New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day have come and gone. The country has made the Big Shift (or B.S. for short) from conspicuous consumption to the shame/deprivation/guilt side of the holiday pattern. Every ad on television features a guy holding out pants that are 10 sizes too big for him or babes in bikinis and high heels glibly promising to create a whole new you.

For over a month you’ve been tempted by homemade treats and holiday goodies of all shapes and sizes. And now you’re tempted, once again, to hop on the big fat cycle that we discussed last week. I’m talking about the Big Fat Cycle - otherwise known as the fat panic / wild activity / fantasy thinking / huge disappointment / give up and eat two Big Macs at once cycle.

Most of us know by now that this cycle leads to nothing but unhappiness, but the lure is so strong. It’s not easy to give it up. But rest assured my little chicklettes, there is another way. We can make reasonable, positive and realistic resolutions that will improve our health in 2012.

But we have to start by retraining our brains. Let’s look at a few of the assumptions that put us onto the Big Fat Cycle and see if we can’t find a way to turn them around:

ASSUMPTION 1: I can control my destiny

This is a powerful idea. How often have you heard, if you can dream it, you can do it? The truth is, we can control our behaviors, but we cannot always control outcomes. I can choose to run outside every day. I cannot choose to run a 5-minute mile. My body is not designed for it, and I’m too darn old. Luckily, we don’t need to control all the outcomes to enjoy better health. If we adopt healthy behaviors we will enjoy better health — regardless of how much weight is or isn’t lost or whether we’re ready to compete in the Olympics.

TURNAROUND GOAL: I will change my behavior (and let the chips fall where they may).

ASSUMPTION 2: I’ll be a whole new person

So often we’re not satisfied with just one behavior change. Oh no. We want to change everything about ourselves - and I mean right now.  We want a new body and a new career and a new boyfriend and a new car this very minute. Except for the fact that it just doesn’t work that way.

We go back to our jobs after the holidays and real life returns and we find ourselves frustrated and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of changes we’re trying to make. This leads to frustration, disappointment and defeat. The truth is you can’t change everything about yourself all at once. If you want to succeed, pick one discreet goal and work on that. The smaller and more specific the goal, the better. “I’m going to exercise in 2012” is a large and amorphous goal. A better goal might be, “I’m going to exercise for a total of 20 minutes per day.”

TURNAROUND GOAL: I’m going to pick one specific thing I’d like to change and then change it.

ASSUMPTION 3: If a little is good, more is better

Ah, this is the no pain, no gain idea. If walking 30 minutes per day is good, then walking 60 minutes is better, and 2 hours per day is best of all, right? Except, it probably isn’t.

You need to start with your current fitness level and then increase gradually. I’ll never forget when I started adding fiber to my diet. I started by eating an additional 20 grams of fiber per day. Needless to say, the results were um, dramatic. After that, I resolved to increase my fiber at a much slower pace. If you’re not exercising at all right now, maybe start with 10 or 20 minutes per day. See how you feel. If you feel good, you may start increasing your activities gradually. And by gradually, I mean no more than 10% per week. Anything faster than that and you risk pain and injury.

TURNAROUND GOAL: After I get comfortable with a new behavior, I will gradually ramp up that behavior.

So as we face a new year and the inevitable resolutions, why not use the turnaround strategies outlined above?

1) Pick goals that are based on behavior rather than outcomes.
2) Change just one thing at a time, and
3) Ramp up changes slowly. 

This will allow you to enjoy better health and a better quality of life without hopping on the Big Fat Cycle. Happy New Year!

**For more information about how to determine appropriate fitness goals and create a personalized fitness plan that won’t make you injured, angry or nuts, you can get a copy of my book, The Fat Chick Works Out! (Fitness that’s Fun and Feasible for Folks of all Ages, Shapes, Sizes and Abilities), available right here at More of Me to Love.

Jeanette is a plus-sized certified fitness instructor, author and speaker. She helps people around the world learn to love exercise and love their bodies once again. Jeanette’s work has been featured on CBS News, Fox News, Extra as well as in The Boston Globe and the New York Times. To learn more about integrating healthy, safe and fun fitness into your life and to get your free copy of The Fat Chick’s Fitness Tracker click HERE. And don’t forget to check out Jeanette’s books and DVDs on sale here at More of Me to Love.