Creating a Vibrant Healthy Life: Turn Your New Year’s Resolution into a Fitness Revolution.

By Dr. Jon Thomas D.C PSc.D, Board Certified Chiropractic Physician.

According to the Static Brain Research Institute, the most popular New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight. One obvious reason for this is that lots of people are overweight and they’d like to lose some of it. Another reason is that New Year’s caps off the holiday season, a season in which many people eat and drink to excess.

How long do people maintain their resolve to lose weight? That varies. It could be anywhere from less than an hour to a whole year. According to a poll by Franklin Covey Research, 30% of all New Year's resolutions are broken before February.

Keep It Simple

Simplicity and focus are two keys to a successful New Year’s resolution. Three, or five, or ten resolutions is a lot to concentrate on. Making one or two resolutions that you can focus on will increase the likelihood of success.

“Most resolutions actually require many behavior changes. A successful weight-loss program, for example, calls for more than just a decision to eat less. You have to shop and cook differently, start or ramp up an exercise routine, maybe even ditch certain social or family events,” Sarah Mahoney writes in an article for WebMD.

Be Realistic

A New Year’s resolution should be challenging, but not impossible. Most people can lose some weight. On the other hand, it’s probably not realistic for someone in their fifties to think they can get back to the weight or fitness level they had when they completed military boot-camp in their twenties or when they were on the track team in high school.

In a Health.com article by Dana Leigh Smith about setting resolutions that work, Toby Amidor, a New York dietitian, said, "People tend to fall off the weight-loss wagon so quickly because their goals are unrealistic. When people feel as though they've failed, they tend to throw in the towel for good instead of giving their resolution another shot."

Take Ownership of Your New Year’s Resolution

The following questions will help you to determine if you can truly take ownership of your resolution.

Is this resolution my idea or someone else's?
Does this resolution motivate and energize me?
Does this resolution fit with other factors in my life, including values and long-term plans?

The Power of Commitment

Commitment is another key to a successful resolution. Without commitment, people tend to quit after a few setbacks. Successful resolutions start with a strong sense of commitment. MindTools has the following tips for committing to a resolution.

Announce your resolution to everyone around you – they will help hold you accountable.
Develop a ceremony to mark the beginning of your commitment – this makes it more "real" and special for you.
A serious resolution is worth putting some thought into. Don't leave your choice of resolution to the last minute.
Write out your New Year’s resolution. The simple act of writing it down will embed the resolution more deeply in your mind than just saying it to yourself or someone else.

The Personal Connection at Vibrant Life

For many people, one of the keys to success at losing weight is having an accountability partner or a coach to keep them motivated. When they feel like slipping back into old habits that don’t align with their goals of losing weight and improving their health, it helps a lot to be able to talk to someone who is understanding and supportive.

One of the biggest differences between the NutriMost program at the Vibrant Life Health Center and other weight loss programs is that we maintain a strong interpersonal connection with our patients all the way through the program. We’re committed to keeping them motivated and helping them to maintain their resolve.

Patients can send me a text at any time of the day with a question or some challenge they’re facing, and I will do my utmost to answer them very quickly. I’ve had patients text me as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 10 p.m. I’m an accountability partner and a coach for my patients and that’s not just lip service. That’s one of the things people mention over and over in their testimonial videos.

I want each and every patient to stick with the program to the end where they’ve really made a change in their lives and have begun to achieve their health and fitness goals. And that doesn’t just mean the numbers on the scale. It has to do with transforming a person’s life. That’s why I talk about transformation all the time.

Tracy, a Nurse Practitioner, lost 84 pounds.

“I haven’t looked like this since I was twenty and I’m still getting used to it. It’s exciting. One of the things that helped me get started was seeing the results someone else got on NutriMost. I had a friend who lost 38 pounds. The science made sense and it resonated with me. I wasn’t hungry on NutriMost. Any diet is difficult. You have to have commitment and you have to have the right mindset. I lost seven pounds in the first week. Every day, I was wondering if I could lose more than the day before. It was very motivating. I could send a text to Dr. Jon as last as 10 p.m. and get an answer back from him.”

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In this article, I have discussed the NutriMost weight loss program available at the Vibrant Life Health Center. I’ve included a testimonial from Tracy, who lost an amazing 84 pounds. NutriMost is a weight loss program that addresses both permanent weight loss and ongoing weight management.

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At Vibrant Life, we address all of the key elements to add vibrance and vitality to your life. This includes nutrition, chiropractic care, and fitness. If you need to consult with a chiropractor about your neck, back, or any other health concern, please contact our office to set up an appointment.

Through December, new patients can get complimentary Posture Analysis, Tytron Nerve Scan, and a one-on-one consultation about their health with Dr. Thomas.

Dr. Jon Thomas is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. His practice, The Vibrant Life Health Center, is located in the Mandarin section of Jacksonville. His interest in health and fitness started early, and his athletic pursuits have included BMX racing, Professional Snow Skiing, Water Skiing, Baseball, Weight Lifting, and Martial Arts. After studying and learning from some of the top health experts throughout the world, Dr. Thomas dedicated his life to helping people of all ages to transform their lives. The objective for each patient is to initiate the body’s healing and to work progressively toward a body that functions optimally. Dr. Thomas is seen regularly on TV on First Coast Living, where he discusses the transformations of his patients. He also speaks at events throughout the community and writes informative articles to improve the health of residents throughout Jacksonville.