New Year, New Goals

We have now been in the New Year for a full week! Some of you may have made resolutions, some did not; and some of those resolutions have already been broken. This is the time of year many people make nutrition and fitness resolutions, and most end up breaking them before the month is up. If you are one of those people who resolve to start the latest diet (which you know I don’t like) and buy a gym membership, but lose steam by February, you’re not alone. One of the reasons people don’t stick with their New Year’s resolutions is that they are usually too big and unattainable. We put too much pressure on ourselves, whether that be to eat more healthfully, lose weight, or get in shape. So we set ourselves up to fail and end up losing interest altogether. Instead of making huge resolutions that you probably won’t stick with, try setting small goals, and not just in January, but throughout the year. Let’s look at how to successfully set goals and make lasting change. 

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Assess your eating and exercise habits. Keep a food journal or track your physical activity to help you decide areas that could use some improvement. 

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Avoid goals that are too large or overwhelming. Take a broad goal, like “I want to eat healthier,” and break it down into smaller, more specific goals. Some examples could be to add a vegetable at dinner, cook at least three nights a week if you eat out a lot, or replace at least one sugar sweetened beverage a day with water. 

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Goals should be measurable in order to track your progress. Ask yourself questions like How many days a week will I exercise? or How much water will I drink each day? These types of questions allow you to better monitor your results. 

Lastly, don’t set too many goals at one time, and try not to get discouraged if you don’t meet each goal every single day! Consider every day as a clean slate, and allow yourself to be flexible and mindful.