Happy New Year! Did you know that every year about 40-45% of adults make New Year’s resolutions, yet according to experts, 97% of those resolutions will not be kept?

For those of us looking to slim down and live a healthier lifestyle, let’s examine the top 3 reasons why New Year’s weight loss resolutions typically fail, and how to make this year different!

PROBLEM: Going it alone
Unless you’re really thick-skinned and stubborn, it’s extremely hard to stick to a weight loss resolution by yourself. This is the #1 reason for failure. What’s more, if other people aren’t aware that you want to change, chances are they’ll keep offering you cakes, cookies, and other weight loss resolution saboteurs. By going it alone you also don’t feel compelled to keep up your efforts and typically end up collapsing half way to your goal.

SOLUTION: Publicly declare your war against the pounds!

a) Get a coach. The probability of completing a goal is at 25% when you consciously decide to adopt it, but shoots up to a whopping 95% when you have accountability to someone else. Skeptical? Come on over to LeBootCamp for a money-back 7-day trial and see how you go!

b) Join a social media support group and share your weight loss achievements along the way! If you don’t feel comfortable publishing your personal weight, just note how many pounds you’ve lost or the percentage of your goal you’ve reached etc.

c) Put sticky notes with your healthy resolutions on your fridge, in your car, at your work desk – wherever you and your family and friends are likely to see them!

d) Keep a blog. By sharing your successes and your struggles, you’re more likely to stay on track as well as motivate others to follow in your footsteps!

PROBLEM: Depriving yourself
You’ve gorged yourself for a few weeks, or worse, you haven’t looked at the scale since Thanksgiving. The pounds have crept back and found themselves a comfy spot on your figure. But now that you’re back to work and in your “New Year New You” spirit, it’s time to tackle the extra weight!

The easiest path is to deprive yourself; indeed, not eating or eating only one category of food (think high protein diets or mono diets), will bring very short-term results. That said, if you’ve asked any follower of those quick-fix dangerous regimes, you’ll always hear the same terrible tale: the dieter lost 20 lbs in no time only to regain all the lost weight as soon as they jumped off the bandwagon and reverted to “real life”!

SOLUTION: Remind yourself that food is meant to be enjoyed!

I know it is hard to face the fact that you won’t lose 20 lbs in 2 weeks – but rather in about 8 or 12 weeks – but think about the long-term results: would you rather lose your weight quickly and see it come back quickly? Or would you rather lose it forever?

Getting your dream body to stay takes a generous dollop of food-loving. Explore new foods and flavors and learn to eat what’s truly good for you. Take the time try one new recipe per week and start cooking and preparing your food with mindfulness. Get your family and friends onboard in your quest to diet with pleasure. Try some LeBootCamp favorites, like our gluten-free Buckwheat Waffles, and you’ll be amazed to discover just how delicious “diet” food can be!

PROBLEM: Diving in too fast
You did not gain those extra pounds overnight. You won’t lose them overnight either. I know it isn’t the greatest wakeup call but it’s the truth! Don’t go on the fast lane of dieting – it’s the fast track to failure.

SOLUTION: Take it slow.

Take one step at a time. Lose your extra pounds one day at a time. To do it right, make one major change per week and one baby change per day. For example:

Week 1: add freshly squeezed lemon juice in room temperature water every morning on an empty stomach
Week 2: add a 30-min walk on an empty stomach (before breakfast, lunch or dinner, you decide)
Week 3: have one 100% raw meal per day (eg. a raw breakfast: 10 sprouted almonds, 1 banana, 1 pink grapefruit and unlimited seasonal berries)
Week 4: Add 2 x 1-hr cardio sessions per week.

As for daily baby steps, add one new 25th Hour move (my version of integrative gymnastics) every day: squeeze your glutes while folding laundry or cooking, suck in your stomach each time you go through a door, stand up and sit down 5 times in a row each time you’re about to sit on a chair, etc.

Ready to make this year’s weight loss resolutions last?

Join me on LeBootCamp and get everything you need to make it happen!

Valerie Orsoni
Your Weight Loss & Wellness Coach