New Year’s Resolutions…It’s a Trap!

New Year’s resolutions can be a trap! Okay, sometimes they are. This time of year many people vow to lose weight, exercise more, eat well, manage stress better and get more sleep.

We have great intentions but within the first month or two the busyness of our never ending responsibilities gets in the way. That gym membership or piece of exercise equipment you bought goes unused and you may find yourself stress eating and feeling guilty for not being able to follow through on your resolution. This is a vicious circle which is hard to break.

If you have lofty goals that are health-, wellness- or fitness-related and you try to make a complete overhaul of your lifestyle all at once, you may find that your success is short lived. Too many changes simultaneously, especially when you’re already stressed out, can be very overwhelming.

Instead of resolutions, I’m going to challenge you to set small, achievable goals. For that you will need a plan. Does that sound like a lot of work? It doesn’t have to be.

Start with small steps. If your goal is to lose weight, begin logging your food so you know how much you are eating. There are a lot of good apps to help you with this. I use the free version of My Fitness Pal. You might be surprised at what you discover – I know I was!

Do you eat sweets every day? Then aim for eating these treats every other day and eventually once a week. Eat more protein and veggies every day. Drink an extra glass of water a day. There are a lot of minor changes you can make that have a positive impact.

If you want to exercise more, find an activity you enjoy and do it with a friend. Or get a pedometer and set a goal for walking every day. Take your dog on longer walks. Dance to your favorite music. Take the stairs. There are many ways to get movement into your day!

Once you start building on these small steps, you’ll look back after a month or two and see your progress. And then you keep setting goals….and keep achieving them!

So spend some time thinking about what changes you can make. Enlist family and friends who can help keep you on track and support you. I want to be able to support you as well! And I’m here to help you if you need guidance, support and motivation so reach out to me!

Wishing all of you a very Happy and Healthy New Year!