I have New Years resolutions for losing weight and being more active. I'm not even 2 weeks into it and already losing my drive. Are there any tips for sticking with it once and for all?

Thanks for asking this question. I imagine this is causing a good deal of frustration. Of course, this is not a simple answer as there could be a variety of factors playing a role but I think a good place to start is by addressing your expectations. By doing what you are doing, what are you expecting? What are you hoping for and what factors might indicate that you are moving in the right direction (i.e. increased energy, improved mood and focus, feeling purposeful). And most importantly, what else allows you to feel like that so you don't put all the pressure on these changes. Hope that makes sense!

What's your motivation style? How do you respond to expectations, both your own and those of others?

For any lifestyle intervention, it's crucial to understand the most consistent way to keep that motivation up. It's possible that what works for others might not work for you, and that's okay!

I like to recommend "The Four Tendencies" by Gretchen Rubin to my patients, as it discusses this very topic. She also has a free quiz on her website that can give you an idea of your tendency and give you some ideas on how to help yourself stay motivated!

In regards to specifically weight loss and physical activity, I think the most important thing is to focus on small, sustainable changes, rather than sweeping overhauls. If you change too much at once, it's really easy to get in over your head and want to scrap the entire program. The trick is finding high-yield incremental changes that truly make a difference, but aren't too overwhelming to stick to.

Best wishes, and feel free to reach out if you need any assistance!

Focusing on strengthening foods can often help the brain and body feel more stable so that healthy habits are easier. Is the New Years resolution is focused on avoiding unhealthy foods instead of proactive - filling up with strengthening foods? Like many things in life, being proactive about making strengthening food available so we don't get extra hungry and go for the survival instinct unhealthy foods.

New Year's goals often come from good intentions, but do not always take into account the support needed for specific blocks. Especially if the goal is to correct a long-standing pattern, there are valid reasons why that hasn't happened yet. The first step is to recognize what is behind the negative pattern. Resistance can come from false beliefs, connections to traumatic experiences, and various other blocks. Some of them are conscious, but many are held in the body and have lost that conscious connection. That can be frustrating, but it also gives us a way to access the issue. Bodywork can be used to bring up the issue so that it can be addressed, not only on a conscious level, but also on a subconscious level. So yes, keep trying to stick to your goal, one day at a time, but also consider attacking the issue from other angles.

When the New Year rolls around we become so inspired by the idea of a fresh start and the "new year, new me" concept that we try to take on too much too fast! You are certainly not alone. My tips would be to see any time of the year as an opportunity to make small, manageable changes toward a better lifestyle. Set goals that are realistic for you, taking into account where you're starting, your limitations, time constraints, etc. And remember that it's a marathon and not a sprint! The changes you make should be sustainable so that they can be maintained long-term. Perhaps a good place to start is aiming for a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity per day, and increasing your daily fruit and vegetable intake.

With regards to your weight loss goal: It is so, so common to strive for weight loss, especially at the turn of the year. People become discouraged when this loss doesn't happen in the linear manner that they expect (such as consistently being down 1-2 pounds per week). There are many factors that influence weight. If you have increased your physical activity, you may be adding on weight in the form of muscle mass. Your body also has mechanisms in place to keep you at the weight that it feels most comfortable. Genetics play a huge factor in this. A better sign of improvement is how you feel physically. Do you have more energy? Getting better sleep? Feeling a little more comfortable in your clothing?

Working one-on-one with a nutritionist or other health practitioner may be a helpful source of accountability in the pursuit of your goals. If that's not for you at this time, a couple of books I recommend for your journey are Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon and Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. These two books discuss approaches that take the focus off weight loss and put it instead on more sustainable behaviour and mindset changes — things that are more in our control and won't leave us feeling discouraged. Weight loss may be a side effect, or it may not, but more importantly you will begin to FEEL better. Good luck!

