Many people will be starting to think about getting in shape after the holiday season and will probably be thinking about going down the same failed route as they have done in previous years.
I always find it fascinating that when it comes to losing weight or getting in shape, people will happily adopt the same strategy that fails them year after year.
How about trying something different this time around?
The reason many people fail to make long lasting changes is because they adopt an extreme, unrealistic approach to diet and training.
As soon as New Year is finished people will begin their weight loss journey. The usual plan for this is to go to the gym 6 times a week, complete the Insanity workout DVD, have no alcohol, no carbs, no fat, no food after 6pm, no breakfast (because they heard Intermittent Fasting works).
This usually lasts around 4 days before they realise they can’t stick to it, they hurt so much from training and are feeling miserable. They then try to get ‘back on it’ next time Monday comes around. The cycle continues before they eventually give up and wait for next New Year to make big changes again, that usually involve the same failed strategy as the previous 8 years.
What if you changed your strategy this year? What if you adopted a ‘Reasonable’ approach to your diet and training?
I am a big fan of the work by Dan John and this is where I discovered the ‘Reasonable’ approach that most of the population would get great results from. The problem with reasonable is that it’s not cool, sexy or hardcore enough to sell as a product.
The internet, magazines and social media would have you all believing that to get in shape you have to eat the strictest diet or complete the most hardcore workout #beastmode.
Does it even count as a workout if you don’t come close to death?
These sort of workouts and diets sell. People are duped by clever marketing and advertising, believing that they need to train like an olympic lifter and eat like a bodybuilder to get healthier or lose fat. These extreme strategies don’t work for the majority of the population that just need to lose some fat, move better and feel healthier. They don’t need to snatch their bodyweight or eat chicken and brown rice 6 times a day – they need Reasonable.
What is a reasonable approach? if you are going from no exercise and a poor diet you will make great progress by doing some mobility work and walking more every day, hitting the gym to lift weights 1-2 times a week, drinking more water, eating more protein and eating more fruits and veg. This is a reasonable approach to diet and exercise.
The beauty about this is that everyone should be able to stick to it long term. It is not complicated nor is it unrealistic. It doesn’t require fancy gym equipment, expensive supplements or a chef on hand to cook your meals for you.
Here is your ‘Reasonable’ checklist:
- Walk more
- Daily Mandatory Mobility
- Lift weights – push, pull, squat, hinge (1-2xp/w)
- Drink more Water
- Eat more Protein
- Eat more Veg
Repeat this for the next 12 months………
So when it comes to planning your New Years Resolution focus on reasonable instead of extreme.
Focus on small changes that you can stick to all year round and this time next year you won’t have to make the same New Years Resolution.
Coach Milligan 