Resolve to become healthier this year

It’s that time of the year again. Each January, millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions and at the top of those lists is becoming healthier. Losing weight, exercising more, and eating healthier are among the most common things that people resolve to do each year.

Unfortunately, many Americans will see their New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside before February. (Perhaps we should call these ‘First Month of the New Year’ resolutions.) There are probably countless theories about why people don’t keep their resolutions such as competing demands for time and money, unrealistic goals and lack of motivation and commitment.

An often-overlooked barrier to reaching health-related goals is an unclear understanding of what is necessary to make long-term lifestyle changes. In today’s world of instant gratification, extreme weight loss and dramatic transformations, many people set unattainable goals and expect to achieve them in record time. When goals are not met, it’s easy to become frustrated or discouraged.

To help those of you who will make health-related resolutions this year, I offer the following advice.

1. Don’t make new resolutions until you examine your old resolutions. Did you make resolutions last year or the year prior? If so, take a look at the prior resolutions. Did you meet your goals? If not, why? Are you putting enough thought into your resolutions or are you just making them at random? If you are serious about your health, take the time to understand the barriers related to not meeting your goals. This will be key in avoiding prior mistakes.
2. Set realistic goals. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t reach for the stars but you should understand what it takes to reach your goals. For instance, if you would like to lose 30 pounds this year, you should consider what changes you will need to make in your eating habits and exercise routine to reach this goal. If you have watched one of the popular weight-loss reality shows, you might think that you can lose 5 to 15 pounds a week so you can lose 30 pounds in 2 months. The reality is that the contestants on those shows are exercising up to 3 hours (sometimes more) each day, their food is being prepared for them and they don’t have to work or take care of their families. So unless you have these luxuries, you should expect to lose weight at a slower pace. By eating 500 fewer calories daily and increasing your activity level, you can expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week (although this will vary a lot between individuals). A more realistic goal would be to lose 30 pounds in 4 to 6 months. 
3. Determine how you will measure your success. Make resolutions that serve a purpose and can be achievable within the next year. Certainly you don’t have to reach your ultimate goal in a year but you should attain something measurable within a year; otherwise, it will be too easy to forget about the resolution. For instance, if you want to exercise more, determine exactly what more is. Do you want to go from running 1 mile a day to 3 miles a day? Do you want to run a marathon? If so, you may not be able to accomplish that in one year depending on your current exercise capacity. Consider alternative goals such as running a half marathon this year and a marathon by the following year. 
4. Get your mind right. Although this phrase is still used today, my grandmother was the first person that I recall saying it. She actually used it often to remind us to clear our heads of the unnecessary clutter and focus. Deciding to make lifestyle changes requires time, planning, and commitment. It is much easier to continue bad habits than to adopt new ones so you must be mentally prepared for the challenges and setbacks that often occur with change. Remove things that are distractions from reaching your goals. Think positively. Take a few minutes daily to center yourself with self reflection, meditation, prayer, soft music or other methods. Be prepared not to give up when you have setbacks.

For those of you who are brave enough to resolve to live healthier, I applaud you and wish you much success. For those who don’t want to make a resolution, you can still take steps to live healthier. Have a happy and healthful new year!