Sticking to a New Year's Weight Loss Resolution All Year

It's that time of year again, when we all grab our notebooks and scribble five to ten items on a piece of paper describing how we are going to better ourselves this year. For some of us it may be to spend more time with the family, while others may choose to quit smoking. Still, one of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to lose the excess weight. This is my favorite one simply because every year I vow to reach a healthy weight, but I have not reached it yet. It's not like I have to lose a hundred pounds, it's more like 45 pounds today, but why is it so hard to stick to a New Year's resolution that includes weight loss? Weight loss resolutions are hard to stick with because it is a decision that should not be made on January 1.

Year after year, I promise myself, this is the year I am going to give my husband the wife he married and my children the mother they deserve. I made this promise January 2006 and January 2007. The year 2006 came and went with my weight fluctuating and finally inching higher and higher. So when January 2007 came around I told myself to get back to work and lose the weight. The latter promise lasted all of three weeks and I lost my motivation.

Finally, June 2007 rolled around and my husband was set to deploy. I made a decision that the next time he sees me; he will not be able to recognize me. I knew I had to change something and do it right then and there. After all, I was 260 pounds (that I'll admit to) and, at 5'9, felt horrible. Maybe I put my New Year's resolution into action six months late, but as I see it New Year's resolutions involving weight loss just do not cut it, unless you have a plan. Here are some tips to make your weight loss resolution (and it does not have to be a New Year's resolution) into action.

Get real with yourself

Before you can embark on any self improvement journey you have to get real with yourself. When was the last time you stepped on a scale? Was it last week, last month, last year, or even last decade? You need to brave the scale and look at the numbers. How can you gauge your success if you do not even know where you started?

Maybe you do not like scales. To be honest, I hate those three digit numbers that show up on mine, but I do love feeling the change in the way my clothes fit. If you are a size 16 and you want to be a size 8, use your clothing to gauge your success. Whatever your method of measurement, you are sure to succeed.

Commit to the process

Committing to the process is an important part of weight loss. A lot of us, me included, think it is too hard giving up that chocolate bar or dread eating salads and exercising. Well, sorry, you're not going to lose weight by eating at McDonald's and saying you're going to lose weight and doing nothing. You have to commit to the process and trust that it will work. I wrote myself a contract with a very handsome reward if I follow through with the process. If you know you have to and want to lose weight, make a commitment to yourself (or publicly) and hold yourself accountable.

I committed myself to the process. Of course, I have had stumbling blocks here and there. Nobody is perfect. Six months into the process, I have shed 45 pounds and 16 percent body fat. If I had not made the commitment to myself and publicly, I very well could have been close to 300 pounds. Bottom line is you can't change something about yourself without committing yourself to the process.

Find what works for you

After my second child, I tried the Atkins diet and it worked. Unfortunately, when I went back to eating "normal" I gained the weight back. I then tried the basic old fashioned way of losing weight by eating less and exercise. It worked for a bit and then I found myself stuck for nearly two months. Finally, I discovered metabolic typing and it is a method which works for me and does not deprive me of anything I love. A diet based on metabolic typing worked for me, but maybe a low cal-low fat diet would work better for you. Find out what the best method of weight loss is for you and stick with it!

Find an exercise you enjoy

There is nothing worse in life than doing something you thoroughly despise. I used to believe that exercising cannot be fun and it was too hard. I would complain and put it off until I discovered how inviting a gym can be. If you are the sporty type, play some basketball. If you are not one for sports, try one of the cardio machines. I started out just walking 20 minutes on the treadmill at 3.0 mph. I hate walking, but there was not much a 260 pound woman can do. After a few weeks, I fell in love with the elliptical, yes it is hard, but it is worth it. I find I enjoy exercising, not to mention it helps with mood swings by releasing endorphins.

In addition to a cardio workout, you have to remember to use the weights. Trying to lose weight without strength training will just turn you into a skinny-fat person. A skinny-fat person is someone who is thin but has a body fat percentage. Turn on your metabolism by doing weights. You can use your dumbbells or if you can go to the gym try the nice weight machines. If you need help, most gyms provide a weight training class and personal trainer sessions. Whatever kind of help you need, the gym will probably have it.

Instead of making your New Year's resolution to lose weight, make to lose weight your daily resolution. If you make a daily resolution to lose weight, you will succeed, as long as you are committed to the process. So this New Year's Day, make a different resolution and save your weight loss goals as your every day commitment.