Are you someone who has planned to hit the fitness lifestyle hard on January 1st?
The thing that bugs me about New Years resolutions, are that many people seem to rely on a 'certain day' in order to start becoming healthy. Many people who plan on getting in shape at the start of a new year tend to fail, and this is why I think that happens.
The 1st of January is in the middle of the winter - It's dark when you get up for work, it's dark when you go home from work, the weather tends to be miserable, its wet and cold. All of those combine to make the perfect recipe for 'lazyness'. Even those who are fitness addicts, will admit that training in the winter months is a little harder and requires a little more effort. So to the newbies out there who plan to start right in the middle of winter, they will struggle. People tend to be more lethargic in the winter, and that seriously affects their motivation to get up and train and to cook healthy meals.
I can understand why all of that happens. I personally find it a tad tougher to get up and train in the winter, purely because us humans don't like the cold. But I still do it, and you eventually get into a 'winter routine' and you're fine. I wrote a blog post a little while ago about starting your New Years resolutions a few weeks before Xmas - that way you kick start things and you don't rely on a 'certain day' to begin. A lot of people will make fitness resolutions purely because its a 'trend', but as soon as it starts to get a bit tough, a bit of a struggle, they quit, as it's the easy thing to do. The whole idea of a New Years resolution is for it to last the whole year, but most people don't quite understand how tough changing your health and fitness can be, and also how long a year is. That's why people will quit early, because the initial 'rush' of everyone starting their resolutions soon dies down and then it's down to you, and the quitting begins.
You shouldn't have to wait for a certain day. If you want to become fitter and healthier, then start anytime of the year, don't wait for that one day. It's also hard to start on the 1st of January, because your body is still recovering from Xmas. All of the effects from the processed foods, the sugar, the alcohol, the late nights - that all takes time to completely work its way out of your system. The effects of Xmas can last a few weeks after the holidays. During that time, you will feel a lot more lethargic.
Don't be one of the people to quit their New Years resolution. If you want to change your body, then start at any time, don't rely on an external stimulus in order to start.
Lee Gregory Fitness