In order to not be a quitter, here are four cheat codes to help people not give up on their newly minted resolutions:
Make a plan
Having a goal isn’t enough when it comes to changing a person’s lifestyle, said Rex Carpenter, an exercise physiologist/strength and conditioning coach at Kettering Health Washington Twp.
“Some of the typical things I see as to why people may fail is sometimes, there is generally no plan,” he said. “There’s just a goal and no plan. And there’s no support system. Those are the two big things.”
Goals should also have specificity, like do five pull ups or walk or run 2 miles.
“It doesn’t have to be extensive. It can be 30 minutes of exercise three to four times a week is a good target,” he said, and he advises some type of strength training.
The same goes with any changes in a person’s eating habits. A goal with a plan can make any dietary changes stick, said Kimberly Bly, a nurse practitioner and owner of TruRoot Health on South C Street in Hamilton.
But first, she said, a timeframe should be established, and they need to be manageable. Having a mini goal of two weeks, 30 days or even three months “keeps that goal in perspective.”
“Setting that end-goal date,” she said, “also gives a person more accountability.”
Accountability
In Bly’s role, she also serves as a health coach, who are usually nurses. In addition to teaching people about holistic medicines, she also teaches about whole foods, which are minimally processed food with no added ingredients like salt, sugar and preservatives.
There are several ways for a person to achieve a health goal. Consulting a physician is the typical advice, especially if it involves medication. But Bly said a person also needs to listen to their bodies, and health coaches help “re-teach autonomy.”
“That person’s not going to be with you at the grocery store, they’re not going to be with you in the kitchen,” she said. “It’s really teaching the person how to re-grain control of their lives to make those steps.”
The same larger principles with a health coach can be applied to a trainer, said Carpenter.
“There are a lot of great coaches out there that can work with you one-on-one or in a group setting,” whether it’s in person or online.
Or exercise classes or group exercises provide accountability “because you have like-minded people around you.“ But he said it’s important to find something ”where you have that accountability piece.”
How to start
Before someone starts a change, the should figure out their “why,” Carpenter said. It could be as ubiquitous as the desire to lose weight, or specific like being able to have the strength to walk a daughter down the wedding aisle or run a 5K in honor of a loved one.
Then after that, look at micro goals.
“You don’t jump into a bootcamp first day and get debilitating sore,” he said. “There needs to be early successes and wins.”
By picking things a person can “knock out of the park,” builds confidence, and Carpenter that helps in their progression of success.
“Just like anything, just like school, you start with the basics and then you start adding,” he said.
It also helps for a person to find something they want to do, whether it’s lifting weights, doing yoga or swimming.
Lifestyle
While New Year’s is a symbolic of a fresh start, in reality, there’s no need to wait for a date on the calendar to start. The sooner one starts, the sooner goals are achieved.
“It’s just what you do every day,” Carpenter said. “You want to build those habits and you don’t want to think about it. Like brushing your teeth.”
Plan time for the resolution during the day, where it becomes second nature. Planned “cheat days” may not be appropriate, but giving grace when slipping should be part of the process. Then refocus and get back on track the next day.
A lifestyle change also includes how one eats, like with incorporating whole foods, said Bly. Changes, however, may also happen if someone takes a food sensitivity test and discovers their gut cannot tolerate a type of ingredient or food chemical, like histamines in things like cheese and some fruits. Or there may be a food allergy.
This is an example of a person putting themselves first, which is what they need to do or the cycle they’re trying to break “is going to keep going,” she said.
Lifestyle changes aren’t making changes for the sake of it, said Carpenter. Mechanics or woodworkers don’t buy certain tools until they need them. That same idea should be for those making changes to their lifestyle, he said. Don’t buy a treadmill as a motivator, or it’s more likely to end up as a coatrack.
But kids can be a good external motivator, Carpenter said.
“It’s is a great way to show them how to be healthy, how to work out,” he said. “They see you doing it. That’s super important.”
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