Sticking with new year's goals is hard for most people! And it's actually totally natural to lose your drive. One of the most helpful things you can do is to ask yourself what is making it hard? Why are you unmotivated? What is hard? For instance, did you set too many goals and it's just to hard to stick with them all? Maybe you feel overwhelmed. Maybe you chose some goals that are too big and you need to start with baby steps. If you can determine WHY it's feeling hard, then you can work backward on how to adjust your goals to make them feel both achievable and exciting. I love working with people to help with just this kind of issue. A coach can look at your goals with you and help create a realistic plan for achieving them, plus the support to stick with it!

Congratulations on making a decision to make a change! Now that it is October, how is it going? Reflecting on what has and hasn't worked for you thus far is a great place to start. Health and fitness is always a work in progress - expect to ebb and flow. Recognizing good habits that you can build on can give you confidence, joy, and motivation. Recognizing "bad" habits and making a plan to shift them can give you an objective goal to work towards. Sometimes you can do this on your own, or with the help of a friend or partner. If that isn't enough, having a health and wellness coach that can see the "big picture" can revolutionize the way you look at your journey. I'm happy to consult to give you more personalized advice!

Don't be upset with yourself. Most New Years resolutions fail. They fail for a bunch of reasons. The biggest one is that we try a diet or a cleanse and when it's over, we're back to our normal routines. The other reason is that there's no accountability. We'll let ourselves down on our promises 90% of the time, but we won't let our friends down. Having someone that you can rely on to hold you accountable can help you be more successful. That's one of my favorite things about health coaching. In addition, losing weight is a HUGE goal. I would recommend taking a look at your lifestyle, your nutrition and anything bringing you stress to see what is going on there. You can make some smaller adjustments over time that become lifestyle changes. Once you implement these and they stick, it will feel less like a diet and more like your lifestyle.

Two things- 1) Figure out what you like & don't like about your routine, foods, etc., then 2) Be willing (or even excited) to change

Part of what fuels the changes too, is how do you want to feel? This is getting a bit into manifestation, but what are ways you can create a routine from a mindset of already being in the place you'd like to be, yet loving where you're at- it's just this present moment. Anything can change.

That said, the fat cell actually holds water in place of fat before it lets it go to actually then register as 'weight loss'- so what if your body is already en route but it hasn't yet showed up in physical form? :) Perhaps a metaphor, that our body is on its own timeline, but we can shift/adjust how we feel at any given time.

Thank you for being courageous and sharing your challenge. Go easy on yourself, first and foremost. Rome wasn't built in a day, and it takes time and patience, perseverence too, to establish new habits. Perhaps take a look at whether you are working too hard toward your goal, overriding another important internal issue or value? Or perhaps your original intention and goal needs some revamping and upgrading to match who you are now? Acknowledge your difficulty and give it your full attention and kindness: Empathy, the way you would give your friend some empathy if they were having difficulty with something. Having good resources to walk your path and keep you accountable to yourself are super important along the way. Best to you and many blessings! Congratulations for taking steps to improve yourself.

Are you doing it for you or because someone else told you that you should lose weight and become more active? Other than that, breaking your journey down to small weekly or bi-weekly mini changes like, e.g., swapping out a can or two of soda for the same amount of water, could help you to see results in areas you didn't anticipate and improve your motivation.

Everyone here has given great advice already, so I am going to add something that works for me personally. I tell myself to do 10-15 minutes of breath and movement first thing in the morning. Before coffee, tea, phone, etc. I do a series that looks like this: 3 minutes of Breath of Fire, 3 Minutes of spinal flexes and body stretching, 1 minute of Stretch Pose, 2o Frogs, 3 Sun Salutations and a few minutes of meditation. You can do a quick internet search for these words which may be unfamiliar to you, or just make up your own series if you have some idea of what exercises are potent for your body. Try including a rapid breathing practice, provided you don't have any contraindications, and 3 minutes of meditation. Then if you have more time later in the day, you can always do more activity, but make it fun! Being active is healthy. When you're doing it for weight loss, it can become a chore and be harder to commit to. Think fun and you'll be in the right mindset. Speaking of, I'll also mention that meditation can be a powerful weight loss tool. Our bodies hold onto excess weight because of stress and the ways in which we consume food. Meditation more so than climbing mountains and running marathons helped me get to a healthier body weight for myself by reducing stress and helping me to make better food choices. Good luck, you've got this!

