Making and keeping your healthy New Year’s resolutions

The start of a new year is always a great opportunity to recommit to your health and wellness. If you are among the majority of Americans who usually make a New Year’s resolution or resolutions, it is important you set yourself up for success in 2013. Losing weight and staying fit and healthy are always among the top five most common goals for the new calendar year as self-improvement and weight-related goals dominate resolution lists[1].

To increase your chances for success, your goals should focus more on making healthy practices a part of your lifestyle instead of one-time resolutions. You are more likely to set yourself up for failure by making broad declarations such as, “I really want to lose 10 pounds.” Establishing an action plan enables you to make true changes over the coming months.

For many health-related goals, start by asking yourself the following questions:

How will these changes affect my daily schedule?

1. What times do I plan to incorporate exercise into my routine?
2. When will I go grocery shopping to ensure my home is stocked with fresh and wholesome natural foods?
3. When will I make my meals for the week to avoid eating out frequently?

What is the most important change I need to make to my fitness routine?

1. Do I need to do more cardiovascular exercise?
2. Do I need to do more strengthening exercises?
3. Have I been ignoring important muscle groups in my normal routine?
4. Do I just need to start moving?

What is the most important change I need to make to my diet?

1. What unhealthy foods do I need to eliminate immediately?
2. How do I make healthier choices when I do eat out?

It is helpful to write down your answers to these questions to help you make an effective plan and move forward. Your plan should include measurable checkpoints to keep you on track. It is more difficult to stick to a plan when you are searching for noticeable differences in your physical appearance and energy level on a daily basis. Make a regular schedule to step on a scale (do your weigh-in once a week), take stock of how you feel (did the office staircase wind you this week?) or visit your doctor to check on your improving health.

Be sure to post your plan in a visible location, such as your refrigerator, kitchen cabinet, bathroom mirror or next to the office computer monitor. Constantly reminding yourself why you are making these lifestyle changes makes it easier to resist curling up on the couch with a bag of potato chips or stopping at a drive-thru for a soda and French fries on the way home.

Sharing your goals can help motivate you to stick to your resolutions. Involving your family, friends and personal physician in your goals creates your own personal cheer squad to keep you committed when it becomes tougher to stay on track. Besides, you might motivate others to pursue and share their own healthy resolutions for 2013.

Good luck!