Setting Realistic Health/Fitness Goals in 2022

Our Friend and Nutritionist/Wellness Expert, Melody Sayers, chimes in to give us her advice on how to effectively tackle our Health goals this year! Sometimes it's as simple as scaling your expectations and acknowledging the more realistic small victories.

"We all know that January 1st signifies a fresh, new beginning and the time when everyone starts their respective New Year's resolutions. But what you may not know is that 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February 1st. Even if you are not a statistician, it doesn't take a math degree to recognize that the odds are not quite in our favor. In fact, we are WAY more likely to fail in our efforts rather than achieve our goals. What kind of start to the new year is that? Pretty dismal if you ask me.

"80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February 1st."

By definition, a New Year's resolution is a goal a person makes in order to improve his/her life in the coming year. This could mean either starting something new or changing an undesired trait or behavior. As I am sure you can guess, the most popular New Year's resolutions by an overwhelming majority, revolve heavily around health. How many times have you heard the phrase: "I will start my diet and/or exercise routine January 1st?" My guess, is...a lot!

This year, instead of setting unrealistic expectations that only lead to a tragic let down, focus solely on creating smaller, more manageable goals such as: a weight loss of 2 pounds/month, trying 1 new healthy recipe/week, walking 6000 steps/day, eating at least 2 servings of vegetables/day, stretching for 15 min, 3 days/week, and reducing red meat to once/week. These smaller, more achievable goals are far more realistic compared to changing your entire diet to keto, paleo, or low carb, starving yourself to the point of severe calorie restriction, or trying to run 3 miles 7 days/week. Every small goal you accomplish adds up a far great deal more in a year compared to changing all your behaviors for a 1 month lifespan.

"Focus solely on creating smaller, more manageable goals... Every small goal you accomplish adds up a far great deal more in a year compared to changing all your behaviors for a 1 month lifespan."

As we start 2022, I challenge you to shift your mindset away from the traditional New Year's resolutions and instead make a longer-term commitment to treating your body and mind right, regardless of the day, month, or year. Afterall, we only get one body and should not only use the new year to take care of it. "

-Melody Sayers, MS, RDN, NASM-CPT

Elevate your Plate®. Elevate your Health. Elevate your Life.

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