By Lori Skurbe, RD, MPH, CDE, Prime Surgicare Bariatric Dietitian
We all know with the advent of a New Year come resolutions, many of them having to do with eating better, eating less and exercising more.
I am all for people trying to get healthy and have a better quality of life, but without clearly defined steps, it is hard to keep the resolution beyond January.
I see this phenomenon at the gym every year – it gets very crowded from January until about mid-February. Everyone resolves to start exercising and manages to stay consistent for about 4 -6 weeks, on average.
By March, you look around the gym and realize you see the same original crowd once again.
Resolution Fail
According to Google, a resolution is a firm decision to do or not do something. The problem with a resolution is it does not come with a clear plan or pathway for success.
Setting a goal is also a commitment to do something, but it also provides a path to follow to achieve the desired result(s).
Which one of these do you think would offer you the best chance for success? (Hint: Setting a clear goal to achieve a desired outcome!)
Setting a goal ideally should meet criteria to help set a path for success. Goals should be S.M.A.R.T. Once you break it down into a S.M.A.R.T. goal – you have a more defined path.
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Make 2019 the Year of the S.M.A.R.T. Goal
S Stands for Specific: Goals should have a specific purpose or focus.
M Stands for Measurable: How are you going to measure the effectiveness and progress of your goal? Adding details such as to how much you will do something can help you measure your progress.
A Stands for Attainable: Is this goal challenging, but still achievable?
R Stands for Realistic: The goal should be realistic within your situation. For example: if you hate vegetables – setting a goal to eat more of them most likely is not realistic for you.
T Stands for Time Frame: Set the goal within a specific time frame–weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.
Establishing S.M.A.R.T. Goals
If you resolved to eat more healthful foods in 2019 – instead of saying “I want to eat healthier foods.”
Ask yourself:
- What types of healthy foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.)?
- How often?
- How much?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you can better define what you want to do and set up a S.M.A.R.T. goal.
“I will eat one serving of a vegetable with lunch and dinner, five times per week.”
This goal meets the S.M.A.R.T. criteria–It is specific, measurable, attainable (if you like veggies), realistic and will be performed within a designated timeframe.
If you resolved to exercise more in 2019 -Instead of simply saying, “I will exercise more this year,” Ask yourself:
- What type of exercise(s)?
- How long do I want to exercise?
- How many times per week do I want to exercise?
“I will walk 30 minutes five times per week.”
These are pivotal questions to think about–and answer–to develop S.M.A.R.T. goals.
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Perfection Not Required
You may still have trouble achieving the goals you set for a variety of ‘real-life’ reasons. Does that mean you failed and should give up? Absolutely NOT!
Goals are not written in stone – they can be modified to make them more attainable, but still challenging. You may need to tweak your goals from time to time. You can also make goals harder if your original goal was too easy to achieve.
Once you make up your mind to change something – think about the details and set up a SMART goal – you may find you are more successful!
Please feel free to share your health and wellness goals in the comments section below and let me know how you’re doing throughout the year.
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