How to Stick to a New Year’s Resolution

As the New Year draws near, resolutions are top of mind for many.

According to a poll conducted by Marist College last year, the most popular resolutions are to lose weight and to quit smoking. The poll showed about 44 percent of the nation will set a resolution, but how many will stick to it? Of those who set a new goal for the New Year, less than 40 percent will actually follow through with it.

Frank Schmidt of Maple Grove plans to set a resolution. He’ll join the masses and set a goal to lose weight this year. At 44 years old, this mechanic says it’s getting hard to move around because of the extra pounds he’s acquired through the years.

“It’s time to drop some of this unwanted weight,” he said. Schmidt does plan on joining a gym, but doesn’t know how much weight he’d like to lose, or even, how much weight would be healthy for him to lose.

According to Dietitian and Personal Trainer for Lifetime Fitness Amanda Wittig, many people set resolutions just like Schmidt.

“People set a vague goal, they go to the gym without any plan and hope to lose weight.” Wittig says this is the very reason people aren’t successful with their resolutions. “People need to set realistic goals and they need to stay accountable to the goals they set.”

Wittig says in Maple Grove will likely see a bump in membership as the calendar rolls over to 2012, but stresses exercise alone will not melt away the pounds.

“Losing weight is about exercise and nutrition, you can’t have one without the other,” she said. “It takes a real commitment to get healthy. You can’t go to the gym for an hour and then spend the next 23 hours undoing the progress you made at the gym.” 

Wittig offers these tips to successfully lose weight:

Get help. Talk to a personal trainer at a gym, or use an online weight loss calculator to figure out how much weight you should lose in a certain time frame.

Set small goals. “Everything in moderation,” Wittig said. For example, set a goal to eat more protein for the next week. Take small steps and build on them.

Use a food journal. It’s important to write down what food is consumed, this way people can see where they can make changes.

Find someone to be accountable to. Whether it’s a trainer at the gym or a friend, people are more likely to achieve their goals if they are accountable to someone.

What is your New Years Resolution? Share it in comments!