Sticking with it is a constant practice. Get in touch with WHY you want to lose weight and be more active before you eat and do exercise. Be onto yourself about your self talk. Are you supporting and encouraging yourself to lose weight and be more active? That loving support gets you toward weight loss and more activity. Best of luck!

Hypnosis can keep you on track and help you loose weight in just 6 sessions.

When my clients and I first start working together, the first thing we outline and get clear on is: Why is healing my (insert health goal here) so important? This answer is not always one sentence initially, but it can become one by the end of the exercise. For example, I recently worked with a 68 yo woman who initially came to me to make sure her ulcerative colitis didn't return and she wanted to lose 15 lbs. (She knew better than to eat so much take-out but was having a hard time breaking the habit and wanted my accountability as she put it: "To have that little nudge to get back on track.") But as it turns out she was also struggling with getting good sleep for the last 25 years (imagine this!). (It didn't surprise me that she was having sleep issues because the gut is where 95% of our serotonin is produced.) I digress. When I asked her why this (ulcerative colitis not returning) was so important to her (other than the obvious reason) she told me that she didn't want to be held back from traveling because of always being in fear of having to run to the bathroom. As we continued the conversation, what became apparent was that she wanted to be around for as long as possible so that she could continue hiking some of the most challenging mountains with her grandson who is currently six years old. She told me: "I want to be remembered!" When you have a mission and a vision that's as big and important as this, it helps you to stay connected to the steps that are going to get you there. Write down the BIG REASON you want to "lose weight and be more active" and see if you can go really deep here with the "why." I will also say that often times the reason why people lose their drive is that they're not informed with the "how" of what it looks like to lose weight easily and safely and they aren't dealing with the root cause of their (compromised) eating habits. I know this firsthand because I struggled for almost a decade before I discovered the simplicity to this process that eventually became my "Healing From The Inside Out Methodology." Having accountability with a health coach who understands and holds you true to your vision is one of the easiest ways to solve your problem by making sure you get immediate results with the proper action steps. : )

You are in good company. Change is never a straight path. Here are a few tips:
1. Do not let setbacks discourage you. You don't have to blame yourself for setbacks. It won't be the last one. It's a natural part of the journey and can be a source of learning and development of strength in and of itself. Use any setbacks as a learning experience.

2. Look at what motivated you in the first place. Reflect on your reasons for setting the goal and the difference it will make in your life.

3. Assess and adjust your goals. Maybe you fell off (or are on the verge of falling off) track because your goals were unrealistic. Break it down into bite-size steps towards reaching your goal. Setting certain realistic milestones in your journey helps you along the way, builds confidence, and gives you natural stopping points to reflect on what you’ve learned and accomplished, and where you need to make adjustments. Decide if you need some support to help you get back on track or maintain progress. This is an important part of the coaching process.

4. Give yourself a pat on the back when you reach each milestone. Don't wait until you reach your mega-goal to reward yourself. It's a great motivator to give yourself permission to feel good about yourself along the way.

5. Slow down. Don't rush the process. Take it step by step and let each milestone integrate into your daily routine.

I hope these tips help!

A resolution is like a wish. It comes from a hopeful place. However, for a resolution to have impact, we need to do more than just wish.

Try these 5 steps and make today the first day of your best ever new year.

Step 1: Ask yourself questions.
Why do I want this? What is so important that I want to resolve this problem? What is it about this resolution that connects with my core values? How will life be better if my wish comes true? Go back to these answers when you feel stuck. They will help you remember why you wanted to do this in the first place.

Step 2: Start “chunking.”
Go at this realistically. What is one action that you can take toward the resolution? Be specific, start small, and give yourself a deadline.

