It’s the first days of the year, and that means looking back on the past year, taking stock and setting goals for the new year. And it’s a well-known fact that a large proportion of people have weight loss among their goals for the New Year. It’s very common to make a resolution to start eating healthily from 1 January and set a goal to reach your dream weight. Why this start is always planned for the beginning of the New Year is anyone’s guess. Maybe it’s to do with overeating at Christmas and the feeling of heaviness that you want to get rid of, or maybe it’s that the New Year gives you a chance to start afresh and your motivation seems to be at an all-time high. In any case, I think that the real way to start moving towards your goals is not to wait until 1 January, but to act now. However, as the new year is starting now, I’ll give you some suggestions to keep in mind as you work towards your goals for the new year, and I’ll also give you some examples from my own personal experience.
Find your reasons
First, the most important thing is to know why you are doing something. You need to think about where you want to go and why. If you don’t have a reason, you won’t have the right impetus to act. And in that case, it’s not worth being confident of success. It is also important that the reason that drives you to act is important to you, it must be compelling. And it has to be something you really want, genuinely and from the heart. So that you don’t do something because a partner or a mother or a friend thinks you should, but because you need to.
When I was 30 kg heavier, my knees hurt like hell. I went to an orthopaedic surgeon and he told me straight away that losing weight would solve my problem. Did that make me take action? No, it didn’t. But I kept thinking that I needed to lose weight and I felt embarrassed that I had let myself down so much, so I even avoided social events, school reunions, etc. I didn’t feel any pain. I kept thinking that I should lose weight, but I didn’t really think about why I needed to do it. Finally I analysed the whole situation and found my ‘why’, the reason that was so important and important to me. In my case it was health. As my mother died at the age of 52 from an obesity-related illness, it was a sad but valid reason for me. I did not want the same fate for myself. So there was nothing left to do but take action.
Whatever the reason, whether it’s health or looking better, it has to be important to you. And one reason is certainly not less important than the other, in the end it all comes down to how we feel about something. Health is our most precious possession, true, but looking better also gives us greater confidence, satisfaction and courage, which are also very important. So find the real reason why you need to achieve your goals and it will be your driving force and help you stay on track in the tougher times.
Be good to yourself
I would say that a good relationship with yourself is the foundation of success. If you treat yourself well, respect yourself, love yourself and respect yourself, you will be more successful in achieving your goals. If you want what’s best for you, you’re willing to work harder, and that makes it easier to take action. We all have our good points and our flaws, none of us is perfect. But we have to learn to accept ourselves for who we are. Often we don’t believe in ourselves and we tell ourselves we can’t do it without even trying. We doubt ourselves a lot and subconsciously tell ourselves that we will fail. We need to learn to trust, praise and acknowledge ourselves more. So build a good relationship with yourself – read self-development books, take training or courses, have a dialogue with yourself, become your best friend.
I didn’t have a good relationship with myself for very long. I was always very critical of myself, and therefore never satisfied with myself. I was always invested in the well-being of others and put myself on the back burner, didn’t think I was important. I was insecure and didn’t value myself. Fortunately, that is all history. Now, thanks to a lot of hard work and soul-searching, reading books, courses and training, I have realised that I am the queen of my life and I must treat myself accordingly. I have learnt to value myself and to notice my strengths, to accept myself as I am, with all my faults. I’ve learned to be grateful to my body, to believe in myself and to want the best for myself. All this helps me to strive for my goals and to succeed.
So, accept yourself as you are, love and respect yourself. Remember that your wellbeing is important too, and believe in yourself. Build a good relationship with yourself and be your own best friend. When you do, you will see that you are much more successful in achieving your goals.
