Many in the Rochester, NY area will soon be making New Year's resolutions to have a healthier diet or lose weight. Unfortunately, around 80% of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by February. In most cases, the reason for failure has to do with people being unrealistic with their goals and unprepared with how to reach them. A few simple changes to how you plan and prepare can drastically alter the outcome of your resolution.
Having a broad new year’s resolution is not a bad way to start, but the goals being set need to be much more specific and realistic. A question to ask yourself is, “am I setting SMART goals?” SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Breaking up a resolution into smaller SMART goals makes the resolution more achievable. For example, instead of losing 20lbs by June, try setting the goal of losing 1-2 lbs a week. These smaller goals are easier to reach and build the momentum that makes these changes stick.
Goals don’t just have to be about weight. Setting goals that are more focused on healthier choices can help resolutions stick by taking the focus off just losing weight. Try setting a goal of 5 healthier lunches one week. Even if weight loss doesn’t occur, you will still feel good about accomplishing something that you know was healthy. A great way to help make healthier choices is by having the options readily available. Try making meal prepping part of your weekly routine. Making healthy options beforehand will increase their availability throughout the week. If they are a quick and easy option they are more likely to be chosen.
Make sure you have a way to keep yourself accountable by tracking progress. There are plenty of phone apps that will track meals and workouts. Set notifications for reminders and even post results on social media to keep your support system up to date. Don’t just post progress; mention different challenges you may have had to personally overcome during the journey. If you reached different plateaus or found yourself struggling to get the right amount of a certain nutrient, track each of those experiences through the process. Look back on those experiences to help push you through the next steps.
If you are looking for extra help with resolutions next year, schedule a free nutrition consultation at Rush-Henrietta Family Chiropractic. The nutritionist at our Rochester, NY office helps people learn to track their diets properly and ensures they are doing everything possible to reach their nutritional goals. If you have had trouble sticking with new year’s resolutions and are looking for some extra help, give us a call today.
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