How to stick to your healthy New Year’s resolution

As we get ready for the ball to drop to welcome us to the new year, many of us are also welcoming some New Years resolutions. If you want to keep those resolutions around longer than a couple of months, you might want to make them a little more realistic.

It seems like every year many people come up with New Year’s resolutions to live a healthier and active lifestyle. So come next you’ll see more people in your local gym and switching the cheese burger out for broccoli. But it also feels like come February or March, a lot of us have given up on those goals. According to reports, about 80% of resolutions fail by the second week of February.

“I talked to a guy today who was hoping to lose 20 pounds in a few weeks,” Robby Denning, a personal trainer at Apple Athletic Club, said. “Those are unrealistic resolutions, you’re bound to fail.”

Experts say people change too much in a short time.

“If you got time to work out 5 days go for it,” Denning said. “You’ll get to your goals faster but it would be better to work out three times a week year round than 5 times a week for a couple of months and quit.”

So goals like working out way more than you did last week or cutting out a certain foods from your diet, like sugar or red meat tends to not stick around long term.

“Usually going cold turkey, isn’t very successful,” Lindsey Zinker, a local dietitian, said. “There might be a few personality types that works for them but most people feel really frustrated.”

So instead going all out in the beginning of this new year, try easing into your new healthier resolution.

Like mentioned earlier, try going to workout 3 times a week. Don’t over work yourself, and use rest days or you run the risk of becoming burnt out.

Try working out and cooking new dishes with a group of friends. Working on a goal with others helps you keep each other accountable and more likely to succeed.

Find workouts that you enjoy. If you don’t like lifting weights, don’t do them. Find something that keeps you active and excited to do.

Same goes with healthy eating, cook recipes that will keep your body and your taste buds happy.

If you want to try and cut certain foods off, wean them off slowly. Trends like “Meatless Mondays” or cutting soda out of your diet helps a lot.

But see what you like and try it out yourself!

“You know yourself better than anyone else,” said Denning. “Think reasonable, think sustainable”

Just don’t rush into things.

“You know the slow and steady changes that you can keep in your routine, that’s what’ going to make a big difference,” said Zinker

If you’re someone looking to make a change in a healthy way, just know you’re not alone. If you don’t know the correct way to workout or need a little help in the nutrition department, don’t worry. There are personal trainers, dietitians, and nutritionists all over town you can find.

You can also start your healthier lifestyle by taking 30 minute walks each day. It’s a nice and easy way to get your recommended 30 minutes of exercise each day.