasting days.
2. MODIFIED FASTING -
5:2 DIET
Modified fasting is a protocol
with programmed fasting days, but the fasting days do allow for some food
intake. Generally 20-25% of normal calories are allowed to be consumed on
fasting days; so if you normally consume 2000 calories on regular eating days,
you would be allowed 400-500 calories on fasting days. The 5:2 part of this
diet refers to the ratio of non-fasting to fasting days. So on this regimen you
would eat normally for 5 consecutive days, then fast or restrict calories to
20-25% for 2 consecutive days.
This protocol is great
for weight loss, body composition, and may also benefit the regulation of blood
sugar, lipids, and inflammation. Studies have shown the 5:2 protocol to be
effective for weight loss, improve/lower inflammation markers in the blood (3),
and show signs trending improvements in insulin resistance. In animal studies,
this modified fasting 5:2 diet resulted in decreased fat, decreased hunger
hormones (leptin), and increased levels of a protein responsible for
improvements in fat burning and blood sugar regulation (adiponectin).
The modified 5:2
fasting protocol is easy to follow and has a small number of negative side
effects which included hunger, low energy, and some irritability when beginning
the program. Contrary to this however, studies have also noted improvements
such as reduced tension, less anger, less fatigue, improvements in self
confidence, and a more positive mood.
3. TIME-RESTRICTED
FEEDING:
If you know anyone that
has said they are doing intermittent fasting, odds are it is in the form of
time-restricted feeding. This is a type of intermittent fasting that is used
daily and it involves only consuming calories during a small portion of the day
and fasting for the remainder. Daily fasting intervals in time-restricted
feeding may range from 12-20 hours, with the most common method being 16/8
(fasting for 16 hours, consuming calories for 8). For this protocol the time of
day is not important as long as you are fasting for a consecutive period of
time and only eating in your allowed time period. For example, on a 16/8
time-restricted feeding program one person may eat their first meal at 7AM and
last meal at 3PM (fast from 3PM-7AM), while another person may eat their first
meal at 1PM and last meal at 9PM (fast from 9PM-1PM). This protocol is meant to
be performed every day over long periods of time and is very flexible as long
as you are staying within the fasting/eating window(s).
Time-Restricted feeding
is one of the most easy to follow methods of intermittent fasting. Using this
along with your daily work and sleep schedule may help achieve optimal
metabolic function. Time-restricted feeding is a great program to follow for
weight loss and body composition improvements as well as some other overall
health benefits. The few human trials that were conducted noted significant
reductions in weight, reductions in fasting blood glucose, and improvements in
cholesterol with no changes in perceived tension, depression, anger, fatigue,
or confusion. Some other preliminary results from animal studies showed time
restricted feeding to protect against obesity, high insulin levels, fatty liver
disease, and inflammation.
The easy application
and promising results of time-restricted feeding could possibly make it an
excellent option for weight loss and chronic disease prevention/management.
When implementing this protocol it may be good to begin with a lower
fasting-to-eating ratio like 12/12 hours and eventually work your way up to
16/8 hours.
COMMON QUESTION ABOUT
INTERMITTENT FASTING:
Is there any food or
beverage I am allowed to consume while intermittent fasting? Unless you are
doing the modified fasting 5:2 diet (mentioned above), you should not be eating
or drinking anything that contains calories. Water, black coffee, and any
foods/beverages that do not contain calories are OK to consume during a fasting
period. In fact, adequate water intake is essential during IF and some say that
drinking black coffee while fasting helps decrease hunger.
IF YOU JUST WANT THE
BENEFITS:
Research on
intermittent fasting is in it's infancy but it still has huge potential for
weight loss and the treatment of some chronic disease.
To recap, here are the
possible benefits of intermittent fasting:
Shown in Human Studies:
1. Weight loss
2. Improve blood lipid
markers like cholesterol
3. Reduce inflammation
4. Reduced stress and
improved self confidence
5. Improved mood
Shown in Animal
Studies:
1. Decreased Body Fat
2. Decreased levels of
the hunger hormone leptin
3. Improve insulin
levels
4. Protect against
obesity, fatty liver disease, and inflammation
5. Longevity
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So you want to start
the New Year with an exercise routine, good for you!
The key to creating a
long-term habit of exercise is to choose the right level of intensity for your
mind and body.
Basically, if you've
been a couch potato for the last five years, it would be half-assed crazy
stupid foolish to start working out hard-core six days a week (and I mean half-assed
crazy stupid foolish in the most loving way!).
Too Much Too Soon =
Burnout
Simply put, your body
is not ready for extreme change all at once. Yes, you can get there eventually,
but it's not safe to dive into Crossfit classes six days a week when you
haven't even walked around the block in six months.
