How are your New Year’s resolutions going? We’re only a few days into the year, so hopefully you’re still fulfilling those promises you made to yourself. But as you already know, many people give up on their resolutions within a month of the new year, every year. It’s not that they don’t truly want to reach their goals; often the problem is that they didn’t clearly state their goal in the first place. After all, you can’t get somewhere without first naming a destination!

So, whether you’re on track or not, it might be a good idea to review your resolutions. Make sure you’ve worded them clearly and you’ve set specific goals, because it’s easier to stay in the “race” when you know where the finish line is.

“I’m going to work out more”. This is a common resolution, and it’s a good one. But unless you state a specific intention, it’s hard to know whether you’re making progress toward your goal. A better resolution would be something like:

• I’m going to add a weekly yoga class to my routine.
• I’m going to the gym three times per week.
• I’ll take a walk every night after dinner.
• I’m going to add five minutes to my run time each month.
• … and so on.

“I will eat more fruits and vegetables”. This is another resolution that is a great idea, but not specific enough to promote true progress. Set a particular goal, such as eating five servings per day, or trying one new type of fruit each week.

“I’m never eating donuts/chips/pie/pizza again!” We all have that one “trigger food” that we just can’t resist, and it’s easy to blame it for your weight gain. But in all honesty, the food itself isn’t the problem. Wouldn’t it be better to uncover the reasons for that particular food weakness, and your tendency to lose control over your diet? This is a more empowering way to approach the problem, and you will no longer have to live with that constant temptation to binge.

After reading these examples, you probably have some ideas on how to “upgrade” your resolutions to make them stick. But if you need more help with medical weight loss, nutritional advice, or input on how much exercise is safe for you, give us a call. We specialize in helping our patients lose weight and live their healthiest, most fulfilling lives.