[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Christmas is over, and we’ve been left with that over-fed, bloated, tired and less-than-energetic feeling which reminds us how much we want to feel better.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]So, we come up with some New Year’s resolutions, in the full knowledge that we’ll probably be part of the 80% of people who have given up on their resolutions by the end of January. How about, this year, we make changes the right way to make them easier to stick with for the long term.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”20620″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The first thing to accept is that although it is easy to believe that this time you will stick with massive changes; you won’t. Not because you’re weak-willed or lacking motivation, but because you are human. Your focus will shift, and those big changes will become too much to keep in your mind. Everyone is the same. The solution – choose the smallest, easiest, changes which will give you the biggest result. Keep things simple, understand where your problems lie and plan from there.

Perhaps you struggle to make lunch before you head off to work in the morning. The likelihood is that you’re not going to suddenly find the time and inclination to do this for the long term; but perhaps an easy change would be to buy a protein and veg based lunch rather than the sandwich or pasta salad you usually buy; and to make sure you eat enough to keep the hunger monster away. This is an example of a small, easy change which will give you a huge result.

If you’re pretty sedentary at work every day and struggle with the motivation to go to the gym on the way home, it’s probably not realistic to think that you’ll just strike up that habit all of a sudden. An easy change which would give you a big result would be to simply commit to parking further away, taking the stairs and never the lift, and going for a short walk at lunchtime.

I truly believe that small changes are the way to start your quest for improved health and fitness. Once you’ve mastered the first change, its easy to add in another. Before you know it, you’ll be able to look back and see how those small changes have added up to something huge.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Heather Smith is a fat loss specialist Personal Trainer. Get in touch for a free five-day meal plan via www.fitbiztraining.co.uk[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]