Yes, it’s that time of year again! It’s resolution time. However, in a counter-intuitive move, I am not going to slam the concept of New Year’s resolutions. I know that it’s in vogue to say that they are a useless tradition, given how often we eventually give them up. To me, this feels slightly cynical, and more importantly, I think it completely misses the potential role that resolutions can play.
Then again, maybe I feel this way because I still like and do New Year’s resolutions.
I would suggest that the following is the wrong way to think about a New Year’s resolution:
Resolution: I am going to lose weight!
The plan: I don’t really have a plan, but I am definitely going to do some kind of horrible self-loathing ritual. Perhaps a two week sewage water cleanse could give me the jump start I need! After that, I am going to be “good”.
What happens: I drink sewage water, get cholera and die. Or I actually survive the cleanse for five days, and I then quickly return to my old life where nothing changes.
If we do the above, yes, resolutions would be quite stupid indeed. But does it really have to be this way?
First, let me make the case for the value of a good New Year’s resolution. The answer (for me anyway), lies in the reason we do our resolutions in the New Year. Is it because it is a new year? Maybe. Is it because I was a foul and unhealthy person for the past two weeks? Yes! There is nothing like waking up from an excess-fueled daze to give me all the reason in the world to want to snap back into shape. The fact that I am back at work and in my routine with lots of time between now and the small clothes of summer is the perfect time to get back to work on my health and my body. Said differently, a New Years resolution can be used as a useful Trigger.
However, it’s important to view the resolution in the broader context of a successful behavior change:
- The first trick with a behavior change effort is to recognize that it starts with a trigger, but that this is only the beginning. This is where the New Year’s resolution comes into play.
- The second trick to a successful behavior change is to focus on something that is not so huge and all-encompassing that we get quickly overwhelmed. It’s much better to set an achievable small goal rather than a horrifically daunting one.
- The final trick is to have an actionable plan through which we can keep track of whether we are sticking with the resolution
In this context, we can use a New Year’s resolution as the beginning of something achievable, and ultimately something great. The big opportunity in undertaking small and manageable changes is 1) they give us a victory, which builds confidence and 2) they often “infect” other parts of our lives. The more we adopt small healthy changes, the more we become mindful of the fact that we are becoming healthier. This in turn makes us want to bring other changes to our daily lives. In this sense, small changes become viral, but in a healthy way.
So with this in mind, I re-started myself on the program after getting back from a week of vacation in Los Angeles. It was a great week with wife and daughters, and we had a ton of fun. We also ate out for EVERY meal. I tried not to go completely off the deep end, but I might have dipped my toe or torso in it more than a few times. That said, no permanent damage was done.
Now that we have the all-new fancy pants Weight Watchers 360 program, I am jumping into the new Routines part of the program. I’ve chosen three, but I’m focusing on two:
- Eat breakfast every day (OK, fine. I already do this. Like I said, I needed a win!)
- Put your fork down and sip water between bites. I’m really focusing on this one. You might ask why this Routine matters. Here is my answer: when I put my fork down it significantly slows my rate of consumption, which allows my stomach more time to gather a sense of fulness and tell my brain to stop demanding more. Perhaps more importantly, the act of consciously putting my fork down forces me to become much more award of the fact that I am actually eating. It makes me MUCH more mindful rather than my usual state of a drug-addled crack fiend-like food eating frenzy.
- Eat all your meals at a table. I haven’t started this one yet. I still eat my breakfast standing at the kitchen counter (kind of a table). I eat lunch at my desk, and I have been known to eat dinner on a coffee table with the TV on. What’s wrong with this? It makes the act of eating a secondary experience to whatever else I’m doing. Again, it promotes mindlessness.
You get the themes of these. In 2013, I am trying to become more much mindful when I eat. The upshot is less consumption, more awareness and frankly more enjoyment.
The trick to making these stick will be simply noting once a day whether I’ve done the routines or not. I can do this on my app or on the website (more likely both).
Wish me luck!
What do you have going for the new year??
Cheers,
Dave
I am hoping to get back on track this year and lose again. 2012 I pretty much stayed the same. Good Luck to you.
Good for you Dave! Thank you for sharing your resolutions and your thinking behind them. I did not track everything I ate during the holidays because I did not want to feel guilty about going over my Points Plus allotment. Guilt leads me to eat more. I am an emotional eater and I had enough reasons to feel bad for the past two weeks. Didn’t need to add guilt to that.
Anyway. New Year, new efforts at getting control of my life.
On New Year’s, I heard someone say that resolutions are steps toward the goal we have. For example, to get better grades – one must put in an extra hour of studying. I like that idea better than a list of things I break before the end of the month. My goal is to lose weight…which the way I see it is much harder because there are so many foods that I don’t like and add on the fact that I can’t stand water unless it is really, really cold and has to have a certain taste – I have no idea how am gonna do it, but I will!
Happy New You!
Having reached my goal and at my ideal weight. I have made a resolution to stay on track so that I can maintain my weight loss. Being a Lifetime Member has changed my life. Thank you for all your support. I love reading your newsletter (blog). You inspire me to keep my commitment to our plan and let me know that if I should slip along the way, recovery is just one day away. Happy New Year. Hope to see you sometime soon.
