Sticking to That Fitness Resolution: Here’s How You Can Do It

Was your 2020 resolution to join a gym? Exercise? Eat healthier meals?  Do you make the same resolution every January, only to find yourself quitting a few months into the year? You aren’t alone. This year though, with just a little help, you won’t give up, and you WILL see results.  

Izdean Mufleh, M.D., primary care physician at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, helps patients get on the road to good health every day. 

Remember to get the go-ahead from your doctor to start an exercise program. And then, Dr. Mufleh adds, these tips will get you on track. And better yet, keep you on track.          

1)  Set realistic goals. 

“If your goals aren’t realistic, you aren’t giving yourself a chance to succeed,” emphasizes Dr. Mufleh.

2)  Ask for help.

 To stay on the path to success, Dr. Mufleh tells patients to ask for help – whether it’s at the gym for fitness or your doctor for weight loss.   

3)  Diet matters.  

It isn’t all about hours at the gym. Exercise is important to your health and can impact how you look but what you eat is key. Dr. Mufleh suggests thinking of nutrition as the foundation and build on it with healthy meal planning and exercise.

4)  Details, details.

When you eat certain foods and the type of exercise you do really make a difference. Taking care of small details can add up to big results.

5)  It’s a process – so stay on track.

If you focus on the process, reaching your goals comes down to repeating the same actions over and over.  Dr. Mufleh adds that if you are performing the correct actions – it should add up to the expected result.

6)  Do not fear failure.

You’ve heard it before – if at first you don’t succeed…But seriously, it may not be perfect at first. Nonetheless, learn from the experience and correct the issues going forward.

7)  Avoid the “all or nothing” mentality

Don’t feel like you’ve fallen off the wagon just because you’ve missed a couple of gym days or had a few too many sweets.  Life happens. Don’t make it all or nothing – the plan isn’t ruined. If you missed your workout today, Dr. Mufleh has good news – all isn’t lost.  Just think about getting there tomorrow – and grabbing an apple or veggies for a snack instead of sweets. 

Good luck. And remember that you are alone. Here’s to not just a year — but a lifetime –of healthy choices.

Tags: exercise & fitness, Nutritional tips