Making good New Year’s resolutions and sticking to them can be challenging. Lake Health Integrative Medicine’s Health and Wellness Coach Lydia Skiljan, NBC-HWC, offers her top tips for success:
Set short-term goals first.
If ultimately you’d like to lose 50 pounds, start with a smaller goal of 10 pounds. Don’t set yourself up for failure by creating goals that may seem unachievable once you start.
Make sure your goals are “SMART’: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.
For example, “I will add two more servings of vegetables to my diet daily starting tomorrow, one at lunch and one at dinnertime,” is more specific and measurable than “I will eat more vegetables.”
Figure out “plan B” before you start.
What will you do if you don’t stick to your resolution? Have a backup plan in case your plan goes haywire. If you can’t make it to the gym, have an at-home workout prepared.
Find an accountability partner.
Share your resolution with another person and check in periodically (daily or weekly depending on the goal). Being held accountable will make you less likely to get off track.
Ask for help.
You may need to ask people in your life for help, such as asking your spouse to not bring home take-out every Friday night or to gently encourage you to go to the gym for date night. Having a good support system is important.
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