5 Reasons Why New Year's Resolutions Don't Work

Did you know that 50% of all Americans set a new year’s resolution(s).  We honestly didn't expect it to be that high. That’s pretty amazing! What’s not so great is that according to the researcher Richard Wiseman 88% of all those set resolutions (from half of America) fail.  That’s 156 million failed resolutions each and every year.

Don't get us wrong, we love goal setting and helping people change their lives.  But, New Year's resolutions are kind of a joke.  Having only a 12% success rate is just not right.   Here are 5 reasons why they fail specifically with fitness and weight loss and I give you solutions too.

1.  Lack of planning. Most people set vague, ambiguous goals.  “I want to get in shape and tone up.” “I want to lose weight.” “I want to get stronger.”  These are the most common, and unfortunately are not very specific.  There is no way to tell when such a goal has been accomplished.  On top of that, very few people take it to the next level and actually commit their goal to paper or digitally to their computer, let alone come up with a plan to see it through.

Solution: Visualize what it is you want to accomplish in specific detail. “I want to lose 10 pounds of fat and do 30 push-ups by March 1st.”  This is a pretty specific outcome goal with details and even a deadline.  Outcome goals are great, because they’re definitive.  You either accomplish them or your don’t.  However, we need actions to accomplish these outcomes.  These are behavioral goals, such as, ”I will eliminate sugar from my diet except for 1 cheat meal a week.”, “I will perform 3 sets of maximum repetition push-ups 5 days a week.”  We can choose to do them or we choose not to.  The responsibility rides on our own shoulders. Focus on changing behaviors and leanness is a side effect!  The body transformation results will more likely be sustainable if correct habits and behaviors are changed.  Also, do yourself a favor and increase  your likelihood of success by writing all your goals down.  Otherwise, your “goal” is just a wish…and wishes rarely come true.

2.  Unrealistic Expectations: You most likely didn’t get into the shape you’re in right now over night or even in 3 months.  So, why would you expect the opposite to happen.

Solution: Be realistic.  Sustainable transformations takes time.  You are not a “Biggest Loser” contestant working out all day with a staff of doctors and physical therapists on hand if you get injured.  You can’t expect the same numbers as them.  You will have great weeks and you will have poor weeks.  Don’t expect every measurement to be amazing.  On average for a sustainable weight loss you should lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week…and that’s if you’re nailing your exercise and nutrition, which requires tracking and specific numbers.  If you’re not on point then set your expectations a little lower, and work up to being more inline with correct nutrition and exercise habits.

3.  No support or accountability.  More often than not, when we decide we’re going to diet and exercise we tell no one…we do it alone.

Solution:  Not sure of the reason we don’t share our goals with our closest friends and family. Maybe we’re embarrassed to admit that we aren’t happy with our current selves or that we’re afraid that if we fail (again) it will be more embarrassing if other know about it. Or, we’re too prideful to admit we need help.  Perhaps a combination of all three.  No matter what, it gets down to allowing ourselves to be vulnerable.  Drop the charade, admit that you’re imperfect and ask for help with a very overwhelming endeavor.  Get a workout buddy to train with and become accountable to.  Hire a trainer…preferably an FT trainer.  Trainers have been down the road before.  They know the process and the tricks.  They can shorten your learning curve significantly.  If you can’t go the trainer route, announce and document your progress on Facebook or a blog.  Sharing your fitness goals with others gives you another level of accountability and it give them a chance to support you.  Ask “former accomplices” to not tempt you with going out to eat or skipping your workout to go watch a show.  If they are your real friends they will support you, if they keep tempting you then cut them out of your life or limit your exposure to them as much as possible.

4. Too much all at once.  When we think about our New Year’s resolution we create a list as long as our arm of all the things we’re going to change…lose weight, spend more time with the family, reduce debt, eat better, cut back on sugar, teach our first grader trigonometry, save the world…etc.  We get overloaded and overwhelmed.  We may be able to juggle all these worthwhile goals for a time, but pretty soon we all crash and burn.  We justify taking a week “off” which turns into multiple months.  In the end we blame ourselves for not having enough willpower and we withdrawal into our private lives and if and when we’re ready to be vulnerable again we start making the same resolutions for the next New Year.  It’s a vicious cycle!

Solution: We get enamored with the idea of transformation and new lifestyle and we get fooled into thinking our will power will pull us through. This is easy to think when you’re not in the throes of temptation. Do not get caught in the willpower trap.  It is a limited commodity  that you cannot rely on wholeheartedly and you can only get more of it with practice.  It’s a lot like our muscles and weight training.  If your goal is to become a world class athlete and you’ve been a desk jockey for the last 10 years I wouldn’t give you 250 barbell and ask you to rep out on squats during your first workout.  Instead I would give you a manageable weight with which  you can complete the prescribed number of reps fairly easily.  You would leave the session fatigued but full of confidence.  We would continue to build on that confidence by adding more weight each week till we work up to repping out with 250 pounds.  Start with just one manageable behavioral goal.  One that is ridiculously easy.  Spend a week or two mastering it.  This not only builds your confidence but also your willpower.  Next add one more manageable habit.  Spend a few weeks mastering it then add another behavioral goal to the list and repeat.  This may be a slower process, but you will be building on success and the results are more likely to be sustainable.

5.  We dig ourselves into a deep hole during the holidays: The average American can gain between 7 and 10 pounds during the holidays.  They go into the holidays fat and come out even fatter.  If it wasn’t overwhelming before the holidays it is even more so now.  It’s like giving yourself a handicap at a game where the odds are already against you.

Solution: I’ve never seen the purpose of waiting till the right time of year to change something in your life (especially if you’re not happy with it).  Start your weight loss goal before or even during the holidays.  That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite treats and meals.  It just means you need to practice moderation.  During the holidays I suggest following the 80/20 rule.  This means you can follow sound nutritional principles 80% of the time the other 20% you can indulge a little.  This translates into following clean nutrition principles 4 days in a row and on the 5th day enjoy a treat.  This ensures you can live a little but avoids the guilt and despair of finding yourself in a deep hole come January one.

Let me know if you need any help accomplishing your New Year’s Resolution