With summer right around the corner, it’s time to start shedding those winter layers and unpacking your lighter clothes. Unfortunately for many of us, that also means facing the reality that you didn’t quite achieve your New Year’s resolution to lose weight by living a healthier lifestyle.
More than 40 percent of Americans set a New Year’s resolution, but only 8 percent of us actually achieve what we set out to do. So, how can you get back on track once you’ve started to slip? Beaumont doctor Wendy Miller, M.D., discusses simple ways to set achievable goals and how you can focus on persistence… not perfection.
Getting back on track can seem overwhelming, so try breaking it down to individual daily goals. Start with one goal per day and as you achieve and get in a routine with one goal, add another goal.
For example, focus on drinking eight glasses of water per day, and phasing out high-calorie fluids such as regular soda, sweetened coffee drinks and other sugar-sweetened drinks. It may take a day, two days or even a week or more to get in a routine with one goal, depending on your current habits. Once you have achieved one goal, then add another goal.
Examples of goals aimed at achieving a healthier lifestyle include:
- Add more vegetables to your daily routine, such as having at least one snack and two meals each day that include vegetables. For example, carrots, red pepper and cucumber slices dipped in hummus is a tasty and healthy snack.
- Track your steps with a pedometer and aim for achieving a 10 percent increase in your average daily steps each week, with a goal of achieving 10,000 or more steps per day on most days of the week.
- Track your food and calorie intake three days per week and gradually work toward tracking daily. Keeping a food log has been shown to have a strong impact on both short-term and long-term weight loss success. There are several user-friendly apps that are helpful, such as myFitness Pal or myDaily Plate.
- Enlist support from friends, family and/or co-workers. Working on healthy lifestyle goals along with others provides support, encouragement and accountability.
- Create an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle. This includes having vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy, lean protein and whole grains available at home and work, as well as removing unhealthy foods such as processed, refined carbohydrates, sweets and high-fat foods from your home.
What are some easy ways to make sure your resolution to lose weight and be healthier becomes a lifestyle change?
Focus on persistence, not perfection. There will be times that you are not on track with your healthy lifestyle goals. However, persistence over time will empower you to develop long-term sustainable healthy habits.