Is Your New Year's Resolution to Lose Weight or Improve Your Health?

Many people say they plan to lose weight, lower their blood sugar, pressure or cholesterol in the New Year, but the difference between a “wish” and a “resolution” is having a plan in place to actually do it.

Wish or Resolution?

A “wish” is really just a hope that something will occur — an “it would be nice” type of thought, whereas a “resolution” is a firm decision to do something and is associated with specific qualities that will make it a reality. A resolution is a SMART goal; one which is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely.

A goal to lose weight or eat healthier isn’t specific — it’s just a wish. A resolution to stop eating foods with added sugar is specific, so is a goal to eat whole, real foods that are low in refined carbohydrate. These are specific.

A resolution isl measurable. It decides what success looks like. For someone to say they want to lose 25 pounds is very different than to say they plan to lose a pound a week so that in 6 months they’ve lost 25 pounds.

But is that goal achievable? If someone is significantly overweight, it is achievable to set a goal of losing 25 pounds in 6 months.

What if someone wants to incorporate long periods of intermittent fasting into their lifestyle, but also eat all of their meals with their family? This isn’t realistic — but they can choose to have shorter ‘eating windows’ (such as 18:6), intermittently fast each day and still eat dinner each night with their family. That’s entirely realistic.

For a goal to be timely (or time-bound) means that it will also be achieved in a specific amount of time. So, for example, the resolution to lose 25 pounds in 6 months, is time-bound.

So, while there are lots of people saying they’d like to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more or have better blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol in the New Year, to be successful one needs a go about putting a SMART plan in place now in order to achieve it.

Without such a plan, January will arrive and a week into the New Year, 50% of people will have already given up on their goal [1] and by the end of the month, 83% will have quit [1]. Those are pretty discouraging statistics!

Why is that?

Because it takes ~66 days (more than 2 months) for a habit to become ingrained [2], so having professional support during that critical time is important!

I can help you get off to a good start in achieving your New Year’s resolution, but the best time to put a plan in place is now — before all the festivities begin.

Why not make this the year you actually achieve your health and weight-loss goals?

If you would like more information about the services I provide and how I can design a Meal Plan for you based on your needs, please have a look under the Services tab, or in the Shop. If you have questions, please feel free to send me a note using the Contact Me form above, and I will reply as soon as I can.

To your good health!

Joy

You can follow me on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lchfRD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lchfRD/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lchf_rd
Fipboard: http://flip.it/ynX-aq

LEGAL NOTICE: The contents of this blog, including text, images and cited statistics as well as all other material contained here (the ”content”) are for information purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, medical diagnosis and/or treatment and is not suitable for self-administration without the knowledge of your physician and regular monitoring by your physician. Do not disregard medical advice and always consult your physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before implementing anything you have read or heard in our content.

References

Norcross, JC et al, Auld lang syne: success predictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year’s resolvers and nonresolvers. J Clin Psychol. 2002 Apr;58(4):397-405
Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W. and Wardle, J. (2010), How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. Eur. J. Soc. Psychol., 40: 998—1009.