The likelihood of
injury is very high when you don't have as much strength, flexibility or body
awareness as you used to. Not only that, but your brain is going to become
exhausted and burnt out with too much change, and it won't be long until you're
right back where you started: on the sofa. But this time, your ankle is wrapped
because you strained it and you can't straighten your leg because you pulled
your hamstring!
Start Out Slow
The government officially
recommends that we get 30 minutes of moderate exercise, 6 times a week. It says
"moderate," not even vigorous. That means movement like walking,
stretching, or body weight exercises are appropriate and entirely acceptable.
Start here and then progress to the harder stuff when you are physically and
emotionally ready.
Can you even touch your
toes? That would be a great place to start.
If you're already doing
some sort of exercise, this still applies to you. When you're ready to amp it
up, just kick things up a notch. One notch, not five notches. Choose a goal
that will push you just enough.
Before you begin your
new routine, ask yourself the following questions:
1. When was the last
time you exercised?
2. If you've stopped,
why did you stop? If you've been consistent, how long have you been at this
level of intensity?
3. How do you feel
about exercise? Do you look forward to it, or it is a chore?
Keep in mind that
exercise is not a magic eraser for the French fries and hamburger you had for
dinner last night. Exercise will never make the calories you ate disappear; it
is simply a bonus-extra credit-for your body and health on top of your healthy
diet.
How are you ramping up
your exercise routine?
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Looking at the 'goals'
board recently made me think about the targets we set ourselves sometimes in
CrossFit.
I saw everything from the common muscle up holy grail, to pull ups
and the hair-pulling movement for many... 'double unders'.
Now a lot of the listed
items have been on there for a while. How many of us can say... yep got those
handled..in the bag!??? Not many of us! Have we got better at them???.. maybe.
If we have we've probably used that 'individual weaknesses' time to our benefit
or have plenty of open gym time to play with. Or, are those goals maybe
unrealistic in the short to medium term?
Right now... I am
always going to suck at Handstand Press Ups and lifting overhead, I'm OK with
that, but that's down to a shoulder mechanics issue.
Long term I'm hoping my
biomechanics therapist can get me to a point where my lower back isn't forced
into a ridiculously compromised position to make up for my shoulder range but I
don't think they will ever be a strong point of mine.
So should they be a goal
high up the list of priorities or a work in progress? Anyone who's done a
fitness or development course will have come across SMARTT goals (Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Targeted or Timed).
Now I'm not suggesting
writing a list using SMARTT but you get where I'm going I hope. High rep
bodyweight Handstand Press Ups are unrealistic for me right now so I scale
while I work on the mechanics. They may never be where I want them to be..but
again, that's OK. It's not the end of the world as there's plenty of other
things to work on in CrossFit.
"How do I get more
kipping pull ups? Just do more kipping pull ups!" This is a pretty common
CrossFit coaching quote... who from originally... I've no idea but you can sub
the movement to anything pretty much where that line gets used.
Things aren't
always as simple as that though. Especially if you are missing components of
the end goal. If you have poor core control, no gymnastic hollow awareness, or
a lack of pulling strength are you going to get more kipping pull ups?
Are you
going to nail muscle ups if you have no dip or dead hang pulling strength
(10-15 pull ups and dips seem to be the common strength requirement in most
CrossFit literature) or cannot stay in the false grip? Are cleans ever going to
feel efficient if you don't release your grip in the rack? Will the overhead
squat always be your nemesis if you've never opened up your pectoral and
shoulder restrictions?
Breaking down the elements of why you may not be getting
something handled can be a helpful exercise.
One thing you don't see
on many goal boards across CrossFit is good positions. E.g. the
air/front/overhead squat position. Yet you may see a certain PB weight goal for
any of those movements plus the clean and snatch may be in there too.
Positions
seem to get dismissed quite easily though and we sometimes accept poor
positions as unchangeable. This could be inefficient patterned movements that
have developed over time.
Perhaps in the power clean, where some may hitch the
bar at the thighs, breaking up the momentum of the lift. Or possibly arching
your back to receive the bar in a muscle clean instead of using a quarter
squat. Poor movement positions can also be biomechanics based as we know.
What
if your knee caves dramatically under load during a squat or your chest lowers
to your knees during squatting? Is correcting that not a worthy goal, and what
have you potentially done to fix it... and is it correctable? Won't good
positions lead to progress, improved function and PB's anyway over the long
haul?
It again comes back to
what value you attach to it and just maybe that little devil on your shoulder
again plays a part... the ego.
