Making resolutions: Planning, reflection key

Coshandra Dillard,cdillard@tylerpaper.com

We all know what time it is, but I’ll spare the typical New Year’s resolutions speech. It’s the most optimistic and ambitious time of the year. Well intended, we toss around ideas for elusive goals such as losing weight and getting fit.

As studies have pointed out, the majority of News Year’s resolutions don’t see the light of day past Feb.1. It’s not because resolutions are unrealistic, but the way we approach this tradition often encourages a cycle of depravation and gorging instead of meaningful and sustainable change. Goals are often too broad or involve abruptly eliminating habits we’ve carried for years. While it may work for some, these strategies don’t work for others.

So maybe the acts of planning and reflection should be the resolutions— knowing what your weaknesses are and learning how to effectively goal-set.

I think it’s healthy to look at these tasks one day at a time, rather than stressing about the big picture. As the old saying goes, you have to crawl before you can walk.

If you’re looking for something to motivate you towards a fitness goal in this new year, a regional weight loss contest may help.

Lighten Up East Texas returns with a kickoff event from 5 to 8 p.m. Jan. 9 at Broadway Square Mall. Participants who lose at least 5 percent of their weight will be eligible for grand prizes.

Another opportunity to register will be held there from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Jan. 10. Other locations will begin registration on Jan. 12 and will be listed atwww.lightenupeast texas.com. The challenge ends May 9.

If it’ll take more than a contest to spark a fire in you, keep in mind the following ideas before adopting resolutions:

Accountability. Get support from others who have similar obstacles or goals. At the very least, let family and friends know that you’re serious about making lifestyle changes. Just making it public can help you stay committed.

Pay attention to nutrition. No matter how much you workout, nutrition still matters. Not only can eating unhealthy sabotage your weight loss efforts, but it’ll also affect your general health, such as cholesterol, blood pressure and increased risks for chronic diseases. Make a list of the healthy things you like to eat and at least one thing you’d like to try. Plan grocery-shopping trips and menus, find recipes and try to cook at home more often to stay motivated about healthy eating.

Activity. Don’t approach exercise like a military regiment. If you’re not an athlete or didn’t participate already, you will eventually lose steam if you dive in too eagerly. Find something you like to do and keep doing it. When you get tired of the monotony, reassess and find something else to do.

See health as a whole. Our body is not fragmented. Everything works together like a machine. Don’t forget to address your mental health such as paying careful attention to how you cope with stressful situations. This almost always wrecks havoc on your health because you’re more likely to lose sleep, eat poorly or make other poor choices. These all have an effect on weight loss goals. Find ways to decompress, such as exercise, deep breathing or mediation. Make “me time” a routine event.

Leave room for mistakes. Stuff happens. Have a plan in place if you go days without exercise or eat a monstrous dessert. We are often our biggest critics, and despair can lead to giving up. Celebrate what you’ve done right—not with food, but by doing something special for yourself.

Making resolutions: Planning, reflection key