Diet & Fitness Blog

To better understand how our past New Year's resolutions keep becoming the stooges of susceptibility, it's important to take a look at how it all begins.

Often before the actual New Year's celebration commences, we already have a list of personal goals in mind. Throughout the month of December, as we chow down on the many holiday meals, thoughts of a new life ahead bring us joy and enthusiasm. We drive by the gym and think about how that same building will soon become our regular hangout. We go crazy swiping our credit cards and surmise how our soon-to-be organized selves will have everything in order. By the time New Year's Eve rolls around, our future selves have become near perfect mortals.

As the day turns into night, we gather with friends and family to celebrate the arrival of the New Year as well the beginning of our remarkable transformation. Excitement and anticipation fill the air as we focus our attention on the ticking clock. Soon, the countdown begins, and the ball finally drops. Our hearts are then filled with joy as we celebrate the mark of our better tomorrow.

The next few weeks, merriment still lurks in the air, and we're filled with hope and drive. Nothing can stop us as we begin our journey toward self-improvement. Then it happens, slowly but surely, the seasons start changing. The holiday noise starts to die down, and our ears stop ringing. Pretty soon, the vigor that came with the new year vanishes along with our resolutions.

Resolving to make positive changes in our lives is great, it's also much easier said than done. Here are 10 tips for sticking with your resolutions -- offered by real eDiets members!

1. Support, Support, Support.
"The key to my continued success in staying on top of my health has been the incredible support. Since starting eDiets.com I have gone through a tremendous number of life challenge, belonging to the support groups is what really has kept me going.."
--Debby B.

2. Don't give up.
"It's hard to keep trying, but there's a new day each day. If you mess up for just one meal, it's OK. Just do good for the next meal and the one after that one. Use your friends and family for support. It's not an easy thing. It's a long road. But if you keep working at it and trying to change your lifestyle, you will get there."
--Karen M.

3. Put meaning behind your goal.
"I sat down and thought about the medication I'd have to be on if I developed diabetes. I have a history of diabetes and heart disease on my dad's side. I also weighed the costs of having to be in the hospital or paying doctor bills. I weighed the costs of not being able to play with my children and not being around for them. It was time to lose weight."
--Erin L.

4. Find motivation in your current accomplishments
"The more results I saw, the more I knew I could do it. When I started, I said I was going to dedicate one year of my life to following eDiets. Back then I thought it was more of a diet instead of a lifestyle change. I now know I could never go back to the way I was."
--Yolanda E.

5. Educate yourself on your goal.
"I thought I couldn't do it. Once I started reading the success stories and found out how I could get some extra help, I just started."
--Lisa P.

6. Talk to Your Peers.
"It really helped me to talk to people that are on the same journey."
--Norma M.

7. Try to stay away from temptations.
"I know I can do it. I don't let things tempt me. When I go out to eat, I look at the menu. I don't look at the stuff I can't have. I look at the stuff I can have."
--Billie O.

8. Set realistic goals.
"I try never to set goals that are too far away. That way I attain them and then set another goal."
--Terri E.

9. Every step counts.
"I would get out of bed at like two or three in the morning to go look for a snack, just because I happened to be awake. This was the hardest thing for me to break, but as the weeks went by and I kept seeing the weight loss, it just kept giving me more motivation to take it a step further. The more I saw results, the more my brain kicked in and said, I don't want to do that, I just want to go back to bed."
--Maria M.

10. Encourage and teach others.
"It was also helpful for me to, in turn, provide hints or give encouragement to people just starting out."
--Monica G.

eDiets can help you stay on track with your New Year's resolutions, too. With many helpful tools, tons of support in our interactive online Community and personal access to our team of nutrition and fitness professionals, we'll help you every step of the way! Click here to see how to get started.

Labels: diet, exercise motivation, motivation, new-years-resolutions, resolutions, tips, top 10, weight loss, weight-loss