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New Year, New Beginning
As the holiday season comes to a close, so does our mindset of keeping our holiday weight goals. Soon we will be packing away the holiday decorations, and our thoughts turn toward returning to work or school. Healthy eating and activity can fall to the bottom of the list as we box up the holiday season and re-open our day-to-day lives.
You don’t have to put away the progress that you’ve made throughout the holidays as the New Year approaches. By staying motivated through the final few days of the season, you can see your goals through to the end and set yourself up for continued success in the New Year. Here are some tips to help you stay motivated for the final count down.
Setting goals is important whether it’s large goals or small goals. To stay motivated, set small goals for each day. For example, if you have a general goal to walk three days this week, set specifics such as which days and for how long. Doing this will help you track your achievements.
Also, keep track of your activity and eating habits on an activity log and food journal. Using these tools helps you see progress each day. Along the same lines, remembering to schedule in time for activity and planning ahead for healthy eating will make achieving your goals a natural part of your day and will help you stay on track.
Find support from others by calling a trusted friend or loved one. Talking about your progress with others and allowing them to cheer you on helps keep you motivated. Gather a group to join you for outdoor activities or for a healthy lunch. Scheduling time with others makes it harder for you to skip out on your healthy activities and keeps you on track.
One of the fastest ways to drop your goals is by being bored with your activities. Try a new activity, a new recipe and vary your routine. Boredom creates a feeling that things are easy, unexciting and we wonder why we should even bother. New activities, a new walking route and new foods can create excitement in what was once a routine. This refreshes your mind and keeps you interested in sticking with your goals.
Also, find an activity that you think is fun and you’ll be more likely to stick to it. Include things that you find pleasure in to take away the sense that it’s something you have to do and instead turn it into something you want to do.
This far into the holiday season, you’ve probably come up with your list of excuses and reasons why today isn’t the best day for you to get in your activity or eat healthfully. Now that you’ve figured out where you are likely to talk yourself out of keeping your goals, counteract them! If there’s not enough time in the day for walking, pack your shoes in your trunk and take a short stroll on your lunch break. If you can’t find the time to prepare a healthy meal because you know you’ll be working late, prepare it ahead of time so you can just warm up your dinner when you get home.
It’s normal to have a drop in motivation from time to time. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Use these strategies to help counteract those days when you want to stop. Remember how far you’ve already come and that you can continue to succeed into the next year.
Thoughts to Ponder:
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” — Henry Ford
It is better to fall short of a high mark than to reach a low one. — H.C.Payne
Christine Smith, MS, is an Extension Agent in the department of Family & Consumer Sciences with NC Cooperative Extension, NCSU, Wayne County. Information on other services available can be found online at http://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/ or call me at 731-1525 for additional information.
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