Five fitness resolutions to avoid in 2015

Poorly considered and overly demanding fitness resolutions for the new year only lead to frustration and anger, writes Scott Laidler

By Scott Laidler
9:52AM GMT 30 Dec 2014

1. I'm going to lose 10kg this year

Have you ever noticed how busy gyms are in January and how empty they are by March?

A lot of this seasonal drop-off can be attributed to overly ambitious weight loss goals. For example, 10kg of sustainable weight loss will take months to achieve, even at an accelerated rate of a kilo a week (more than double what I'd generally recommend).

The problem is that it's easy to be motivated just after setting a goal, when you're feeling bloated from Christmas and have all the best intentions for the New Year. It's much harder, however, to maintain that motivation when you're three weeks in, feeling knackered, and still over halfway from your goal. Ill-considered weight loss gains are a recipe for ducking out of gym sessions before January has even drawn to a close.

Instead, try setting a series of smaller weight loss goals that will act as stepping stones towards your longer term target. A target of 1lb (0.45kg) weight loss per week over one month is achievable, and allows you to see the light at the end of the tunnel throughout the training period.

The gratification of achieving a goal is not to be underestimated: by keeping them small and reasonable, you can progress through the New Year with ever improving fitness.

2. I'm going to run a marathon in April

Running a marathon is a great achievement – but setting it as your resolution may be a little misguided.

April is a common goal because that's when the London Marathon takes place. However, in truth you don't have enough time between now and then to train for a marathon. It takes 18-30 weeks for adequate training, so going from absolutely nothing to a marathon by April will be a tall order. You also run the risk (excuse the pun) of putting your body under too much stress, which can result in common injuries such as shin splints or a tight iliotibial band. Both need rest to alleviate the pain – but that will set you back massively in your rushed training plan.

Another issue with the ‘marathon by April’ resolution is that it doesn't help you stay fit in the long term. Distance training is the physical equivalent of extreme dieting. Putting yourself through a marathon training regime takes huge effort and personal sacrifice; it's not a recommended route for establishing regular exercise habits.

Instead, try to set a goal that develops an all-round training performance through cross training resistance work, cardio and some shorter distance runs. A reasonable goal for April could be a 5-10km race.

3. I'm going to try the … diet

This is the single biggest mistake people make when setting NY resolutions. You'll have heard it before, but let me say it again: dieting just doesn't work! At least not for those who haven't yet been able to maintain their ideal weight over time.

By definition, a diet is temporary: it's something that you do for a given amount of time to help you lose weight. While it is certainly possible to lose weight through dieting (often this weight loss is muscle and water and is actually making you fatter), the temporary nature of the diet doesn't address the question of what happens once you've finished the diet.

Binge dieting leaves you with two lifestyles: the one you had before the crash diet, and the crash diet itself. Like a car with only 1st and 5th gears, it won't take long before something breaks.

It's much better to establish healthy habits over time than it is to diet. That way, when you do achieve your goal weight, it'll actually be your new weight and not just a temporary condition brought about by extreme calorie restriction and suffering.

4. I'm going to cut out …

A common resolution is to cut out a certain type of food from the diet. The trouble here is that it's usually the person's favourite food – a guilty pleasure that they're going to miss to the point of resenting the resolution. How many people vow to cut out chocolate at this time of year, only to scowl every time they see someone eating a KitKat?

Psychologically we just aren't programmed to respond well to negative resolutions; our brains work far better in the affirmative. A better statement of intent would be: “I'm going to include more vegetables in my meal planning”. By committing yourself to the inclusion of healthy foods like vegetables you are removing the negative foods by proxy because there just isn't going to be room for all the junk after consuming enough good quality nutrition.

Aim to eat as many vegetables, lentils and beans as you can handle. This way you will fill your stomach with great food that has next to no impact on your blood sugar and you'll be too full to worry about junk food.

5. I'm going to exercise every day

I've heard this one a lot, and while the intention is obviously good, the goal is both unrealistic and unnecessary.

First of all, you can get great results on a lot less training than seven sessions a week. Personally, I train three times a week. I actually can't think of a goal or scenario in which you would need to train every single day for an entire year.

It's great to be active, but intense training requires periods of rest and inactivity to avoid burnt out. If you can train every single day of the year with no ill effect, it may be worth considering whether your workouts are intense enough.

Moreover, this is always going to be a difficult resolution in terms of satisfaction, because even if you are making great progress in the gym and you look and feel wonderful, it only takes one missed workout for you to feel as if you have failed. Goals based on training frequency are arbitrary and really mean nothing unless you know how many times you'll need to train for your specific goal and circumstances.

You'll be far better served with an outcome based goal like “I want to lower my body fat by 3pc” or “I want to gain 5lbs of muscle” and then work backwards from the end result to create the blueprint to successful completion.

Don't impose a year of self criticism and frustration on yourself. You can achieve your goals with smart choices and moderation. Fitness and weight loss really doesn't have to be that hard.

I wish you all the very best of health in 2015.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/mens-health/11315708/Five-fitness-resolutions-to-avoid-in-2015.html