How to set a New Years Resolution

Well it is that time again.  It is just amazing how fast this year has gone by.  With January just a few days away it is time to start thinking about setting some goals.  It is amazing how motivating January can be.  New beginnings for everyone.  This year is going to be different.  We say it every year.  But then what happens?  We stick to a new habit for a few weeks and then it dies out. 

I have shared my story before how I stuck with a New Year's resolution a few years ago and actually made it the entire year.  In fact it is a habit that I continue to do to this day.  While I can't say it is easy to stick with a goal for an entire year there are a few tricks to make you increase your chance of success. 

Here are a few tips to help you make this year's resolution really work:

1.  Start with smaller goals.

It is funny how long and how short a year is when you look at it.  When we look ahead a year seems like forever.  When we look back it passed by in the blink of an eye.  When looking towards next years goals start with a smaller duration.  You do not have to stick with a goal for 12 months for it to be a success.  Sometimes we can hit a goal in a month or two.  Then we reevaluate and set a new goal.  You probably have a few goals in mind for next year.  Keep it short and simple.  I heard a great tip recently.  Plan out your next three months and pick one specific goal to work on.  Just break the year up into smaller segments and go from there.   So if you goal is to eat more vegetables, then work on ways you can incorporate more veggies into your diet for three months and then set new goals after that. 
 
2.  Set process vs product orient goals.

While it is OK to have both we really want to stick with process goals.  This means we focus on habits that we can incorporate or change in our lives to get us to a specific outcome.  That specific outcome would be our product goal.  For example, most people want to lose weight.  Setting a goal of weight 150lbs would be a product goal.  It is our end result.  While that is a fine goal to have it doesn't mean a whole lot.  I can also set a goal that I want to make $1 million this year.  That would be great but if I don't set up the steps to reach that goal I will never succeed.  So regardless of what your goal is find specific habits you can do to reach your end result.  But focus on the process of getting there only.

3.  Use SMART goals.

You probably have heard this before, but a SMART goal is a great place to start.  If you have never heard of this it simply means when setting a goal it must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.  So instead of saying I want to lose 15lbs next year I would say, "I will perform 5 days of at least 30 minutes of exercise until April 1, 2013."  By having a specific end date, psychologically it will dramatically increase your adherence to that goal. 

4.  Write it down.

Most people will never do this, but it is such a simple thing that will help you reach your goal.  Simply write it down, read it, and keep it in a place where you will see it.  Write your goal down on a piece of paper and keep it next to your bed.  When you go to sleep make sure you read it and when you wake up read it again.  The more that it is on your mind the more likely you will do it.  You can also keep it on the fridge or in the mirror in the bathroom.  Any place where you will constantly see it.  Sometimes it also helps to write the goal down as if you have already succeeded.  So you can say something like, "Today is June 1st, 2013 and I am sitting out by the pool on our family vacation.  I finally fit into my old bathing suit that I haven't worn in 5 years.  I even see a few guys across the pool checking me out.  I can't believe how much younger, more energetic, and healthier I feel now"  You can write it anyway that would be significant for you. 

So let's see if you can stick to this goal for 2013.  It is much easier when you have a realistic game plan set in place.

You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator

14 Tricks To Help You Lose Weight Faster

I recently found this article from IDEA Health and Fitness Association.  There are a ton of "tricks" you can implement in your daily life to help you eat less and live a healthier lifestyle.  You may have heard of some of them before.  Here are 14 pretty cool tricks to help you loss more weight over this holiday season.

1.  Use a red plate.

I know this might sound weird, but a study in the journal Apetite found that people ate less when using a red plate over blue or white.  Just remember, red means stop.

2.  Use smaller plates and bowls.

You probably have seen this one before.  A study from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that when given a larger bowl participants served themselves 77% more pasta then when given a smaller bowl.  Plates and bowls look empty when there is not food filling it up.  When we put more food on the plate you are more likely to eat it all.

3.  Understand serving sizes.

It is great when you find low calorie snacks at the store.  Something might promote that is is only 100 calories which is a great snack.  But don't forget to look at the label.  It is 100 calories per serving which is often much smaller than you think it is.  This is often true in drinks.  A serving might be 8 ounces even though it is served in 12 ounces.

