Some Health Resolutions to Add and Some to Take off your New Year’s List

Who doesn’t make some New Year’s Resolutions?  Most of us make resolutions but unfortunately most of us don’t keep those resolutions.   Forbes Health polled Americans about their 2024 New Year’s Resolutions.  What are the top New Year’s Resolutions for 2024?  Top priority was improving fitness (48%), improving finances was second (38%), improving mental health came in third (36%) and losing weight came in fourth (34%).  But a fifth was improving ones’ diet (32%).  Despite good intentions, many of us fail to keep these resolutions.  Only about 8% keep their resolutions for one month, about 22% last 2 months, and only 13% are going strong at 4 months.    

But setting goals for yourself is a good idea.  Some nutritionists got together and came up with some New Year’s Resolutions you should not put on your list.  And they give some guidance of how to set some health goals for the new year that are more likely to be successful.  

Setting goals – when setting goals for the coming year, make them very specific, small and ones you can measure.

•         Exercise:  a top resolution is “exercising more” or “improving fitness” 

•      Don’t say:   I will exercise more.
• Do say:  I will go for a walk at lunch for 20 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• Don’t say:  I will join a gym.
• Do Say:  I will sign up for the yoga class that meets on Saturday morning at 9 AM and will go every Saturday for 10 weeks.

• Healthy Eating:  another top resolution is eating healthier food.  Sticking to 1-2 small changes that are realistic will lead to success.  Note what the change is and WHEN you will do it. Focus on adding healthy foods to your diet and not on deletions.
•  Don’t say:  
• I will eat healthier in 2024.
•   Do say:
• I will pack my MyPlate lunch and bring to work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  
• I will eat out for lunch only on Fridays. 
• I will eat a piece of fruit at lunch every day.  
•  I will bring some yogurt in my lunch every day to eat at lunch or as a snack. (See:  Is Greek yogurt good for you? ) 
• I will drink a glass of 100% juice every day for breakfast. (See:  Are you drinking real juice or fake juice?)

• Eating out

· Don’t Say:  I won’t eat out anymore. 

 · Do Say:     

• When I eat out, I will share dessert.
•  I will enjoy the bread basket. 
• When I eat out, I won’t order fried food, but roasted, broiled or baked.  
• I won’t order sweetened tea or soda but unsweetened tea or just drink plain water.

The focus of your health goals for 2024 should be on lifestyle changes and not on fad diets or quick weight-loss schemes.  Make some small changes like the idea of eating some fresh fruit at lunch every day.  Choose changes that you can easily succeed at, yet goals that will lead to a healthier you.  For example, my sister was told by a health professional to add a vegetable to her lunch every day.  My sister added some baby carrots to her lunch as it was an easy thing to do, but oh so good for her health.  I followed her example and now I eat some baby carrots for lunch every day.  What simple, easy health goals will you set for yourself in 2024?  To help motivate you, watch this one- minute video that provides some guidance on setting healthy resolutions:  Healthy New Year’s resolutions are achievable. 

Sources: Forbes Health , resolutions , nutritionists , exercising more , improving fitness , WHEN , MyPlate , Is Greek yogurt good for you? , Are you drinking real juice or fake juice? , Healthy New Year’s resolutions are achievable   Images: New Years Resolutions , Juice    , Fresh fruit