No rush
It’s important to set realistic goals, because if you fail to meet your expectations, disappointment is bound to come. It is said that you should dream big, but I am of the opinion that those big dreams should still be achievable. There is no point in setting a goal of losing 10 kg in a month because, firstly, it is very difficult to achieve and, secondly, it is nowhere near healthy. Moreover, if you make very big changes all at once, it is difficult to adapt to them all. If we want to create change for life, we really need to do it in small steps. Because each change puts us in a new situation, which can bring with it some anxiety and discomfort. If we do everything calmly and don’t storm, we can take it all in and get used to it. But if we do a ‘U-turn’, so to speak, we may be able to cope for a while, but generally at some point we still find it all too difficult and uncomfortable, and try to escape that feeling by going back to our old ways.
Years ago I tried all kinds of diets and preparations and got results, but none of them lasted. That’s because most of the diets made me so uncomfortable. I struggled with great willpower until I broke. When I started the Fitlap diet 4 years ago, I followed the plan 100% for about a year. After that, I had already achieved a nice result and could breathe a bit more freely. But I have to admit that pushing myself hard for a year was tiring. Fortunately, I had a clear goal in mind and had thought through exactly why I was doing it. This helped to avoid a major disaster in the form of a major setback.
But what I am saying is that you have to find the most appropriate balance point for you. The one where you feel like you’re making an effort, but not overdoing it. That’s important, so that you don’t have a big break. Yes, the more closely you stick to a diet plan, the faster you will achieve results. But it all has to be as comfortable as possible for you, otherwise you just won’t be able to finish. However, the purpose of a diet plan is to teach you the basics of a healthy, balanced diet so that you can carry on without it, not to break you. Of course, you can’t be too relaxed about everything and you have to realise that weight loss takes commitment and hard work, and it’s not exactly a walk in the park. You have to be prepared to put in the effort, but not with teeth clenched in great reluctance. You don’t just sail away.
So test and see how big a step you are willing to take to make changes to achieve your goals. Remember, it’s not a race against time, it’s about reaching your goal and being able to enjoy and sustain what you’ve achieved.
There will be rainy days
Accept that the sky is not always cloudless and that there are always highs and lows. Life doesn’t always go the way we expect and want, the changes we make don’t always come easily. It’s important to be aware that there will always be difficult times when you need to be more patient, make more effort and be more determined. Big changes require more effort, but the greater the satisfaction of success. When there are stumbles and failures, it is important not to be discouraged. There’s no point in beating yourself up and letting frustration take over, just wipe your knees clean and move on. In the case of failures and setbacks, it is worth taking away from them an analysis of what caused them. From this, it’s worth making a plan for the tough times – if you’re in a similar situation again, you’ll know what to avoid and how to act. But it’s certainly not worth dwelling on the setbacks. We can’t change what’s been and we need to focus on what’s ahead.
My weight-loss journey has also had its ups and downs. There have always been bouts of boredom, and with that, small setbacks, self-doubt, low self-esteem, comparing myself to others, being hard on myself, weight stagnation, pre-menstrual cravings and over-whipping myself. Fortunately, I’ve always kept my eyes on the prize, tried to have a good relationship with myself, accepted the setbacks and kept moving forward – for my own well-being. In difficult times, I have been motivated by my own achievements and the success stories of others, and supported by my fellow competitors. If you get the chance, I would recommend walking this journey with someone – either in a small group, a girlfriend or a partner. It’s always easier together than alone. However, it is important to remember not to compare yourself with others. Each person is unique and each has their own journey and pace.
So, when you embark on a journey of change and times get tough, don’t forget that the sun is always behind the clouds, waiting for its time to come out again. Difficulties are to be overcome and they make us stronger. If you’ve lost your way, don’t wait for the new January 1, your goals are worth the effort now and nothing gets easier by procrastinating.
In conclusion
If your goals for the New Year are to lose weight or eat healthily, I dare to recommend you to do it with Fitlap. To be successful, you need to think about why you are doing what you are doing, make friends with yourself and love yourself, set realistic goals and be patient and prepared to overcome difficulties. Our whole team will be more than happy to support you on this journey, and don’t ever be afraid to ask for help.
FitLap has also set up a small Facebook group for you, where you can get support from FitLap and your fellow FitLap members, get your questions answered and get the tips you need to take action. We’re waiting for you to help you reach your 2025 goals.
