Happy 2023! It is the New Year, which for many means making New Year resolutions to better themselves and their lives. However, did you know that most people abandon their New Year’s resolution within the first six weeks of starting it? This is mainly due to unrealistic goals and expectations. Below are 5 ways you can maintain your New Year’s resolution in 2023.
- Set realistic goals. Remember small goals lead to big successes. Aim to set SMART goals which stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals. For example, instead of making a goal to eat more fruit and vegetables in the New Year, try making a more specific, measurable and attainable goal to eat at least one fruit or vegetable 5 days a week.
- Focus on movement and activity that you enjoy. If you hate running, do not make a goal to run 5 miles a week. However, if you love to dance, making a goal to do a 30-minute dance video 3 times a week would be more realistic and attainable.
- Focus on adding to your diet rather than taking away. If your goal for 2023 is to create a healthier diet, try to avoid restricting certain foods and instead focus your attention on adding more nutrient dense foods such as fruit and vegetables, nuts, and lean protein into your diet. Restriction often leads to wanting that food more, which can ultimately cause you to fail at reaching your nutrition goals.
- Avoid an all or nothing mindset. Often times when we make goals that we will ALWAYS eat healthy and NEVER eat an unhealthy food. This is setting ourselves up for failure. Try to have a more moderate approach and realize that there will always be speedbumps or setbacks to meeting your goals. Focus on figuring out why the speedbump or setback happened and resolve to start fresh at the next meal or the next day instead of waiting until the start of next week or even the start of next month!
- Plan ahead. If your goal is to go to the gym after work, pack your gym bag the night before and keep a pair of shoes in the car. If your goal is to eat healthier meals, research restaurant menu’s ahead of time or spend some time every weekend prepping healthy food and snacks for the week.
It is possible to maintain healthy New Year’s resolutions all year long. The key is to making small, realistic changes that fit within your current lifestyle. If you need help or accountability in creating and maintaining healthy lifestyle habits in 2023, call our dietitian at 336-610-1300 ext. 223 to schedule an appointment.
Written by: Kaci Oliver, MS, RD, LDN