I just finished your book and really enjoyed it. I’m going back to WW meetings next week and your story is a great inspiration
Enjoy your blogs – love your book – inspiring and encouraging. I’m down 32 lbs and halfway to goal, thanks to your guidance. Happy New Year!! And thanks for the boost.
Reblogged this on Larry Chalew's Blog and commented:
I think I can work with this …
Dave,
You have an uncanny ability to say the right thing at the right time. Your recent blog was the final push (kick in the ass) I needed, and prompted me to (re) join WW and begin tracking – this time online. I am a traditionalist (something about writing in my little tracker was cathartic, however I am – reluctantly – willing to move with the times).
As mentioned this is my second time with WW, although I am hardly a stranger to weight-loss, I’ve been at it my whole life. It was however my first time with WW (I joined in 2004, after turning 40), that I achieved my greatest success. You see I was morbidly obese, and the folks at my local meeting, helped me become a member of the “half-my-size” club; 17 months and I had smashed past my goal weight, loosing over 210lbs. I found religion (like you) on fitness and exercise. My daily running and gym workouts became an addiction. After 5 years of keeping the weight off, I thought I had this all worked out, to the point that I was coaching others…
2011/2012 was a stressful time for me. I went through a period of stressful career transition (not of my making) and went back to school after 25 years, to get my MBA. (btw: “MBA” has a new meaning…”my big a..”). The MBA is complete (well almost) and I have a new job (Yay), however the pounds have managed to creep (more like stampede) back-on (I am a stress eater after all).
Before the holidays, I joined my local gym. No need for a personal trainer to “motivate” me, I will kick my own butt very nicely, and manage to get-in 4-5 times a week (like you I live on an airplane). The pounds were not coming off however, so I am back to what works, tracking and counting points.
Although I don’t have nearly the same amount to loose (only 100 this time), however I believe it is possible for me to wind up my 40’s, back at goal weight.
Dave, you should know that your blog (and book) has helped me work this through (it IS mostly mental).
Thank You.
Keep up the good word!
Mark
The uk app doesn’t have places and routines : (
I’m also doing ‘eating at the table’, but I would also like to add something thats not on the list. Could you add the option to have a custom routine?
Please fix the app for android phones. The app crashes constantly. It says there’s no internet connection when there is. Are you paying attention to all the comments about your app in the android store? Please resolve the issues. At the very least, please acknowledge the problem publicly and let your subscribers know it is being addressed. I have made progress over the last year with my weight loss, but as an online subscriber, its really just not worth it. There are too many free options out there. I’ll just cut my losses with the Active Link and online subscription if it isn’t resolved within the month. Thank you. And a happy, healthy new year.
Dear Mr. Kirchoff,
I am a lifetime member of WW and am also starting the new year rarin’ to lose weight. So is my 17 year old daughter. Here’s the problem; She joined when she was 16 and was disappointed not to have the online/iphone tools available to her ( she was told you must be 17 to sign up for the monthly plan where these tools are available). We just attended a meeting yesterday and were told she must now be 18. I don’t get it!! In this day and age of childhood obesity why would you prevent the population that is most familiar with new technology the access to that technology? She will not use a paper tracker but would use her phone – what’s the problem? After being so psyched up, she was pretty upset not to be able to follow through. Please help!
I read “My One Word” (Mike Ashcratf)… U replace a resolution with one word and it’s great!! So MY one word is JOURNAL… I know that tracking and journaling are as essential to my WW plan as anything! I like this.
I too am not crazy about New Years Resolutions so I decided to start mine the second week of December. I had tried WW for a few short months about two years ago and wanted to give it another try, so I started before Christmas. Most of all starting WW this time I am focusing on being honest with myself, tracking each point before it goes in my mouth. It has worked. I am more conscience of my choices and I have even managed to loose 5 pounds since I started three or four weeks ago. This may not seem like much but with the two medical issues I have, PCOS and Metabolic Syndrome, it is more than a great start for me. Good luck with your New Years Resolution!
A BIG thank you to you, and my weight watchers leaders for continuing to inspire me. I am 48 years old 13 pounds away from my goal and have absorbed as much information as possible to transform my every day life. I was thrilled when WW 360 was unveiled! After losing 81 pounds I feel extremely healthy. 2012 was about seeing what I could do to lose the weight, 2013 is all about being as fit as I can be! I’m so excited to see what else I can do!!
Did you notive that in the past resolutions were in the media between the holidays. This year there is tons of discussions. And, they are all after the New Year. They all seem more serious from the news to the shopping channels.
Just finished reading your book–fantastic and funny as well! I have been a lifetime WW for 10 years–your words are inspiring and encouraging–we all will be on this path for life (which is a very good thing!). thanks for sharing your story! Jami
Hey Dave just found out about your blog today @ my WW meeting. I want to tell you that Im beyond comitted to the program and lifestyle change however, WE REALLY need to do a better job of recruting men to the Program!!!!! I just got my 16 week “CHARM” tonite????? Come on Man????? Just sayin…Can we make it a bit more GUY FRIENDLY!?!?
Thank you for posting Jennie’s video story. It was so moving and the best way to inspire others that anyone can do this program! I have lost almost 190 pounds in less than 2 years at age 50 without as many health problems as Jennie had but like her I agree that following the program is the way out of that “life” that wasn’t a life beforehand. I too am training to become a leader and receptionist and only hope to inspire others that ANYONE CAN DO WW if they follow the directions!!! Thanks Dave….loved your book also!