talkhealth Blog

Whether you’re looking to lose weight, give up smoking, or just try something new, New Year’s Resolutions are tough! According to statistics, most people who set resolutions were likely to give up by 12th January. 

Here are some tips to help encourage you to stay on track and reach your health New Year’s resolutions this year.

Establish your ‘why’

A lot of people say loose terms like they want to lose weight, tone up or start to eat healthier, but having a particular end result in mind can help you achieve and maintain your health goals by up to 90%. 

Perhaps you want to become healthier to play with your kids or grandchildren? Maybe you want to lose weight for a big life event such as a wedding? Whatever your why, keep it in mind to help you stay motivated.

Imagine your end results

Once you have your reason in mind, it’s also very positive to imagine how you will look and feel once you have reached your health goals. Will you feel more confident if you lose weight? Can you run that 5k if you stop smoking? Reminding yourself of your end result will also help keep you on track.

Focus on one thing at a time

It’s tempting to go for the ‘New Year, new me’ approach and try and improve every area of your life, but quite often, this can lead to burnout and giving up. It’s better to focus on one aspect of your health at a time, such as eating healthier and looking at your diet.

Once you’ve developed a positive routine in that area, then start to introduce exercise and work that in with your diet.

Start small

If you want to try and be more active then it’s good to try and start taking the stairs at work or parking further away and walking more before you commit to a full on fitness bootcamp.

Make a list of small goals to reach each week, such as reaching 5k steps each day for a whole week. Similarly, if you’re trying to quit smoking or cut down on alcohol, try going one day or a weekend without it and build up your success. 

If one thing isn’t working, try something new

We all function differently and what works for one person, might not necessarily work for another. If you force yourself to spend an hour at the gym on a treadmill or eat salad leaves every day, are you really going to stick with it? Chances are, if you mix it up and find something you enjoy, you’re more likely to carry on and make a long-term, positive change.

Hold yourself to account

It’s very easy to make excuses and fall back into old patterns and habits, so accountability is very important. Make a pact with a friend or loved one, or use an app to keep track of your daily habits.

If you find a workout buddy for example, you’re 22% more likely to keep it up and 46% more likely to maintain your health goals if you join a club. 

Be patient & allow for setbacks

It’s ok to make mistakes, you’re only human! As long as you don’t let it deter your from carrying on with your goals. Let’s say you’re really stressed and you have a cigarette if you’re trying to quit smoking.

Don’t be too harsh on yourself, simply take a note of what happened and try to remember your triggers for next time.

Good luck with your health goals for 2020!

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talkhealth

This is the talkhealth blog spot, where we post on a wide range of health conditions, topics, issues and concerns. We post when we see something that we believe is of interest to our visitors. Our posts do not reflect any particular view or standpoint of talkhealth, but are merely to raise attention and awareness.