Every year, a good number of us make New Years resolutions.  Some of us may vow to make more time for ourselves. Others of us may decide to become more social. Many of us, however, set our minds on the ultimate resolution: to lose weight and/or exercise more. It’s a pretty great resolution to make, with potentially wonderful benefits.  Losing weight and exercising improve our overall health, strengthen our heart and cardiovascular endurance, make us feel better, and can give us more energy.  Placing them as priorities for the New Year can be helpful.  The bad news? Most people are unable to meet their New Years resolutions.  Why?

Part of it has to do with setting unrealistic expectations for ourselves, and then giving up when we cant meet them.  Fortunately, there is a way for us to meet our goals, and it requires complete commitment to work.  ABC News gives us a few tips to help us on our way as we countdown to the New Year:

  1. Make a goal thats manageable: Set a larger goal for yourself and then break it down into smaller goals.  Deciding to lose weight is not a specific enough goal, for example. 
  2. Don’t be so hard on yourself: Slipping up happens, and is especially possible with weight loss and exercise goals.  The key is not to take every slip as a disaster, but to understand that your goal is to gain more self-control as you go on.
  3. Give yourself a support system: Tell your friends and family about your goals and get their support.  Have them track your progress and cheer you on when you have bad days. 
  4. Choose a goal that you really want to meet: Don’t set a goal just because it sounds good or because someone told you it’s a good idea.  Make sure it’s what you want to do.  

Keeping these points in mind will help you succeed at meeting your New Years resolutions. They are also great pointers to keep in mind during your weight loss journey.  If you’d like to learn more about smart goal setting and success, talk to your weight loss coach today!