3 steps to keeping your New Year’s resolution
A New Year’s resolution holds the hope and promise that we crave at the beginning of a new year; the idea that in 2022 we will be fitter and healthier, is a very tempting one.
If your New Year’s resolution for 2022 is about better health and fitness, you won’t be alone. A summary of research by discoverhappyhabits.com showed that the most popular resolutions of 2021 were:
- Exercising more and improving fitness - 50%
- Losing weight - 48%
- Improving diet - 39%
However, changing ingrained habits is not easy
- Of those who make a New Year’s resolution, 25% of people have given up after only one week
- After two weeks, the number drops to 29%.
- After one month 36% of people have given up on their resolution
So, what can we do to make sure we stick to our resolution and succeed in our goal, and how can Tanita help?
1. Set realistic goals
With a Tanita body composition monitor you get a full picture of your fitness so you can set smaller goals spread over different measurements, such as reducing your total body fat, increasing your muscle mass and increasing your total body water. This makes them more realistic and achievable.
2. Track your progress
Increasing your activity levels and making healthy diet swaps will actually be beneficial from day one and all the changes you make will have a positive impact. However, people often become discouraged and give up.
When people become discouraged, it is often because they are not tracking the progress they are making and they can’t see the impact of the changes (if the mirror isn’t showing you improvements, you aren’t achieving any – right? WRONG!).
Research published by the American Psychological Association proves that tracking your progress against specific goals, helps goal attainment by up to 80%, so this is a vital step to success.
3. Measure the right things
By monitoring your body composition with a Tanita body composition scale, you will quickly see the impact of your New Year’s resolution. Check out the resolutions below and see which measurements will help you stick to your resolution:
If you have resolved to improve your fitness
- Monitor an increase in your muscle mass and muscle quality – with the Tanita RD-953 you get a muscle score - the larger the number, the more muscle mass you have and the better your muscle quality – so you can see a clear measurement of your increasing muscle across your whole body
- Monitor a decrease in your body fat - If you consume the same number of calories as you burn, all the calories are converted into energy. But if you consume more than you burn, excess calories are stored in fat cells. So rather than focussing on calories when you are improving your fitness, monitor your body fat percentage and watch it reduce.
- Focus on increasing your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – Your BMR is the daily minimum level of energy or calories your body requires when at rest (including sleeping) in order to function effectively. Regular exercise will start to increase your BMR which in turn will make it easier to lose body fat and overall weight.
If you have resolved to adopt a healthier diet
- Monitor your total body water – hydration is an essential part of staying healthy. Over half your body consists of water, it regulates body temperature and helps eliminate waste. However you lose water continuously, so it’s important to keep replacing it and the amount of fluid needed every day varies from person to person, so monitor your total body water and make sure you are drinking enough.
- Monitor your level of visceral fat - Even if your weight and body fat remain constant, as you get older the distribution of fat changes and is more likely to shift to the abdominal area. Ensuring you have a healthy level of visceral fat directly reduces the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure and may delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Measuring your visceral fat with a body composition monitor helps you keep track of potential problems and test the effectiveness of your diet
- Cooking from scratch, using fresh ingredients is vital to adopting a healthier diet and cooking is easier with the help of a Tanita digital kitchen scale which enables you to measure several ingredients accurately in the same bowl.
If you have resolved to lose weight
- Watch your daily caloric intake – Many weight loss plans are based on an average calorie intake which may not be right for you. The daily caloric intake estimate from your Tanita body composition scale will give you a helpful estimate of how many calories you can consume within the next 24 hours to maintain your current weight.
- Set a target to increase your muscle mass – muscles act as an engine in consuming energy. As your muscle mass increases, the rate at which you burn energy (calories) increases which accelerates your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and helps you reduce excess body fat levels and lose weight in a healthy way.
- Aim for a reduction in your fat mass - if you consume more than you burn, excess calories are stored in fat cells. If this stored fat is not converted into energy later, it creates excess body fat. Monitoring your fat mass will give you an accurate picture of how you are using the calories you consume so that you can make necessary adjustments and stick to your weight loss goal.
For all New Year’s resolutions, Tanita’s unique Metabolic Age measurement will give you the perfect snapshot of your progress. Whatever your starting point, seeing your metabolic age come down, particularly when it starts to become lower than your actual age, is a great motivation to keep going.
For a daily boost of motivation check out our Facebook and Instagram posts – our exercise suggestions, tempting recipes and nutritional tips will add variety, inspire positive reinforcement which is vital to help you keep on track.
With the help of Tanita you can make sure that 2022 is the year of a healthier and fitter you.