 January is coming to a close – and that often means that the New Year’s resolutions you created have come and gone already. For most, those resolutions are a thing of the past by the time February rolls around. If you are still struggling to keep your resolutions alive, read on – I have some ideas on what to expect from the process of change that can keep you on track all through the year.
First off, you should know that changing behaviors is hard work! You’ve probably heard that before, or thought about it as you go about your day on auto-pilot with the same routine. Sometimes it’s easier to just avoid the work altogether and keep doing what you’ve been doing. But good things come from change – especially when the behavior change relates to your health. It’s worth the effort, REALLY!
The good news is that small changes can lead to big health gains: replacing cream in your coffee, having a piece of fruit instead of ice cream or adding a 10 minute walk during lunch. Losing just 5-10% of your body weight will significantly improve your health. You will have more energy, your mood will be better and you will reduce your chances of future health problems.
The tough part is sticking with it. It takes about 3 months to create new habits. This means that during those 12 weeks, you will need to be extra conscious of what you are doing, whether you’re trying to make a change to your eating behaviors or your physical activity habits.
Over time, the new behavior will get easier and easier, and you’ll have to focus on it less and less. Change takes time. There will be bumps in the road – some days you will achieve your goal without a problem and other days you will feel like you’re back at square one. That’s a normal part of the process, but sticking with it will help you finish on top!
A common thought (warning: big-time psychology talk coming) has to do with all or nothing thinking. Most people feel that in order to succeed, they must do EVERYTHING and if they fall off track, then they’ll do NOTHING. That is just not true! Anything that is helping you move forward is progress. Think about it this way: when driving along the road, if you get a flat tire, you don’t think “oh well” and puncture the other 3 tires too. You fix the flat and keep on going.
Remember that as you continue this journey. If you have trouble with a health behavior or goal (and I promise you will), don't think "oh well, I might as well finish the whole bag of chips since I started". Remind yourself how far you have come, remind yourself that it was just a small slip you need to fix, and then put the bag of chips away and keep going. You will get there!
- Dr. Z
Labels: Health, Lifestyle Change
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