5 Ways to Turn Healthy New Year鈥檚 Resolutions Into Healthy Habits
Ready to rock some healthy resolutions this New Year? The start of the year can be a good time to focus on healthy goals you want to achieve. Common resolutions include weight loss, eating healthy, getting more exercise and quitting smoking. Yet even when we know these changes will help us live longer and healthier lives, many of us struggle to set resolutions and stick to them.听听
鈥淓veryone is looking to jump on board with these elaborate diets, meal plans and supplements, but I encourage them to take a step back and consider what might be inhibiting your general health goals,鈥 says Rachel Stahl, MS, RD, CDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian in endocrinology at 麻豆高清. 鈥淭he biggest piece of advice I give is to take these considerations and keep your goals simple.鈥听
Setting simpler goals creates an easier path to success. This helps to avoid a common pitfall many people make, which is setting larger goals that result in frustration or burnout.听听
Here are five ways to set healthy resolutions you鈥檒l stick to year-round.听听
1. Plan and Choose Your Approach听
Maintaining a resolution is the hard part, which is why it鈥檚 important to plan how you鈥檒l ensure success early on. Think about whether your goal is just something you want right now or something you truly want to change over time.听听听听
Then, think about your goal and take the time to think about what you鈥檒l need to reach that goal. For example, 鈥渓ose weight鈥 is a common resolution people make each year. While 鈥渆at better and exercise more鈥 sounds like a good plan, you should take it a step further. Plan how you鈥檒l eat better and when (or where) you鈥檒l exercise more.听
鈥Setting a realistic weight loss goal during the New Year can be effective, if the goal is attainable,鈥 says Sarah R. Barenbaum, MD, obesity medicine director at the Comprehensive Weight Control Center and the GI Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program. 鈥淚 urge patients to remember that the length of time it takes to achieve a goal is not as important as getting there, so be sure to take it slow and steady.鈥听
The more you think and plan out a resolution, the more likely you are to adhere to it because you鈥檒l better understand the full picture of just what it will take to reach your goal.听听听
2. Find Ways to Have Fun听
Resolutions don鈥檛 need to be serious all the time. Making changes and achieving lifestyle goals shouldn鈥檛 feel like punishments. If you stay positive, you鈥檙e more likely to want to engage and keep up with your resolution.听听听听
- Choose an activity you enjoy. Whether it鈥檚 exercise or learning a new skill, choose something you鈥檒l want to do. For example, gardening, walking with a friend or swimming are all forms of exercise that help you stay on track and are fun experiences.听听
- Find the flavor. Eating healthy doesn鈥檛 mean eating bland. Swap fresh herbs and spices for salt, try vegetables in a variety of colors or experiment with a new recipe.听听
- Reward yourself. Treat yourself when you meet certain resolution milestones. Choose rewards that don鈥檛 slow your progress. For example, consider buying new workout clothes as a present to yourself for making your goals.听听
- Think about the end goal. Don鈥檛 forget why you chose your resolution in the first place. Remind yourself of the benefits of meeting your resolution, whether it鈥檚 improved health or happiness (or both). Writing these thoughts down can be a helpful way to return to them when you need motivation.听
3. Set SMART Goals听
Ready to pick a resolution? Using the SMART criteria to set a goal helps ensure your resolution is achievable. SMART stands for:听
- Specific: Create a specific resolution that鈥檚 detailed and defined. Rather than 鈥渓ose weight,鈥 consider how much weight you plan to lose.听
- Measurable: Setting a number or quantity to your resolution helps keep it specific. Rather than 鈥渆at healthy,鈥 consider eating one more vegetable during weeknight meals. Use these measurements to track your progress over time.听
- Attainable: Resolutions can only be met if you鈥檙e able to complete them. For example, setting a goal to run a marathon when you鈥檙e recovering from a knee injury is setting an unattainable resolution.听听
- Realistic: Resources are also important for resolutions. Is this resolution something you want to achieve with the resources available to you? Perhaps you can鈥檛 run a marathon with a knee injury, but you could choose a recovery-related goal.听
- Time-bound: Setting a timeframe makes it easier to set specific resolutions and determine what resources you need. Choose an overall time frame and set up smaller milestones along the way.听听
SMART goals can be used to achieve success in other areas of your life.听听
鈥淪etting a SMART goal isn鈥檛 just for exercise and nutrition,鈥 Stahl says. 鈥淧eople use SMART goals in their professional and personal lives because the criteria is helpful for creating personalized achievements.鈥听
4. Readjust a Resolution听
Even if you think you鈥檝e chosen a simple, SMART resolution, you may need to make adjustments. Changes in daily routine or overall health are just a few of the reasons resolutions need to be adjusted. In fact, it鈥檚 helpful to assume each resolution won鈥檛 be perfect all the time. Setting realistic expectations helps you stay positive.听听
鈥淐hanging a resolution isn鈥檛 failure, it鈥檚 a way of ensuring your goals are actually meeting your needs,鈥 Stahl says. 鈥淎djusting a goal helps keep it personalized for you.鈥澨听
Don鈥檛 talk down to yourself if you need to adjust a resolution or if you miss a milestone. Focus on what鈥檚 going well. Then, make the changes you need to stay on track.听听
5. Set up Your Social Support听
Even though the responsibility to meet a goal is yours, the social support you receive around your resolutions can make a big difference. Here are suggestions for getting the support you need:听
- Exercise with others. Exercising with a group or someone else not only holds you accountable, it provides an enjoyable way to socialize.听
- Join a support group. Joining a group of people with like-minded goals can help provide the emotional stamina to complete your resolutions.听听
- Work with a professional. Change isn鈥檛 easy. Sometimes professionals such as a physical therapist, nutritionist or mental health professional offer the additional boost you need to feel supported and meet your goals.听
Ready to make healthy resolutions this New Year? Your provider can help you pick a resolution that may benefit you the most. Find a provider today at weillcornell.org/doctors.听