{"id":9555,"date":"2019-02-12T17:32:55","date_gmt":"2019-02-12T17:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prd-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=9555"},"modified":"2025-11-07T20:06:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T20:06:29","slug":"5-tips-to-avoid-falling-off-the-fitness-cliff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/5-tips-to-avoid-falling-off-the-fitness-cliff\/","title":{"rendered":"5 tips to avoid falling off the \u2018fitness cliff\u2019","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Come January in dietitians\u2019 offices across the country, clients walk through the door either with their heads down (\u201cI splurged! It was the holidays!\u201d) or proud of their hardcore attempts at exercise \u2014 that is, until they hit the scale and see little or no weight lost since their last visit.<\/p>\n

Inevitably, we dietitians then slowly walk our clients away from the \u2018fitness cliff,\u2019 the inevitable drop-off of New Year\u2019s resolutions, which typically occurs in February. A good 80 percent of New Year\u2019s resolutions fail by February, according to U.S. News and World Report.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, a sudden rush of motivation, especially of the extrinsic kind (for example, fit into a bathing suit by summer, lose 100 pounds or have a flat belly) does not equal a sudden drop in pounds on the scale.<\/p>\n

A large study out of the Netherlands<\/a>\u00a0found that moving at least 30-60 min daily (from chores to walking to exercise) had a stronger impact on living into your 90s compared to BMI at the study\u2019s start date or even an increase in BMI with older age.<\/p>\n

So, while getting to a comfortable weight does improve one\u2019s quality of life, this study suggests that having a consistent movement regimen is a big contributor among those that live a long life.<\/em><\/p>\n

To stay motivated, try focusing on movement and how you\u00a0feel<\/em>, rather than pounds lost. More tips for staying on track:<\/p>\n

1. Focus on how movement makes you feel in the short-term<\/h2>\n

Maybe it gives you time to yourself to think, less pain or a runner\u2019s high. These are known as\u00a0intrinsic<\/em>\u00a0motivators. They increase your desire to stay active. To realize them, though, you have to start moving instead of waiting for the motivation to come.<\/p>\n

2. Do what you like<\/h2>\n

Often people feel as though they need to feel the burn, or that walking doesn\u2019t count. This simply isn\u2019t true. Any movement counts. Just move \u2014 your blood vessels will thank you for it!<\/p>\n

3. Practice positive self-talk<\/h2>\n

Instead of beating yourself up for sitting on the couch, consider the long-term effects. For example:<\/p>\n

\u201cI could sit on the couch and watch my show with a bag of chips like I did yesterday, but this will lead to more back pain and weight gain and health complications, which I\u2019ve seen with my own friends and family.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Be prepared<\/h2>\n

Use the plethora of resources at your disposal to make this affordable and fun (e.g., Fitbit, on-demand workouts, fitness apps such as Sworkit, YouTube). Get your movement gear ready the day before to make it easier to get going.<\/p>\n

5. Set a SMART goal<\/h2>\n

This can help clear the mind from distractions that interfere with your progress. Below is an example of a SMART goal followed by an action-oriented SMART goal to get you there.<\/p>\n

SMART goal: I will lose 7 percent of my body weight in three months.<\/p>\n

Action-oriented SMART goal: I will walk five days every week for 30 minutes.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Specific<\/strong>: Don\u2019t be vague. \u201cGet a bikini body by summer\u201d is not as useful as \u201cLose 10 pounds by June 1.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • Measurable<\/strong>:\u00a0Includes a number.<\/li>\n
  • Attainable<\/strong>:\u00a0Even 5-10 percent body weight loss has been shown to be beneficial to health.<\/li>\n
  • Relevant<\/strong>:\u00a0Ask yourself if it is a good time in your life to focus on your goal of weight loss. If not, pick another wellness goal that is more suitable. For example, it may be unrealistic to train for a marathon if you\u2019ve just had major surgery, but walking a few minutes each day may not be.<\/li>\n
  • Time-bound<\/strong>:\u00a0We are motivated by deadlines, so setting an endpoint motivates us to get started.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Come January in dietitians\u2019 offices across the country, clients walk through the door either with their heads down (\u201cI splurged! It was the holidays!\u201d) or proud of their hardcore attempts at exercise \u2014 that is, until they hit the scale and see little or no weight lost since their last visit. Inevitably, we dietitians then […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":123,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,87],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healthy-living","category-nutrition-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n5 tips to avoid falling off the \u2018fitness cliff\u2019 - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The 'fitness cliff\u2019 is the inevitable drop-off of New Year\u2019s resolutions. 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