New Year’s Resolutions Gone Sour

 

5, 4, 3, 2, 1….HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 “My New Year’s resolution is to quit smoking”.  “My resolution is to lose weight”.  “I’m going to start eating healthier”.  “I’m joining a gym”.

 Week One:  Getting Started

“I can do this, I’m pumped!”  “This is going to be cake”.  “Let’s do it”.

 Week Two: 

“Wow this is hard but I got this, I have willpower”.  “I just have to psych myself up”.

 Week Three:

“I need a cigarette!”  “I’m starving to death!”  “My body hurts!”  “I need a cheat day!”

 Week Four:

“This is for the birds!”  “I can’t do this anymore, I’m all done!”  “Oh well at least I tried”.  “There’s always next year”.

 Does this sound all too familiar year after year?  Well it doesn’t have to be!

Most New Year’s resolutions fail within the first 30 days.  Probably because some people start out with the right intentions but may be going about it all wrong.  Think about it.  Some people go from smoking for years to trying to quit cold turkey.  And for some they have been eating foods loaded with fats and sugars year after year to a diet consisting of egg whites, dried out chicken and vegetables.  Not to mention exercising.  Some go from an exercise regimen of getting off the couch to find the remote control to killing themselves on a stair master 5 days a week.  No wonder why so many people fail at their New Year’s resolution.  They try to make their resolution a quick fix instead of a lifestyle change.

 Bad habits were not created in a day, a week or even a month.  So breaking those habits (which can be done) may be a slow process for some.  Instead of looking at your goals as a resolution why not look at them as a journey, one day at a time.  With each day you get through its one step closer to winning the battle. 

Here are some ways that may help prevent your New Year’s resolution from going sour.

 If your New Year’s resolution is to:

• Quit Smoking—You may want to seek medical advice before quitting.  Your physician may suggest alternatives to just quitting cold turkey.  Alternatives such as using nicotine replacement therapy or non-nicotine medications to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Or by reducing your intake of nicotine gradually over time by decreasing the number of cigarettes you smoke.  Acupuncture or support groups could also be an alternative to just quitting cold turkey.

• Lose Weight and/or Eat Healthier—Try not to make drastic changes to your diet all at once, do it in increments.  In other words if you need to add more fiber to your diet (fruits, veggies, whole grains), do it gradually.  Start out with the first few days by adding fiber to one of your meals.  Oatmeal or fruit for breakfast or a serving of veggies or brown rice with lunch or dinner.  Then after a few days add another serving and so on until you reach your recommended daily intake (25-30 grams per day).  By adding fiber gradually you may prevent bloating and/or stomach cramps.  Another way to make gradual changes to your diet is by bringing a lunch from home instead of ordering take out or eating at a fast food restaurant.  This way you can control the fat intake associated with fast foods.  The same goes with water intake.  Water is very important for overall health & weight loss.  If you feel you don’t drink enough water or no water at all then gradually add one cup at a time.  Your ultimate goal is to take in at least half of your body weight in ounces (150 pd person = 75 ounces of water intake per day).  And the more water you take in the more water your body will crave instead of sugary drinks such as soda’s, juices etc…. Don’t like plain water?  Then try flavored water or add lemon or any kind of other fruit.
• Start an Exercise Regimen—Start out slow slow slow!!  Don’t be another statistic with failing at your New Year’s resolution.  Start out by walking on a treadmill or using a stationary bike for 15-20 minutes every other day for the first week. Then with each passing week either add more time to your cardio, more days or increase your intensity levels.  (Try not to exceed 45 minutes of cardio 5-6 days a week if your goal is weight loss). After a few weeks of doing cardio add weight training to your regimen but start at a beginner’s level. Start with a full body workout (one exercise per muscle group and 1-2 sets of each).  Train 2-3 X per week with 1-2 days rest in between.  Use light weights in the beginning then gradually increase your weight over time.  Make sure you change up your weight training programs every 4-5 weeks when you hit a plateau.  By gradually adding and making changes to your cardio and weight training regimen, you may not only prevent burnout and/or injuries but you may prevent your New Year’s resolution from going sour.

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