As we approach the middle of the second month of the year, I want to address the issue of FAILED New Year’s Resolutions. It’s about this time most people give up. Actually, according to statistics compiled by a “big box” gym, the most drastic drop off in gym attendance occurs 38 days from the New Year (February 7th).
We all begin the year with high hopes and big goals for our health and fitness. But only 30 days into the year, only 6 out of 10 people are still on track with their goal to “lose weight,” “exercise more,” or “eat healthy.”
And by the end of the year, only 1 out of 10 people have sustained their New Year’s Resolution to be healthier.
What’s even worse, for those who actually do lose weight, 80% of them gain it back again. 67% of those people gain more weight back, than they originally lost!
Without getting into the physiology of a messed up metabolism that extreme dieting, crazy HCG protocols, and over-training causes, let’s look at it from a different angle…
PARADIGMS
Your paradigm is essentially how you see the world. It’s a multitude of beliefs and habits (passed along and picked up) that ultimately control your actions.
Joel Barker said, “Usually the first problems you solve, with the new paradigm, are the ones that were unsolvable with the old paradigm.”
Side note to parents – YOU form your children’s paradigms. “What you don’t fix they will inherit. They’re an extension of YOU.” – Bob Proctor
It’s important to note for those of you trying to “get rid of bad habits” and “pick up good habits” that HABITS CANNOT BE ERASED. THEY MUST BE REPLACED.
But, once your old habits are replaced with new ones, what’s the secret to creating LONG-TERM habit change and keeping the weight off?
FAITH
Faith requires believing in the unseen and/or not yet materialized into reality.
Your weight-loss and fitness journey will not be linear.
There will be plateaus
There will be temptations.
There will be obstacles.
But, faith in YOURSELF, and in the process, will overcome these setbacks.
When times get hard, you will unconsciously fall back on your faith…or lack thereof.
So, how do you build up your faith?
REPETITION and COMMUNITY
Repetition is at the foundation of learning. We must see, hear, read, experience things over and over and over again before they truly become ingrained in us.
Community is the reinforcement of behavior through group participation, and group approval – THIS is important when it comes to your weight loss and fitness goals!
Think about the most powerful passionate belief systems…
Church, politics, sports, and even AA meeting, are held in groups for a reason.
Although not everyone in a community may be your best friend, communities provide support to keep you on track through the “power of loose ties.”
You see; we tend to surround ourselves with people that are similar to us, so our closet friends tend to have the same habits that we do (by the way, this works against ourselves when we’re trying to make a major lifestyle changes, like being more healthy & fit). There is also no pressure to impress your closest friends and family, because you already know that you have their acceptance. If not, that’s a different conversation all together. Just remember, while you might not be able to pick your family, you CAN pick your friends…
On the other hand, “loose ties” or people that you would consider acquaintances can be a powerful factor in habit change. When you join a new community that has habits that you aspire to develop, but might be out of your current comfort zone, the peer pressure of gaining acceptance and wanting to impress your new peers HELPS drive these changes.
Belief is often viewed as something that develops out of our control, but understanding the subconscious psychological power of communities can help you put yourself in a position for long-term success. The power of “loose ties” plus seeing others in the community who have succeeded in situations similar to yours creates belief. As you begin to believe more you build up your faith.
So, if you’re SERIOUS about hitting your goals this year, find a proven system that you can believe in and a community that supports your goals.
Chris Gray
Owner, Breakthrough Personal Coaching & Wellness
Leave a Reply