Each January, millions of people join in on the annual tradition to change something in their lives, but sometimes it can be difficult to stick to those goals as the months pass by.
"The biggest challenge is trying to do too many things at one time,” said Annette Frain, registered dietitian at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's Weight Management Center. “It is easy to be motivated at the beginning but having a plan in place is one of the first things people should do.”
Frain also recommended the following tips to help make New Year’s resolutions successful:
- Start small – even though you might have several goals, pick one to stick with before trying to balance them all
- Write down where you are now and where you want to be in a month
- Have regular check-ins with yourself to see what is working and what changes you may need to make
“Do not compare yourself to others; everyone is different, so focus on yourself and your individual growth,” Frain said. “For example, if you want to work on being healthier, try to eat more vegetables or drink more water as your goal for a few weeks. Once you master those, then try to tackle eating at home more often. If you don’t eat at home a lot now, have a plan in place to help you succeed.”
Jenna Kurzyna, jkurzyna@wakehealth.edu; Joe McCloskey, jmcclosk@wakehealth.edu