Classification Of New Year’s Dieters Essay, Research Paper

Year after year, while everyone is focused on the holiday season, many people are also obsessed

with ?New Year?s resolutions?. The most commonly heard resolution, is the famous: ?lose

weight, get in shape? line that we have all heard, and many have said, in the past. In order to

achieve this goal, one needs a more stable reason than a party hat and confetti for one night.

Anyone that truly wants to change their diet and/or fitness level needs to be ready for a

long, challenging lifetime of effort. In order to save everyone some time and disappointment, I

have classified these ?Resolutioners? into different categories that determine their success. Now,

your job is to decide which category you fall under, as a result you can decide whether your goals

are realistic and worth the effort. Consider your own capabilities and where they fall in the

following categories:

The ?one month/20 pounds die-hard? dieter

This is the most common among the ?New Year?s dieters?. This person will give too

much effort in the beginning to continue this new lifestyle. They are willing to decrease their

intake of food and increase their activity level; however, after the first month of compliments and

fast losing goes by, they will gradually find their way back to the Hostess aisle at the local

supermarket. This type of person need not waste their time effort and/or money on this

?resolution?. After all, a New Year?s resolution is supposed to be a goal for at least one year; not

just a month.

The ?I am going to do it this year? dieter

This person is the type of person that repeats themselves every year, when it?s time to give

their resolutions. They seem to ignore the fact, year after year, that nothing has changed in the

fitness and nutrition world. In order to change their appearance and gain a more healthy lifestyle,

they will still be forced to get off the couch and put away the Lay?s potato chips. In the same

respect as the previous category, this person might as well ?quit talking and keep chewing?;

because with this attitude, they are headed in the wrong direction down a one-way street.

The ?I can?t lose weight? dieter

This person can also be classified as the ?50/50? dieter, because they have a 50% chance

of success. Despite their many efforts and change in lifestyle, this person is immediately mislead

and discouraged by the numbers that appear on the scales. After being mislead, this person

usually gives up or falls into a depression that leads to binge eating. However, this person has

some hope, because of their willingness to put forth an effort. The one factor that determines

whether this person will succeed is whether or not they can overcome the setback. My advice to

this person is go ahead and spend the extra money to hire a personal trainer or join a fitness

program. Not only can these two aspects help keep you motivated, but they can also monitor

your progress.

The ?I refuse to quit? dieter

This type of person is the one type of dieter that is guaranteed to gain the progress they

intend to gain. Whether their plans are to lose ten pounds or one-hundred pounds, they will be

successful. They may be the type of person that has made this resolution before; however, they

are now to the point of being so fed up with their physical condition, nothing will stop them now.

The ?over do it? dieter

Their are not many people that will fall under this category; however, it is more common

than most of us realize. These people are in this category, because they will take their

?resolution? too far. Eventually these people will stop living their lives in order to make progress

at an unhealthy pace. They will skip social events, work, and/or school in order to make a trip to

the gym. This person will also attempt to live on fewer calories than the starving children in

Ethiopia. Not only will they damage their bodies, but they will more than likely have to start over

again; that is, if they actually live through this behavior.

Now, there are always those who succeed in their New Year?s resolutions and completely

change their lifestyles; however, I feel it is my duty to warn you that most do not. The majority of

those will find themselves headed in the direct opposite direction and gaining instead of losing.

This need not scare you off, though. Now you have been warned, therefore you know what it

takes to succeed in this goal. If you feel like you can handle the pressure, then all I can do is wish

you luck. If not, then my advice is to continue living your life the way you have in years past.

This may not be your healthiest choice, but why should you risk wasting time, money, and

happiness?