Get Back on Track
Dr. Larry Kubiak
Get Back on Track
With the holidays behind us, I’m starting to think about what new year’s resolution I’ll make to get back on track in 2011. I usually jot down a couple of ideas and then think through the practicality of my goals. One year, I wanted to cut back on sodium because it’s been linked to high blood pressure. It seemed unrealistic for me to read the sodium content of every food in the fridge and freezer, but there was one thing I could do: Stop using the saltshaker. So, I set that as my goal. While I missed the extra salt the first couple of days, it didn’t take long to get used to its absence. A bad habit -- banished!
About half of Americans make new year’s resolutions, but research shows that 80 percent of those resolutions go down the drain by Valentine’s Day. Being a successful exception starts with how you word the resolution. Use these examples to get yours just right:
Fat Chance:
“I’m going to lose 25 pounds this year.”
Better Bet:
“I’m going to lose a pound a week.”
Why:
People who set up their resolutions in small, measureable increments are more likely to succeed than those who make one grandiose goal. It helps keep you on track, and it seems less overwhelming. Build in rewards for yourself along the way. At the end of every successful month, treat yourself to a massage or tickets to a show or game.
Fat Chance:
“I’ll take better care of my teeth.”
Better Bet:
“I’ll floss before bed.”
Why:
It’s easier to blow off vague resolutions. In this case, taking care of your teeth could mean so many different things. Zero-in on something specific, like flossing or cutting back on sugary drinks.
Fat Chance:
“I’m going to get off my lazy butt and walk three times a week.”
Better Bet:
“I’m going to clear my busy schedule and walk three times a week.”
Why:
Negatively worded resolutions make you feel bad about yourself, and you become less motivated to make changes. Be positive -- or at least neutral.
Fat Chance:
“I’m going to cook dinner on weeknights and eat more whole-grains, veggies and lean protein.”
Better Bet:
“I’m going to cook dinner on weeknights.”
Why:
It’s best not to tackle too many things at once. What’s more, your resolutions may conflict with one another. What if you were getting ready to make supper one night and realized you only had white -- not brown -- rice in the house? Would you feel that you failed? Keep your goal simple and focused, and you’ll still be going strong next December.
&nsbp;
Dr. Larry Kubiak is a psychologist and director of psychological services at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital
&nsbp;
Available at Amazon.com:
Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements
Healthy Travel: Don't Travel Without It!
The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu
Get Stronger, Feel Younger: The Cardio and Diet-Free Plan to Firm Up and Lose Fat
Recent Fitness & Exercise Articles
- Get Moving With a New Fitness Gadget
- 5 Ways to Fire up Your Metabolism
- 7 Shocking Weight-loss Myths
- Get Back on Track
- Make Life-changing Resolutions a Reality
- The Stubborn Belly-fat Solution
- Lose Weight Faster With Mushrooms
- High-tech Help for Weight Loss
- Yoga Does the Body and Mind Good
- Do You Sit Too Much?
- Maximize Your Morning Energy
- Your Mini Work Workout
- Beat Winter: How to Exercise in the Cold
- Get a Jump on Your Fitness with Plyometrics
- Easy Workout Routines to Boost Your Mood
- Are You Exercising Hard Enough?
- Up Your Metabolic Rate with Weights
- Dance Yourself Happy: Why Swinging Your Body Lifts Your Spirit
- How to Get Cardio and Weight Training in 20 minutes
- Gyrotonic: Fitness That's Fun
- The Right Kind of Yoga for You
- Plan to Ski or Snowboard? Strengthen up Now
- Can Crash Diets Be a Good Way to Lose Weight?
- How to Prevent Sports Injuries
- Normal Weight Obesity - A Growing Concern
- The Low-down on Energy Drinks
- The Food Un-coma
- What's the Best Weight-loss Diet?
- Spot the Difference: Sore Muscles vs. Muscle Injury
- Adults at Forefront of Bicycle Boom
- Stone Age Diet Surprisingly Good For a Healthy Life Today
- Fibromyalgia Symptoms Improve With Tai Chi
- The Best Fall Sport for Cardio
- Banish Belly Fat
- Prescription for Better Health: Go Alfresco?
- Suspension Workouts
- Drink Up! Avoiding Dehydration
- Keep Your Athletes Hydrated On and Off the Field
- How to Lose Weight Safely
- Colleges Joining Effort to Turn Around Skyrocketing Obesity Rates
- Milk: When the First Food May Be the Best Food
- How Morning Exercise Can Boost Your Career
- Lose the Weight and Not the Energy
- Stress-busting Walking Workout
- Detox Light
- Wean Yourself Off Processed Foods in 7 Steps
- Buff up Your Back-to-School Body
- Debunking Detox Diets
- Real Shortcuts to Your Dream Body
- Exercise for Kids: 5 Tips for Parents
- 5 Ways to Exercise Safely in the Heat
- Exercise Your Body and Brain
- Winning Water-sport Workouts
- Fit Exercise Into Your Life
- Conquer the Biggest Mud Runs
- Traveling Light: Healthy Eating for Business Junketeers
- Better Ways to Get Your Produce
- Key Foods and Nutrients Especially Beneficial to Your Health
- Healthy Snacks for Energy
- Maximum Fitness: CrossFit Training
- Is Hefty the New Healthy?
- Aerobics Without Heartburn
- Nature's Gym: Exercising Outdoors
- A Lean Mean Stay-fit Exercise Routine
- Take the Work Out of Workout
- Middle-Age Spread and How to Avoid It
- Fiber and Weight Loss: Learn the Secrets
- Weighing the Evidence on 6 Popular Diet Programs
- Regular Exercise Helps Protect Aging Brains
- Lose Weight and Look Great This Summer
- Easy Exercises You Can Do At Home
- Flat Abs for Heartburn Sufferers
- Green Fitness
- How Many Crunches are Enough
- Fit Your Bike For the Perfect Ride
- Is Boot Camp for You?
- After-meal Workout
- Go From Stick to Thick
- Feeling Fatigued? Try Exercise!
- Sports Injuries: Many Preventable & Most Respond Well to Treatment
- Are You Fit or Fat?
- Tai Chi: Secret to Health and Well-being
- Fitness: Walk the Nordic Way
- Fitness: Workout With Your Better Half
Copyright © 2011 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.