New Year’s Goal Setting
Barbara Bacal, RD, CDN
This is the time of year when many of us set New Year’s resolutions. Often these goals revolve around our health, especially nutrition. How many times have you heard people say, “My new Years resolution is to stop eating sweets? Or eat more vegetables? Or exercise every day”.
Here are 5 important things to consider when setting goals:
1) Make it measurable. Instead of simply “exercise more”, make it specific; I will take a 20-minute walk, three days a week.
2) Make it specific. Pick the days in advance; Tuesday, Friday and Sunday I will go for a walk.
3) Make it realistic. If you set a goal of NEVER having dessert you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead try; I will chose one day a week to have my favorite dessert.
4) Make it meaningful. If your goal is to be healthier, remind yourself of why you want to change your behavior; To improve your longevity!
5) Make a reward system. This one can get tricky because so many times in life we use food as a reward. Try to make the reward something that you will enjoy; If I walk 3 days a week this month, I will buy a new pair of sneakers. OR; instead of eating ice cream after dinner I will watch a Netflix show I missed.
Make 2023 the year to embrace a healthy lifestyle!!!