4.  Eat breakfast.

If you train with me or have followed my blog for a while you have definitely heard this one before.  A study from the University of Missouri found that eating a 500 calorie breakfast led to less eating throughout the day.  They even saw in bran scans that there was less activity in the area of the brain that controls food motivation and reward.

5.  Snack between meals.

In a Yales study that also looked at brain scans, they found that when glucose levels drop it triggers the reward region of the brain to seek out sugary food.  The brain uses glucose for energy.  When it drop you are triggered to feel hungry and eat high calorie food.  Instead, prevent this from happen by constantly snacking so you are not letting your glucose level drop.

6.  Don't eat while watching TV.

A review of studies published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine discovered that TV viewing was more associated with calorie dense drinks and foods and less associated with fruits and veggies. 
The same is true while on the computer as well or playing video games.  When you are not focused on what you are eating you will have no idea how much you are consuming.

7.  Chew more.

It can be tough not to just swallow your meal whole sometimes when you are really hungry.  But a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that subjects consumed 12% less calories when they chewed their food more.  More chewing actually increased hormones like cholecystokinin (hormones that make you feel full) and decreased ghrelin (a hormone that increases your appetitie).

8.  Eat an appetizer.

I need to be careful when I say this.  I don't want you to head over to the Outback and get a Blooming Onion.  Instead, but having a light appetizer before a meal, you are more likely to eat less for your meal.  Two studies showed that by having a salad or piece of fruit 20 minutes prior to a meal can lower total calories by 11-15%.

9.  Cut your food up.

This is similar to eating what is on your plate.  If you give yourself smaller portions by cutting food up you will be less likely to overeat.  You might think that you will be hungrier if you ate less, but a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that this is not true.  They had subject eat pieces of candy in this study.  One group was given 6 pieces.  The other group was still given 6 pieces but they were all halves.  So they actually only had 3 full pieces.  They found that there was no substantial differences in hunger between the groups.

10.  Get more sleep.

Sleep does us a lot of good but it can actually help you lose weight better too.  One study found that subjects ate 300 calories more when they were sleep deprived versus well rested.  Another study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that lose who only slept 4 hours showed more brain activity in response to food stimuli than those who slept 9 hours.

11.  Eat more fiber.

We all know that fiber is part of a healthy nutrition program, but it also aid in weight loss by increasing satiety, slowing down digestion, and minimizing blood sugar fluctuations.  A study in the journal Appetite found that subjects felt fuller after consuming high fiber bread compared to poor fiber white bread.

12.  Keep extra food off the table.

This is a huge one that you really should incorporate if you don't already.  Just don't keep any food on the dinner table.  If you want to grab seconds you need to get up and grab it in the kitchen.  Or if you don't want to let yourself get anymore, then just serve your self and put everything away.  In fact another study from Cornell University found that people ate 20% fewer calories when they did this.

13.  Eat your calories.

I'm not saying you can never drink any calories, but the majority of your drinks really should be water.  Maybe some juice or a smoothie for breakfast and a post workout shake, but after that stick with water.  A study from the University of Kansas Medical Center showed that those who drink the same amount of calories as those who eat it in food are more hungry after the meal.  So you drink calories and then you are more likely to eat more and over consume.

14.  Avoid low fat/low carb foods.

They may sounds appealing and healthy but these types of foods or food products most likely won't help you lose weight and might actually lead to weight gain.  Often times in low fat foods, sugar is added to make it taste better.  A study published in the Journal of Marketing Research discovered that subjects at 28% more chocolate candy when it was portrayed as low fat than they did when it was described as regular.  Low fat/low sugar foods make us think we are eating less or better but it usually is not the case.  Also, they are usually full of artificial sweeteners.  Even if the calories are less it still increases your cravings for sugary foods.  So just stay away from them.

15.  BONUS TRICK:  Workout at SDPT

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You Stay Healthy San Diego,

Mike Deibler MS, CSCS

Carlsbad Personal Training

My Workout Creator