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Keeping Your Healthy New Year’s Resolutions

Frustrated by bad habits like smoking, overeating, or living a sedentary lifestyle, many of us vow to change through making New Year’s Resolutions. Each new year we pledge, I’m dieting, or exercising regularly or quitting smoking for good. By May, the walking shoes you bought are gathering dust in the closet, the diet cookbooks are being used to level the kitchen table, and the cigarettes are still in your back pocket or purse. Defeated many of us give up further attempts to change. Don’t give up just yet!

The Baker County Health Department offers the following tips on how to keep those healthy resolutions:

・Make only one or two resolutions.
・Choose resolutions that you’ve been thinking about for some time.
・Choose to adopt a new good behavior rather than trying to shake an energized bad habit.
・Choose realistic goals that you feel confident you can meet.
・Eat a good breakfast to start the day.
・Throw color at your meals. Eat more fruit and vegetables.
・If you have to eat fast food, make healthy choices.
・Drink beverages that are good for you at meals.
・If you smoke, stop. And if you don’t, don’t start!
・Get active, even if it’s only a little physical activity each day.
・Get plenty of sleep. If you are trying to quit smoking, adequate rest and exercise are especially important.
・Have a plan for when you are tempted.
・Give yourself rewards and pats on the back for you progress.
・If you get off-track, begin fresh the next day.

One of the most important secrets to keeping those New Year’s resolutions is to take the process of change one day at a time. It’s okay to make big changes through taking small steps. Those small steps will get you going and soon you’ll feel the positive effects of your efforts. That little bit of change can lead to long-term healthy habits that will last you far beyond New Year’s Day.