Step 3: Share your plan.
A funny thing happens when we say things aloud; they become more real. When we share our plan, we begin to create a community, which can build up our confidence. We may even find people that want to help make your wishes come true.

Step 4: Measure your results.
Write it down. Put it in your planner, your calendar, or on a scrap of paper attached to the bathroom mirror. What matters most is keeping track of this effort. When the deadline arrives, check in, reassess, and move on.

Step 5: Celebrate the win.
Each step is a guide. A step backward can have more to teach you than a step forward—if you are willing to stay on the path. Keep moving; take another chunk, another step – even if it is a baby step, and keep asking WHY.

Find a health & wellness coach to be that person who listens, understands your wishes, and keeps you in the driver’s seat to achieve them.

Barb gave some really great tips! I would suggest, stepping back and taking a look at the lens you are looking at this through. Why is it that you have to set a news year resolution? Each day is an opportunity to take one small step toward a healthier life. I personally feel that New Years Resolutions hold too much power and make us feel pressured. We need to throw the idea of perfection at the window and start small. As Barb mentioned, write down the intentions/goals that you would like to set. Then write down some small action steps to help get you started on this journey. Also write down some things that you may feel would get in your way or reasons why you weren't able to accomplish these goals in the past. Sometimes seeing those barriers written out in front of us help us to achieve them from a different angle.

Congratulations on your commitment to being healthier. There are a few different things that you can do to keep your resolution.

First, understand that the way you think about your resolution could be the culprit here. You don’t HAVE TO go from zero to active & on plan in January. I like to suggest that my clients ease into weight loss. Start with the low hanging fruit - what’s the easiest change that you can make? What’s ONE THING that you can do to improve your health? Maybe it’s eat an extra serving of vegetables, or go for a walk, or even go to bed on time. Do that. Commit to that one small thing. Eventually it will get easier & you’ll add the next thing. And slowly, over the course of the next few weeks & months, you’ll have changed your habits enough to make a difference. Often, we underestimate how little it takes to make an impact on our weight & we go all out & change a bunch of things that feel really super uncomfortable & we want to give up. That being said, when we start NYRs, I think we believe that we’re always going to be motivated to do the work. Motivation is a feeling that can’t be counted on to be around 24/7. There’s always going to be a day when we wake up & get on the scale & our brains are going to offer us the thought, “this isn’t working” or “this is hard” when we believe those thoughts, we feel discouraged & want to give up (probably where you are right now). If you can find small victories - proof that ‘it’ is working, it can help you to stay motivated. I tell my clients that they need to TALK to themselves more than they LISTEN to themselves. Eventually, as you keep commitments to yourself to do the things that you have made, you will build discipline which will carry over to every other area of your life. Good luck!! You’ve got this.

A resolution is like a wish. It comes from a hopeful place. However, for a resolution to have impact, we need to do more than just wish.

Try these 5 steps and make 2021 the year that makes the difference.

Step 1: Ask yourself questions.
Why do I want this? What is so important that I want to resolve this problem? What is it about this resolution that connects with my core values? How will life be better if my wish comes true?

Go back to these answers when you feel stuck. They will help you remember why you wanted to do this in the first place.

Step 2: Start “chunking.”
Go at this realistically.

What is one action that you can take toward the resolution? Be specific, start small, and give yourself a deadline.

Step 3: Share your plan.
A funny thing happens when we say things aloud; they become more real. When we share our plan, we begin to create a community, which can build up our confidence. We may even find people that want to help make your wishes come true.

Step 4: Measure your results.
Write it down. Put it in your planner, your calendar, or on a scrap of paper attached to the bathroom mirror. What matters most is keeping track of this effort. When the deadline arrives, check in, reassess, and move on.

Step 5: Celebrate the win.
Each step is a guide. A step backward can have more to teach you than a step forward—if you are willing to stay on the path. Keep moving; take another chunk, another step – even if it is a baby step, and keep asking WHY.

A health & wellness coach can be that person who listens, understands your wishes, and keeps you in the driver’s seat to achieve them.