New Year’s Resolutions:  Making Change Stick

By:  Tom Jordan, MS, RD  (fhanutrition@sbcglobal.net)

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The majority of Americans will make a New Year’s resolution this year, and we know that over 50% of resolutions are weight loss oriented.  While this is great news considering that most of our population is overweight, the appalling reality is that 95% of weight loss attempts end in failure.  This is not only disheartening—but catastrophic—given that obesity is the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S.

But wait!  There is good news!  Not only do you not have to be another statistic this year, but the 95% is only a number—and we can change it.  The primary reason such a dramatically high number of people fail with weight management is because they generally just lace up the shoes and hit the ground running.  This year, let’s flip the script and attack our resolutions with a structured plan backed by a qualified team.

Here’s a guide on how to make this year’s resolution stick, followed by a worksheet to personalize your goal.

1.        Visit your doctor:  Before beginning an exercise plan, make sure you are healthy enough to work out.  It’s also possible that previous weight loss attempts have failed because of existing yet unidentified medical issues.  For example, it’s estimated that up to 1 in 6 overweight Americans have a thyroid condition which has been shown to prohibit significant weight loss. 
2.        Be Realistic:  New year’s resolutions are good, but they are notorious for being ridiculous. A generalized guideline for healthy weight loss is approximately 5-10# per month while weight lost under medical supervision may be as high as 50 pounds in 3 months.
3.        Encourage Sustainability? Resolutions should be lifestyle changes and not just diets or short term fixes.  The biggest reason for failure is that once the initial drive wears off we revert to our usual routines. Changes in habits typically take 21 days so it’s important to have a plan established ahead of time to maintain momentum.
4.        Be Specific:  If it’s something you want bad enough to make a change, then you better know exactly what it is you want.  Getting healthier is not specific, but losing 15 pounds in 3 months or reducing your cholesterol by 25 points are both specific goals.
5.        Monitor Your Progress Daily:  Weight loss is best accomplished when broken down into repeatable daily tasks and using technology to measure results.  Heart rate monitors, online food logs and even blood tests from labs are a great way to see where you began and how far you have come.
6.        Tell Someone: It’s important to involve a responsible family member, friend or health provider with your weight loss.  The more the merrier!  You can involve people by telling them of your plans or by even working on a similar health or fitness goal together. People keep goals secret because they’re afraid of being embarrassed but the only thing that does is make failure an option.
7.        Ask For Help:  Successful weight loss needs more than just a committed individual.  You need to be comfortable asking for additional help from friends, family and even professionals to see sustained success.

My 2011 Resolution Plan:

My Goal Starting in January is to (specifically):  _______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Please check the following  (if applicable):

¨  This Goal is Reasonable

¨  If I make this lifestyle change, I’m going to be able to sustain it

Here’s a list of people or groups I’m going to tell about my goal:

1)

2)

3)

Here’s Who I’m going to have help me: 

                1)

                2)

                3)

I vow not to let perfection get in the way.  If I do “just ok” then I’m fine with that, and if I fall short on one day I’m going to pick it up the next day and get back on track.

Start Date:  _______________

Signed:  ____________________________________________________________

Witness: ____________________________________________________________