Happy new year to you! I hope you had a fantastic holiday filled with family, friends, relaxation, memory-making, and great food. Sometimes I can’t believe that Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s all happen within about 6 weeks of each other. What a crazy time!

And now it’s that time of year where we all wind back down and re-enter real life. It’s a time for going inward and setting intentions for you again, instead of taking care of everyone else. We’re all getting ready to see what 2015 offers up, but when we make resolutions for the year, we empower ourselves to have some say in how this year goes.

My Resolution

Usually my resolutions involve rock climbing goals and business intentions, but this year they’re sort of the opposite. My resolution for 2015 is to learn how to be less stressed out while still being productive. It’s proving to be a difficult task, as every time I sit down at my computer my neck and shoulders immediately get tensed up. Is it possible to work and be relaxed at the same time? Will it be possible to rock climb and not get obsessive about my goals and just have fun with it? We’ll see!

3 Rules for Making Weight Loss Resolutions That Stick

I’m not here to talk about me today, though. I want to tell you a few things I’ve learned over the years about making resolutions that stick, especially if they involve losing weight. Statistics show that most people who make resolutions give up on their goals by February, and many of those resolutions involve weight loss. Let’s keep you from being a statistic, shall we?

Here are 3 rules to follow this New Year’s.

1. Do It For YOU

Whatever you resolve to do this year, make sure you want to do it and that you don’t feel backed into a corner to do it by someone else. Is your husband wanting you to lose weight? Do you really want to start running or did some trainer on TV make you feel like you’re supposed to be a runner?  We all know that doing something difficult for someone else – especially when there’s resentment involved – is not sustainable.

If you feel like you’re not allowed to eat that last bite of dinner because your husband is silently leering at you, even though you’re legitimately hungry…. Or you’re forcing yourself to go running in the freezing cold winter, even though you hate running and you hate the cold, you’re probably going to start rebelling at some point. That rebellion may involve secret trips to Dunkin Donuts and long hours in front of the TV…

So make sure that you’re resolving to do or be something that you want to do or be – not anyone else. If you know you need to lose weight, lose the weight because you want to lose the weight. Even if your husband (or society, or whoever) makes the suggestion, take it under consideration, sit with it, decide if being thinner and healthier is something you truly want, and then find the resolve within yourself to make it a reality.

2. Don’t Be Crazy

When you resolve to do something different and beneficial for yourself this year, don’t be a crazy person about it. Here’s what I mean. Say your New Year’s resolution is to learn how to scuba dive. Would you just go buy the gear and jump in the ocean by yourself? No. You’d take a class in a pool with an instructor. You’d graduate from the shallow end to the deep end, and then eventually go outside with an instructor. Then later you’d be able to go out on your own and have fun, when it was all second nature to you.

Now say your resolution is to lose weight. Would you start by skipping meals every day and exercising 7 days a week 3 hours a day? Some people would, and that’s why people fail miserably at their New Year’s Resolutions. So the goal here is to go about this in a sane manner, seeing it as a long-term goal, starting in the shallow end of the pool. Most people need to start slowly and make gradual changes. Abrupt changes make people feel like they’re a victim of something, even if what they’re doing is of their own choosing.

3. Make A Plan

Whatever your resolution is, map it out chronologically. If it’s to save enough money to go to Tahiti by next Christmas, how much will that cost and how much do you need to put away every month? Likewise, if you’re trying to lose weight, map it out. If you’re trying to lose 40 pounds, how long will that realistically take? A reasonable and realistic amount of weight to lose is about 2 pounds per week, so that means you’re looking at about 20 weeks, which means you might reach your goal by June.

Now that you have a realistic expectation for a timeline, what do you need to do to get there? Do you need to see a nutritionist? Could you ask your friends or family members who’ve successfully lost weight how they did it? What books did they read, what kind of exercise did they do and how much of it every week?

How quickly or slowly will you begin the plan? Will you dive in or will you take small steps so your body and mind can get used to the changes? Do you need a meal plan? Maybe even a personal chef to make your food for you (they’re surprisingly affordable these days…)? Will you join a gym and work out alone, start doing CrossFit, yoga, or join a group of some kind to get workouts in? Do you need a personal trainer? How will you react if you don’t lose 2 pounds every week? Will you give up or will you seek new information and try again the next week?

These are all questions you have to answer before you even begin.

Of course, my advice for any weight loss resolvers is to try going Paleo for a couple months and see how it works for you, as I’ve seen it help thousands of people lose weight over the years. It’s satisfying, people generally don’t feel hungry very often, it’s nutritious, good for the planet, and it balances your hormones so your body can be its best self.

My Weight Loss Program Is On Sale!

If you’re the kind of person who needs a plan and encouragement, my 30-Day Fat Loss Jump Start program is on sale from $49 down to $29 this week, and it offers you a definitive food guide, a meal planning guide, and a guide to Paleo so you can be educated and prepared. You’ll receive emails from me every 1-3 days throughout the 30 days with tips, further education and challenges, and encouragement. I made this program specifically for people who need a little (kind) kick in the butt

Here’s what you get:

• Proven methods to make you lose weight and keep it off
• Email support and education from me, a nutritionist
• Definitive Eating Guide
• Meal Planning & Recipe Guide
• Sustainable (and simple) lifestyle changes
• Quick, effective workout info

Get the 30-Day Fat Loss Program <<—-

I hope this all helps you make realistic New Year’s Resolutions this year! I’d love to know what your resolutions are on my Facebook page. Sometimes stating your goals publicly can help you stay accountable and really set the intention in stone. In any case, best wishes to you!