6 steps to keeping your resolutions

It’s Jan. 1. Thanksgiving and Christmas are behind you, but in front of you is a growing belly, thanks to those third and fourth helpings of holiday goodness.

The most popular New Year’s resolution: lose weight.

Sound familiar?

Every year, we set lofty resolutions that we’re really going to keep this time, yet somehow, by February, our exercise enthusiasm flounders.

We asked experts who live healthy. Here are their secrets.

1. Make a plan.

Natalie Auld’s workout playlist

(Aerobics Coordinator at Definitions Fitness Center)

1. Let’s Get It Started—Black Eyed Peas

2. Sandstorm—Darude

3. Flossin—Pretty Ricky

4. Gotta Get Thru This—Daniel Bedingfield

5. Lose Control—Missy Elliot

6. Rompe—Daddy Yankee

The first mistake most people make come January is categorizing their weight loss goal as a New Year’s resolution, according to Jimmy Miller, certified personal trainer and fitness director at Body Mechanics Personal Fitness. Recognize that to succeed you must

implement a healthy lifestyle, and you’re already on the right track.

Start by setting realistic and specific short- and long-term goals.

Think numbers and time frames. When brainstorming your plan, work your new routine into your schedule. Committing to an hour-long jog every morning before work might work for some people, but don’t feel discouraged if it doesn’t work for you. Dr. Tim Church, the director of the Laboratory of Preventive Medicine at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, says just 30 minutes a day of some physical activity can make a world of difference. Regular activity not only shapes you up and increases metabolism, its calming effect also makes it a great deterrent to stress.

Work in increments. Many people believe the only change is a complete change, but small adjustments to your daily routine (like taking the farthest parking spot, for one) will add up.

2. Hire professional help.

Especially if you’re new to the workout arena, meet with a licensed personal trainer. You will save yourself loads of time and pain by learning how to do things right from the start. Did you know that your posture can have an adverse effect on your workouts? Personal trainers can teach you why.

Miller says, “The trainer’s job is to teach, not to show.” A trainer will get you started on the proper progression for you and will keep you from trying to do “too much too fast too soon.”

When first-time gym members go it alone, gym memberships dwindle—an astounding 42 percent quit after the first month, according to John McCarthy of the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. While a line for treadmills is expected at the gym in January, personal training facilities see a spike in appointments come February when a specific, targeted plan sounds like a better bet.

Body Mechanics Personal Fitness director Jimmy Miller’s favorite bands and albums for workouts

1. Wolfmother

2. Arctic Monkeys

3. Rage Against the Machine—“Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium”

4. Pennywise

5. Guns N’ Roses

6. Public Enemy’s Greatest Hits—“Power to the People and the Beats”

You can expect to pay $50 to $70 per one-hour session for a personal trainer.

Recently, more college students have flocked to gyms to work with personal trainers. Kirk Simmons, owner of Definitions Fitness Center in Baton Rouge, says the explanation is simple: personal trainers can get you in shape twice as fast, and they eliminate the guesswork of working out.

One guaranteed way to meet your weight loss goal: “Set an appointment with a personal trainer or yourself,” Simmons says, “And don’t miss it. Period.”

3. Strive for synergy.

To achieve a balanced, healthy lifestyle, Miller says, your routine must fuse the following three components: nutrition, resistance training and cardiovascular training.

Stick to the food pyramid and steer clear of the faulty hourglass configuration where the majority of diet comes from the pyramid top (fats and sweets) and bottom (bread, cereal, rice and pasta).

Eat several healthy meals in moderation throughout the day to stay energized and keep that insatiable appetite in check.

Remember that fad diets are just that. Eliminating entire food groups never works long term, and even the manliest man will get sick of steak and eggs for every meal.

Miller suggests keeping a food log of everything you eat during the day. An extra hint: Plan ahead and write before you eat. That way, it’ll be even harder to have to add that “whole box of Wheat Thins” after you’ve made the day’s list.

No time to hit the gym for weight training? Standard push-ups and pull-ups emulate resistance training because they use the body’s weight as resistance.

Cardio training burns fat and promotes cardiovascular health. Muscles formed during weight training may still be hidden under fat in the absence of some type of aerobic exercise.

Finally, exercising must be enjoyable, or it is unlikely to last.

Beat boredom by changing things up. If pounding the pavement turns lackluster, try alternating other full-body workouts like swimming, cycling or tennis—which brings us to Step 4.

4. Get a workout partner.

Consider it the buddy system. Workout buddies make exercising more enjoyable and less monotonous. A friend or trainer (or even a dog) will help keep you motivated, and knowing that someone is depending on you makes it easier to swap slippers for sneakers.

5. Publicly share your goals.

Simply announcing to your family, friends and co-workers that you are trying to get in shape has an effect similar to having a workout partner. You will have their support and encouragement, and your “support group” will be able to mentally monitor your progress (or lack thereof).

6. Be patient.

Remember: “There’s no time like the present to make a lifestyle change,” Miller says. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” According to the American College of Sports Medicine, most people should lose no more than about 2 pounds per week because they will inevitably gain it right back if it’s shed too fast. The reality is that we gain weight over months or years, so we can’t expect to drop pounds for good in the early part of a new year.

As with any goal, anticipate obstacles. “Don’t view slips and backslides as failures; look at them as opportunities to learn,” Miller advises. When you do learn from your mistakes, affirm your small successes, and don’t let the focus drift back to your slip-ups.

“Set goals to reward yourself, not to deprive yourself,” Miller says.

Reward yourself for meeting short-term goals with feel-good things like a manicure or a massage. Save the sweet-tooth-satisfying rewards for the kids.

“If all else fails, fitness can start at anytime,” Miller says. “It doesn’t have to be Jan. 1.”

Now, what’s next year’s resolution?