By: Gillian Lewis
Have you already
broken your New Year’s resolution? Well, you are not alone! On average, 80% of
New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February. Health-related New
Year’s resolutions are among the most popular types of resolutions. Some common
examples include weight loss, healthier eating habits, and increasing exercise.
Despite the emphasis on health, very few of these health-conscious resolutions
are effective as only 8% of resolutions are maintained throughout the entire
year.
There is some good news - breaking a New Year’s resolution
does not mean all hope is lost. People like to look at New Year’s as a symbolic
day to make significant life changes, but in reality, changes can begin on any
day. 2018 can still be the year to make
healthy changes!
Tips for Setting Nutrition-Related Goals that Last:
1. Be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable,
realistic, and timely).
Set goals that are
specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. It’s easy to say, “I’m
going to
eat healthier in 2018,” but what does that actually look like? There
are several possible interpretations of healthy eating – eating more fruits and
vegetables, eating less processed food, drinking more water. Such a vague goal
doesn’t inspire action. Goals need to be specific, measurable, and timely enough
so that an action plan can be developed. A goal to, “Eat 5 servings of fruits and
vegetables every day” is clear cut about what needs to be done to succeed.
The problem with most New Year’s
resolutions is that they are overly ambitious and too drastic. Quitting a habit
cold turkey is rarely an effective method. Instead, it is important to set
smaller, more realistic goals so that you have a chance to adjust to the
behavior change. For example, if your overall goal is to stop drinking soda and
you drink 5 cans of soda per day, it is more sustainable to gradually reduce
your soda intake than to completely stop. Remember, behavior change is not a
sprint!
2. Have a plan.
With goal setting, planning for
change is just as important as setting the actual goal. Developing a specific
action plan is important for sustainable behavior change. For example, if your
goal is to, “Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day,” plan what each
serving will be on a daily or weekly basis. When planning for nutrition-related
goals, it is also important to plan in the healthiest way possible. Before
making any significant changes, get expert advice from a registered dietitian
and do your research from verified sources such as the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics (eatright.org) and the USDA (nutrition.gov).
3. Moderation!
Especially with nutrition-related
goals, moderation is key. When setting these goals, it is important to not
completely deprive yourself of your favorite foods. As stated before, too
drastic of a goal often does not lead to a sustainable change. If you are
trying to limit your intake of junk food, give yourself some wiggle room when
setting a specific goal. Allow room for a bowl of your favorite ice cream on
occasion. Food is meant to be enjoyable after all!
4. Find a way to keep yourself accountable without
being too hard on yourself.
Accountability and
discipline are important aspects of accomplishing any goal. When setting
nutrition-related goals, it is crucial to find ways that will keep you
accountable. Some ideas include telling your friends and family about your
goals to help keep you on track, using an app, or setting daily reminders and
alarms. It is important to find what works best for you. With that being said,
mistakes are bound to happen. In the behavior change process, it is crucial to
take mistakes with a grain of salt and not get so down on yourself that you
scrap the goal entirely. One mistake does not mean the goal is ruined. In fact,
mistakes can be indicators as to what part of your plan is working and what is
not. With behavior change, it is important to be persistent and adjust when
mistakes occur.
Goal-setting is a continuous process. Even as a dietetic
intern, I set health goals for myself. At the start of a New Year, I gave
myself the goal of reducing the amount of sugar I put in my morning tea. While
I want to keep my sugar intake low, I know it is not realistic for me to not
add any sugar to my tea. At first, I reduced the amount of sugar by one quarter
and it was a fairly easy adjustment. After two weeks of that, I reduced the
amount of sugar even further, which was a little more difficult but still
manageable. I am proud to say that I am not one of the many that have broken
their New Year’s resolution! Following these tips when I set my goal is a major
reason why I have stayed strong.
While these tips are not very flashy or exciting, this gradual,
focused goal-setting method is the most likely to produce sustainable behavior
change. As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race!
As a future
dietitian, I strongly feel that these goal-setting and counseling skills are
just as important
as the nutrition knowledge. As a profession, we strive to
make people as healthy as possible through nutrition. People cannot be healthy
unless they are motivated to do so - I wish I could have a dollar for every
time I’ve heard, “I know what to do, I just need to do it” from a patient. For
dietitians, nutrition knowledge and behavioral counseling must go hand in hand
to achieve the desired healthy behaviors.
What healthy changes will you be making in 2018?
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