How are your New Year’s resolutions coming? Hopefully well, especially considering we’re not two weeks in. We’re going to take a moment to talk about a common problem amongst those who set a New Year Resolution to get into shape.
It was only last year that I read about an interesting study regarding a phenomenon that occurs amongst people who group together to help motivate each other toward health and fitness goals. In the study, one group they talked to was a group of ladies that started off the New Year by speed walking to help get themselves into shape. These four ladies, after dropping their children off at school, would go speed walking through the neighborhood. It was on day two that they decided they deserved a reward for their exertion. They began their walk as normal the next day. . .
. . . And then they would end up at their local Starbucks, where they would indulge in high calorie drinks and pastries. They would then speed walk home, and started doing this daily.
Now, what does this have to do with the study?
Well, these ladies ended up gaining weight through their New Year Resolution. The amount of calories burned speed walking did not offset the calories from their “Reward” for speed walking in the first place– In the period of time prior to the New Year, they never went to Starbucks, either. Now, they were consuming an additional 500+ calories a day while only burning around 200 – 300 calories. This translated to 1/2 pound a week of weight gain just from their new morning routine that was meant to lose weight.
So what’s the moral of the story? Don’t “Reward” yourself in an indulgent fashion. If you’re going to give yourself a reward for getting in shape, limit it to something small, and once a week. If every morning you reward your workout with a pastry, that’s not a reward– It’s a new routine. I’m not against rewards; Trust me, I have plenty. . . But remember: Everything in moderation. Let us know how your resolutions are going in the comments!
Tina's Pharm
G & A's Health Guide