5 Unexpected New Year’s Resolutions That Can Help to Lose Weight

It’s the time of the year again when we start making promises to ourselves. And these are the most important promises right? Because the last person that should ever let us down is ourselves.

Now, if there’s one popular item on New Year resolutions. It’s losing weight. They tend to be the first promise broken too.

So here’s a thought if you want to be more successful in your weight-loss resolution for 2018:

Maybe your resolution would work better if it didn’t actually say: “lose some weight”.  Being specific always helps a lot, but more than that, how ‘bout disguising it as another goal?

To help you with that, here are some unexpected resolutions you might want to add on your 2018 New Year’s Resolution:

1. Find more opportunities to walk.

Specifically this means: take the stairs 1-2 floors up or down or park far away from the entrance.

Going to the post office, trips to the mall, or maybe even at work, you’ll find an opportunity for this simple cardio plenty of times.  It will all add-up and you can see the benefits soon enough. It’s a simple and easy change. And it’s a simple promise you can make and keep for yourself.

2. Set a lower budget on Transport & Snacks

This forces you to make healthy choices, for example choosing an apple or banana over a serving of Nachos.  You can also opt to make your own dips and sauces instead of store bought ones (they’re both cheaper and healthier).

Another example is walking to the next stop instead of taking a cab or the bus. Walking 500 steps helps you burn about 26 calories if you weigh an average 150lbs. Just imagine walking over 500 steps to and from work or any errands during the weekends. That makes a good workout outside of your regular workout. According to Comparoid, a great spin bike can help you to lose 17 calories a month.

Setting a budget can also force you to plan for groceries better and avoid buying stuff you don’t need.

3. Start 365 days of Thankfulness

This activity promotes a positive outlook and energy.  See, based on recent studies positivity helps you keep to your weight loss goals apart from losing weight directly.

Feelings of gratitude also bring many benefits to brain health that also supports weight loss. For one, it releases the right balance of hormones and chemicals in your brain that keeps you away from stress-eating. Plus, it helps with better digestion and improved sleep.

It can be as simple as writing 1 to 5 things that you are grateful for every day. It can be an event, a person or a thing. You can also opt to make it more detailed and write about:

• what you are thankful for
• what didn’t work out
• a specific goal to turn things around or make-up for it.

How about spreading the joy? You can post it as a challenge on your social media page.

4. Learn or develop a new active skill/sport every quarter

What gets us lazy tends to be the lack of interest. Learning or getting better at something tends to ignite that interest. It can be something as simple as trying to set a personal record at the Arcade’s basketball game. Or it can be something as big as learning a new sport you haven’t tried: Bowling, skating, or badminton.

Sometimes you’d be surprised you’re actually a natural at it, and end up finding a new love. Wouldn’t that be great for a new year?

5. Set a back-packing trip goal every month/quarter on a budget.

Why you should travel should be an easy sell. For one, it helps you learn about the world outside yours first hand. Then it helps you discover yourself. Finally, it gives you a different appreciation of the place you call home as you miss it.

But we suggest back-packing over leisurely trips. Travelling on a budget is great for many reasons:

1. keeps the monthly budget in check
2. teaches/forces you to be more resourceful and prepared
3. opens an opportunity for more adventurous events
4. keeps you grounded to the trip and the whole experience

Looking at these goals, you can see that they don’t all scream “weight-loss”. Therefore, they should keep your brain from feeling so restricted and forced. Each one also tries to light a spark of interest and aren’t all too impossible to fulfill. If something is interesting and fun, it’s also easier to start.

Now, as you head on to the New Year with your goals remember that these are promises to yourself. You owe it to yourself to have them fulfilled, you deserve it.  Moreover, goals are great, but remember the key thing like Nike says “Just Do It”. Go make it happen.

Have any more tips to share for a New Year’s resolution? We’d love to hear from you through the comments below.