Most will make a New Year's Resolution doomed from the start Learn eight surefire ways to make this your last weight loss resolution *Archived January 2006 article "I'll start fresh in the New Year!" That's what we always say. "No more cookies, chocolate, parties, overeating, beer, wine - whatever! I'm gonna start work'n out hard and finally burn off this belly and fit back into all my clothes again." The number one New Year's Resolution is to lose weight, every year. Why can't we as Americans just get our act together for once? The regular gym members get frustrated with the crowds that pack the clubs every January. But they know that sure enough they'll dwindle down by mid February. The weight loss centers and fitness retailers gear up for the most profitable month of the year. The weight loss industry is the only industry that sells flawed products to us as consumers, and then escapes the blame when we fail miserably with the latest diet, gadget or gizmo. We blame ourselves. So why is it that we Americans always start off the year with good intentions but are completely unaware that our renewed efforts are doomed from the start? It's for one reason and one reason only: we are misinformed. Low carb, low fat, high protein, low calorie, cabbage soup, fasting, cleansing, starving - what the heck is going on here? The following will be an attempt to offer clarity at a time of confusion and truth in a market of deception. These are eight surefire ways to getting lean, staying lean and being fit. They are timeless, basic and should form the foundation of your physical health. Stop falling for all the tricks. The first thing you have to do is start seeing through the deception. Remember, the weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry because we are always looking for the latest quick fix. There are no quick fixes, period! I saw an infomercial for the Sauna Belt. "Just strap on the belt and melt away those inches." Don't be so gullible and fall for that stuff. Learn how to read nutrition facts and decipher the misinformation on food labels. The marketing on the front doesn't always match the facts on the back. Better yet, take a grocery shopping tour with one of the Oahu Club trainers, they'll tell you exactly what's going on. By the way, the human body is only capable of losing one to two, maybe three pounds of fat per week. Don't let anyone tell you different. If you see a claim for more than that, don't buy into it. You'll just lose water weight and even worse, muscle mass and that'll send you right to the familiar plateau. Find your motivation. Stop creating external motivation for yourself. "Once I lose 10 pounds, I'll buy me that Gucci bag." That'll fade quickly and you'll probably buy that bag before you drop two pounds anyway. Maybe you have to get rid of the scale all together. The scale is actually the worst way you can measure your success. If you lose weight how do you know whether it's fat, muscle or water that you lost? Go by the way you look, feel or how you clothes fit. Measure inches or have a trainer take your body fat. Find your internal motivation, look within yourself to find what will drive you. Once you discover that feeling, thought or voice within you grasp it and replay it over and over whenever you need to hit a workout or be disciplined with your nutrition. Change your mindset. Think of yourself in your ideal state and "act as if." Act as if you are already there. Think of yourself as lean, strong, disciplined and healthy. How much different would you act if you actually were that way? Your goals must be crystal clear mentally before they can manifest physically. Don't ever "diet" again. Diets don't work plain and simple. Once you get on a diet you'll probably get off it at some point. And all the weight you lost on it you'll probably gain back when you get off it, plus more. Unless you can see yourself being on any particular diet for life, don't do it because it won't last. Here's what you do for starters. Think balance: eat lean proteins, starchy carbs and fibrous carbs. Keep the saturated fat low. Do get good fats and eliminate trans fat (hydrogenated oil). Never, never, never starve yourself! That's never the answer! Did I say never? Sugar is the ultimate enemy. The more you can eradicate sugar from the food you eat, the leaner you'll be, guaranteed. Get your heart rate up! We've all heard this one before. You have to do some kind of aerobic activity. I told you these steps are timeless and basic. There really is nothing new under the sun. Here's the good news: Too much aerobic activity can make you fat! That's where people go wrong. They think that weights are for bodybuilders, they just need to do five hours on the elliptical machine or run ten miles and they'll reach all their goals. Wrong! Too much aerobic activity will actually endanger your lean muscle mass. Your muscle is what burns fat for you. In the muscle is where fat is burned. You must preserve lean muscle mass at all costs! That'll wrap it up for now. I could go on and on. The next four steps will have to be covered in my next article. Until then, you've got plenty to work on. Stay tuned. Keoni Subiono is the Director of Personal Training at The Oahu Club in Hawaii Kai. He can be reached at keoni1715@yahoo.com or at (808) 306-1485.
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