Keep Your New Year's Resolution: Lose the Weight

By Carlos Alberto Rivas, M.S., C.S.C.S.

It's that time of the year again when you set your new years resolution(s). You are going to lose that extra weight that is weighing on you physically and emotionally. It is January, you've read about the latest fad diet, the holidays are over and you are ready to go. Deep down inside though, there is always self doubt. You start thinking about your demons and memories of past weight-loss failures. All of a sudden you start to fear failure and you don't even get started on your resolution. Negative self-talk gets a hold of your emotions and you begin to eat your favorite comfort food. Sound familiar? If it does, don't feel alone, over 60 percent of the population is going through the same process. Some of us try to diet, stay on it until we hit a plateau and quit trying completely. Some of us exercise for two to four weeks but find it difficult to find the energy to sustain the new exercise regimen, so we quit working out within the first weeks. Once again, don't feel alone – over 70 percent of those who start an exercise program drop out within the first two months.

Q & A

Where do I go wrong? Why am I not able to lose weight? Is it genetics? Why do I find myself saying I can't and I didn't? These are just a few of the challenging questions we face everyday. As leaders in the fitness industry, we know one thing for certain – if growth and development take place from the bottom up – from physical to emotional to mental to spiritual – then positive change is powered from the top down. The most compelling source of change is spiritual – purpose. Purpose is a source of energy and power. Purpose fuels our focus, direction, passion and perseverance. Results occur for our clients when they are able to cultivate deeper values and define a vision for themselves.

The Values

Defining what matters creates a breakthrough. We encourage our clients to focus on five values: commitment, integrity, excellence, self-discipline and perseverance. These values become the true source of motivation for change. Your motivation for exercising hard, even when you do not feel like exercising, is cultivated by your values. When negative self-talk (I can't, I don't and I didn't) comes into your mind, think about perseverance, commitment and excellence. Motivation without values won't last. We help you bring a similar thought process to weight training and eating habits. Between working out and eating properly, your energy level will increase dramatically. You should strive to lose between one and two pounds per week if you are consistently eating well, doing your cardiovascular activity and adding strength training to your overall program. Values will bring passion, commitment and perseverance to whatever you set to accomplish.

Vision

The first step to realizing your New Year's resolution(s) is to define your purpose. Defining your purpose means creating a vision for how you intend to invest your energy. A compelling vision statement requires a careful balance. On the one hand, in order to provide inspiration it needs to be lofty, ambitious and even a bit overreaching. On the other hand, in order to have teeth it needs to be realistic, specific and personal. Take the time now to write a personal vision statement. Defining your vision becomes a picture of the possible and a blueprint for you to take action.

Carlos Alberto Rivas, M.S., C.S.C.S., is the fitness/personal training director at Baptist East/Milestone Wellness Center. Carlos has a master's degree in exercise physiology and has over 10,000 hours of personal training experience. He is also a member of Kentuckiana HealthFitness magazine's editorial advisory board. Carlos can be reached at 502-896-3900, ext.142.