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New Year's resolutions can be a touchy subject—it seems everyone has an opinion about them. Whether or not you're a fan of resolutions, we can all agree that it's essential to have goals. And the beginning of a new year could actually be the perfect time to gain the necessary momentum to make sustainable shifts.
"This time of year is a great time to evaluate what you were successful with last year regarding your health and what you want to improve," says Angela Ginn-Meadow, RDN, LDN, CDE, and spokesperson for the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She insists that it's not about going on a new diet; it's all about reshaping your lifestyle. (Reset your slow metabolism and start dropping pounds with Your Metabolism Makeover from Prevention!)
"Keep in mind that taking small steps to making changes will likely last a lifetime," Kristi King, MPH, RD, CNSC, LD, and spokesperson for the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Here, registered dieticians share how they make smart resolutions and stick with them. Read on for their 6 best tips.
Write it down.
Put pencil to paper. "Write down your goals and what you're eating—food journals are eye-opening to what you are actually consuming," says King. And science has shown that it actually works. According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, keeping a consistent food diary can help you lose weight. Participants in the study who kept a food diary lost twice as much weight as the control subjects who did not keep a food journal.
Make your goals actionable.
Break it down. "Every time I meet with clients, we set goals for them to work on until the next time we meet; we break it down to long-term goals, short-term goals, and then we break it down to action steps," says Ginn-Meadow. Choose a goal you would like to accomplish in a year. Then, pick a goal you would like to achieve within 4 weeks to 3 months. And then, break it down into tiny steps you can take every day.
Use the buddy system.
Get by with a little help from your friends. Ginn-Meadow and her sister work on their goals together. "Look for a New Year's resolution buddy that can make you accountable for meeting your goals," adds Ginn-Meadow. Having an accountability pal (even if it's just on social media) really can be a game changer. According to a study by the Dominican University of California, more than 70% of the participants who wrote down their goals and sent weekly updates to a friend reported successful achievements.
Take baby steps.
Just put one foot in front of the other. "If your goal is to increase your fruit and vegetable intake, add one fruit and veggie to your diet; once you have accomplished that, add another fruit or vegetable as a snack," says King. Many people have unrealistic expectations. Don't plan on cutting out food groups entirely or losing 100 pounds in 3 months. Find small ways that you can implement healthy changes.
Establish a monthly check-in day.
Legit set a calendar alert. "At the beginning of each month I re-examine what I have done to achieve my goals; the first of the month is pay bills and 'check on me' day," says King. Consider setting a phone alarm or Google calendar alert to check in with your goals on a daily and/or monthly basis. (Try these 12 empowering ways to track your goals without stepping on a scale.)
If you get off track, it's not the end of the world.
Really, it's NBD—just stay on top of it. "If you fall off the horse, don't feel that it is hopeless, just get back on," says King. Use these moments as teaching moments. Reassess your goals, and just keep swimming.
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