It’s January the 1st and again, you have made your new year’s resolutions, this is the year you are going to get fit, be healthier, lose weight, tone up and feel great! Fast forward to February, how is it going? Have you stuck to these resolutions, are you on your way to reaching your targets, or have they fallen to the wayside, does this sound familiar?

If this does sound like you, how did this happen?! Why haven’t you been able to stick to your resolutions? In January, you seemed so committed! Perhaps the answer could be to start your resolutions in February – and there are a number of reasons why this makes sense…

January Temptation

January is a very tough time to actually stick to a program of healthy eating, you are stuck inside, it’s cold, it’s miserable – you seek comfort, and where is an obvious place to find this comfort? In the Fridge of course…

Use January as a transition…

January is the classic time for people to do a complete diet overhaul – out go all chocolate and fatty foods. Not gradually, but overnight, everything unhealthy goes. Is this a long-term plan or a quick fix? Will you really not have chocolate again, ever? Really? Chances are you won’t eat it for a couple of weeks, maybe a month, perhaps even two, but there will come a point when you will want it again, and when you do you will enjoy it, or course you will! This is the point at which you start to run the risk of slipping back into the bad old ways.

A much better idea is to simply lower the amount of fatty foods you eat gradually. Nothing is wrong in moderation. Use January as the time to lower your fat intake, gradually adapt your diet, so that when February hits, you are primed to really go for your New Year’s Resolution of losing that weight.

It’s quieter!

Firstly – if it’s a gym you are looking to join, then have you actually set foot in a gym during January?! It’s mad! You can’t get on any of the equipment, there are no instructors with enough time to help you and the gym is crowded with people who aren’t entirely sure what they are supposed to be doing other than with the vague goal of ‘getting fit’.

By February however, a lot of these people will already have given up, making it a lot emptier and giving you more of a chance of actually getting on the equipment you need to. But don’t forget, that unless you take out the added expense of getting a personal trainer at a gym (this in itself can be very expensive – top gyms charge close to £100 for an hour session) you may still have muted results as gyms are famous for not providing sufficient instruction on what to do, or how to do it!

But baby it’s cold outside…

The weather is starting to turn for the better in February – which means you will be inclined to go out and exercise, you won’t want to be stuck in your home any more, so the potential scope or the variety of exercise available to you is far greater. When it’s that bit sunnier in the morning and a little nicer in the evening, the thought of going for a 20 minute run won’t be quite so terrible!

So don’t feel bad that you didn’t maintain your New Year’s resolutions, just prepare yourself for the big push in February!

You are in the lead up to summer now so start preparing yourself to look great when the sun finally decides to show itself!

If you would like a little more help, I can design a 6 week training program for you, based on the information you provide, your goals, with support and motivation as and when you need it.