Sometimes the functional aspect of the type of
fitness we choose to do gets put into the back of the drawer along with those
nasty Christmas jumpers you may be getting this year (though bad jumpers seem
to be trendy this season)!
Taking one or two steps back to make one forward is
hard for us to do but it could be the difference to reaching a realistic goal
or not. Getting the pieces better could be easier than just hammering that goat
movement as a whole.
From another perspective, if suggestions to improve
technique and positions fall on deaf ears, spare a thought for how it reflects
on your gym and maybe your coaches. Our goals for you as members may not be
getting met.. along with yours. New Year resolutions are close... just saying
like!
With that to reflect on
this week have a very Merry Christmas all! Eat well, drink well and party with
loved ones! Then come back brighter to work off all that seasonal excess with
maybe some new focus for 2018.
For more information go
to http://spartanstrength.co.uk/
Sean Murray is a
Manchester CrossFit Trainer & BWL Level 1 Olympic Weightlifting Asst. Club
Coach in Castlefield. He also runs his own boot camp in Moston, North
Manchester. Hw trains clients to help meet their weight and fitness goals. He
also works with performance athletes such as Triathletes and Rugby League
players to improve their work capacity and weaknesses.
It is the beginning of
another year and your New Years resolution to lose weight and attain your ideal
figure is waiting for you to act. If you are like 90% of People, you may
fail unless you take the right steps.
You can begin a New
Years resolution at any time. A perfect time to honestly reevaluate the last 12
months-right along with hundreds of thousands of people around you - is the
first month or two of a new year.
At the beginning of
every year, people all over the planet make a very firm New Year resolution
that they will lose weight, eat healthier, and start exercising.
Experts who study human
behavior run the numbers on who really sticks with their resolutions. By the
end of January, only about 10% of people succeed at keeping their resolutions.
That means 90% of the people who made resolutions have already failed at them
by the end of 30 days.
Who really wants to
wait another eleven long months until to start losing weight again with one
less year in their lives?
Now, you can succeed,
if you follow what the successful 10% of the people do. Here are five steps
that work to begin keeping your New Years resolution.
Step 1. WRITE down your
resolution
When you make a
resolution, put it into writing. Take a pen or pencil and put your resolution
words down onto a real piece of paper. Experts find that if you don't write it
down, it won't happen. A goal of any type takes shape when you write it out.
Otherwise, it's just a thought that will vanish in a moment.
Step 2. Conquer
Procrastination
One of the main reasons
people fail at New Year's resolutions is procrastination. There is always
tomorrow, they reason. Or they wait until the weather is better or "when I
feel like it." The problem is tomorrow is always a day away. To lose weight,
you have to take action today, even if it is a small step.
Step 3. Get Support
The right environment
is very important to succeeding. Most people aren't even aware how much support
affects achievement. Positive, like-minded people who want to lose weight are good
companions to keep you on track when things get tough.
Step 4. Create a
Detailed Plan
It is one thing to
write down a goal of losing 10 or 20 pounds, another thing to actually do it.
You need to make a concrete, detailed plan that outlines which foods you are
going to eat; how much of them you will eat; when and how much you will
exercise and so on. Anyone who makes a New Year's resolution to lose fifty
pounds without writing down a detailed and specific plan for doing so is bound
to fail.
Step 5. Make your
Resolution SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE
Get specific about your
weight loss goals. You need to define the little steps that add up to real
success. Unless you can measure the results, you'll never know when you've
completed a step and are ready for the next one.
Most of us have made
vague types of New Year's resolutions, such as "I'm really going to get
into shape." Vague resolutions never work. What kind of shape do you want
to be in? How many pounds do you want to weigh? What body measurements do you
want to have? How much body fat or muscle mass?
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It is that time of the
year when a lot of us reminisce about what we have accomplished over the past
12 months, and, start thinking about new goals and objectives for 2018.
We've been making New
Year Resolutions since as far back as the year 153 B.C. and yet, we still have
trouble with them!
Recent research shows
that while 52% of participants in a resolution study were confident of success
with their goals, only 12% actually achieved their goals!
Here are some of the
most popular resolutions you may identify with:
Losing weight
Getting fit
Eating healthily
Quitting smoking
Reducing stress
Getting organised
Getting out of debt
All around the world,
people will be making one or more of the resolutions on this list over the next
few weeks.
But are Resolutions
just a shopping list for the first week of January? With only a tiny percentage
of people actually achieving their Resolutions, where are we going wrong?
If you want to be part
of that 12% and make some big positive changes in 2018... get ready to uncover
some big mistakes you might have been making...
Mistake #1 Waiting
Until January 1st To Get Started
Why, if something is so
important to you, would you ever want to wait to get it?
