By Christina Mlynski
The time has come to begin the grave task of pledging tobrcommit to a better lifestyle as 2014 draws closer. While most will claim thatbr2014 is “the year of all years” to stay proactive, most will give in to temptationbrthe first few weeks of the New Year. The most important aspect of setting andbrsticking to a resolution is sensibility.
“I think people see the New Year asbra chance to start over, to change some habits and get healthier,” says CrossFitbrDFW Southlake trainer Danielle Lackey. “With so many people making similarbrresolutions, it can also seem easier to tackle, having the extra support andbrencouragement.”
The top and most acclaimedbrresolution for the New Year is to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Roughlybrone-third of resolvers make weight loss their primary goal, or 38 percent.brHowever, only 46 percent of people maintain their resolutions six months intobrthe New Year.
The top tip for the holidays is tobrhave a plan in place to eat healthy food and be mindful about indulgences. Manybrpeople see the holidays as time to binge and satisfy sweet-tooth cravings.brHowever, one should only eat treats if they are homemade because it's lessbrprocessed sugar, explains Lackey.
“Only eat those foods that youbrtruly love and look forward to each holiday season, rather than the grocerybrstore cookies, boxed cakes and other processed foods you find at parties,” she says.
The New Year seems to fuel thebroverall health goal of most Americans because it brings them hope, saysbrSouthlake Medifast Weight Control Center manager Jessica Bradford. “Whetherbrthey are almost at their health goal and ready to celebrate, or searching forbrthe motivation to get started, it makes them hopeful of what the New Year willbrbring.”
The Medifast weight-loss program isbra proven jumpstart to a healthier lifestyle. For instance, Bradford started herbrown weight-loss journey as a New Year's resolution in 2011 and lost 50 pounds.brSince then, she has maintained her ideal weight.
“That's what every dieter strivesbrfor, not just the weight loss, but the power to keep the weight off,” Bradford says.br“You have to learn how to make smart food choices, and that is what our programbris all about — learning how to be in better control and make the best choices.”
As January begins to creep aroundbrthe corner, most resolvers fear that they will not stick to their goals. Thebrbest way to maintain a resolution is to make small, specific terms rather thanbrlarge, sweeping objectives.
For instance, resolving to losebrweight is too general. Instead, resolve to eat better and come up with stepsbrtoward that goal, such as smaller changes to food habits each week over thebrnext month, Lackey explains.
“This can make your overall goalbrseem more attainable, and make you feel more successful each week,” shebrsays.