Thursday, December 28, 2006
This year, make resolutions that you can attain
The start of a new year is a great opportunity to resolve to make a lifestyle change that will benefit your health and well-being. But if you’ve often broken your New Year’s resolutions almost as soon as you’ve made them, don’t be too hard on yourself. There are several reasons resolutions fail:
Since many resolutions revolve around exercising more, losing weight or eating healthier, these tips may help:
Catherine Schneider is a Registered Dietitian in the Food and Nutrition Department at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Ms. Schneider and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org
- Failing to plan. To “have resolve” you need clearly defined steps to put into action. Maybe you want to lose weight. But if you don’t formulate a series of steps to make this happen, you may not achieve this goal.
Making goals too broad. Avoid general goals such as, “I’m going to eat healthier.” Try something more specific: “I’m going to have whole-grain cereal and skim milk Monday thru Friday for breakfast instead of my usual cinnamon bun.”
Failing to write it down. It really does help make your goal seem more real. Post your resolution and your plan to make it happen on the dashboard of your car, on the fridge, or wherever you know you will see it.
Failing to seek help. Having a good support system makes things a lot easier. Ask your family or friends to gently remind you when you’re veering off track. Help another friend or family member stick to his or her resolution. You could also enlist the help of a registered dietitian, hire a personal trainer, or attend a support group.
Failing to forgive yourself. Realize that you will make mistakes along the way and forgive yourself when you do. Most importantly, do not give up on your resolutions. You created them for a reason, after all.
Since many resolutions revolve around exercising more, losing weight or eating healthier, these tips may help:
- Schedule exercise on your calendar as you would a doctor’s appointment — and treat it like an important appointment you have to keep.
Plan your meals for the week. Before you go food shopping, peruse flyers and plan menus around healthful foods on sale. Make a list and stick to it; post your menu plan for the week on the fridge so other members of your household will know what’s for dinner.
Avoid calorie-laden beverages like regular soda, sweetened fruit juice drinks. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day to stay well hydrated without adding additional calories.
Find excuses to move more. Walk inside to pay for your gas instead of paying at the pump, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk on the treadmill while you watch your favorite TV show.
Eat small, frequent meals instead of a few large ones. Eating a snack every three hours will help ward off hunger and keep you from overeating at mealtime.
Keep a food diary. Knowing you have to account for the bag of chips you ate while in front of the TV may make you think twice before eating it.
Add strength training to your exercise routine to further boost your metabolism. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat.
Follow the USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid.
Remember it takes a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day (either through increasing exercise, decreasing food intake or a combination of the two) to lose 1 pound a week.
Eat slowly, watch portions, savor your food — and enjoy every bite.
Catherine Schneider is a Registered Dietitian in the Food and Nutrition Department at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. E-mail Ms. Schneider and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org
# posted by ----------------- @ 3:57 PM 