If you want it as badly
as you say you do, then surely tomorrow would be too late to get started!
The 1st of January is
probably the worst day ever to get started on your Resolutions.
Why?
Well, for one, a lot of
people will be too hungover to even remember their own name, let alone their
Resolutions!
See, when you decide
what it is that you want to start to do more off, or less off, you have to be
clever, and avoid postponing it until the first week of January. Why wait?
Start right now. Not next week, not tomorrow, right now!
You don't wait until
you're all sweaty and smelly to take a shower, do you? You take a shower
because it is time to take a shower.
Well, it is time for a
change!
Mistake #2 Starting
Working On Your Resolutions When You Are Feeling Less Than Great
Not a good idea! We are
all motivated to move either towards pleasure, or away from pain. Everything we
do is so that we get to be happier, or so that we are not unhappy any more.
Think about your
resolutions individually, and identify what drives you. For example: when it
comes to exercise, some people do it because they think about how great they
are going to look and feel, whilst other people do it because they can't stand
the thought of being fat or feeling unhealthy.
We often resolve to
change things in our lives when we are sad, or angry... and have hit a
threshold; the point of no return.
Once you've reached
your point of no return, that point where you are just so fed up that this is
it...!
Now, you want to make
it so that you look forward to doing the things you need to do.
The better you feel,
the easier it will be to do the things you need to do. When we are tired, sad,
in a bad mood, whatever... we don't feel like doing anything but maybe feel
sorry for ourselves. You need to be able to change your state of mind so that
no matter how you feel at any given moment, you get to feel good as soon as
possible! Why? Because there are things you need to get on with!
This is where NLP comes
real handy. It provides the resources to allow you how to switch your state of
mind in a matter of minutes, seconds even! You get to feel great, now, you are
going to want to do more: exercising, eating healthily, getting organised,
putting a few quid aside... everything seems easier and more enjoyable when we
are feeling great!
Mistake #3 Resolve To
Do Things You Don't Really Want To Do
Most of us spend our
days doing things we don't really want to do, but we have to do. We spend most
of our time doing things for other people. We have responsibilities,
commitments, appointments... When it comes to Resolutions, if you want to
maximize your chances for success, it needs to be about You, it needs to be
about what you want to do, because, you want to do it.
This is your time to
think about what matters to you.
A well-formed
Resolution must reflect your values. Your values are your beliefs about what is
most important to you in your life. Values provide inspiration, govern your
levels of motivation, and guide every decision you make. They are the standards
you live by.
For example, health is
my top value in life. I believe that without health nothing else can be in my
life. This belief imprints everything I do. Most of the time I behave in a way
as to ensure I look and feel healthy and fit, and if I ever steer away it just
doesn't feel right, so I get back on track, quickly. I will simply not accept
my life any other way.
When you set goals that
reflect your values, you'll want to start taking action right now, never mind
waiting until the new year!
Mistake #4 Making Wishy
Washy Resolutions
It doesn't go down well
with our brain. Our brain is a piece of engineering designed to work towards
targets. Just like your computer needs you to follow certain rules, your brain
operates following certain rules too.
I'd love to lose
weight, I gotta be more organised, I better get saving... simply doesn't cut
it. You must quit being vague, and get real specific! Your brain expects
commands that are specific, and stated in an affirmative and direct manner.
Anything else it doesn't understand. We have a minimum of 60 thousand thoughts
a day, how is your brain to know what is a goal and what is just a thought? It
is not your brain's job to sort out your thoughts for you, it is your job.
Mistake #5 Not Writing
Down Your Resolutions Or Writing A "To Do" List
I should go to the gym
more, I really need to get organised, I better start saving some money... these
are just thoughts. And with over 60 thousand of them a day it's gonna be pretty
damn hard to remember them in five minutes, let alone get them done!
If it's in your mind
it's just a thought, not a Resolution.
If you write it down on
a piece of paper, then it becomes a shopping list, or a To Do list. And I know
very few people who write lists of things and actually get them done! This is
where the next mistake comes into play...
Stay tuned for Part II
of this post, where you will discover 5 more big mistakes that have been
sabotaging your New Year Resolution Success!
Anna Aparicio is
regarded as Ireland's top female NLP/Hypnosis Life Coach. A Self-confidence and
Motivation Expert, she has helped hundreds of people all around the world feel
empowered, super confident, and lead happier more successful lives. With a unique
blend of Neuro-linguistic Programming, cutting edge personal development tools,
and a contagious sense of humour and zest for life, Anna is renowned for
getting results fast. Now you can get her free report WHY YOU'LL NEVER GET WHAT
YOU WANT UNLESS YOU DO THIS at http://www.delite.ie
