We all make ‘em and break ‘em – 92% of all new year’s resolutions fail.
Actually expect massive dissolution of resolutions this coming week – the second Friday of January is Quitters Day. Motivation is already fading fast. Promises of moving more, eating less or beefing up our bank accounts are fizzling.
“Every new year people make resolutions that are highly restrictive, unrealistic and unsustainable, setting themselves up for failure before they even start,” says registered dietitian Jillian Kubala, of jilliankubalanutrition.com.
Head off that fateful day and be part of the 8% that make their resolution a dream come true. Keep it simple and realistic, says Kubala. Pledging to lose mega pounds with a super-restrictive 1,000 calorie per day diet or committing to a 5 a.m. spin class daily may have you resolving to an epic fail from day one.
“Research shows time and again that restrictive diets don’t work and that most people who drop pounds using restrictive dieting methods regain up to 95% of the weight lost within five years. Additionally, studies have shown that at least one third of dieters end up regaining more weight than they originally lost,” says Kubala, who uses the Instagram handle @jillian_kubala_rd to share wellness tips.
There’s still time to tweak that resolution into something realistic and sustainable. We’re a mere five days into 2020, lots of time to fine-tune and re-aim your resolve so you get where you want to go.
Kubala offers up these resolutions that you can actually keep:
· Eat less added sugar. Foods and beverages high in added sugar include soda, candy, sugary cereals, sweetened yogurts, energy drinks, sweetened coffee drinks, and baked goods.
· Eat more vegetables. If you currently only eat veggies once or twice a week, make a resolution to eat one serving every day with dinner, then work up from there.
· Cut out or reduce highly processed foods. For optimal health, whole, nutrient-dense foods should be making up the majority of your diet. Cut back on fast food and highly processed packaged foods. Start with focusing on one meal, then work up from there.
· Move more in any way that works for you. Your new activity routine needs to fit in with your schedule to increase the chances of success such as walking for 30 minutes three days a week before work or on weekends. Enlist a friend or coworker to to hold you more accountable. Expending more energy in general is the most important thing, no matter the intensity.
· Less screen time. Most people spend way too much time on their phones or staring at TV or computer screens, which can increase chances of weight gain and depressive symptoms. Try uninstalling social media from your phone and trying out a new hobby.
· Stop the dieting cycle. Cyclical or yo-yo dieting has been linked with a host of negative health outcomes. Choose to create a nourishing eating pattern that makes you feel good about yourself and doesn’t involve unnecessary restrictions. A registered dietitian can help you start and/or maintain a healthy eating plan.
Sleep on it!
You feel your willpower waning? Then sleep on it, says Dr. Michael Breus, a New York sleep specialist and clinical psychologist. Bad ZZZZs will keep you from reaching simple goals, let alone a year-long resolution. “The sleep deprived will simply continue to not achieve their true potential, or even get close to it.”
All new year’s resolutions are affected by sleep – “resolutions are actually rest-o-lutions!” says Breus.
We are sleep deprived big-time. “It’s epidemic proportions. Over 50% of women appear to complain about their sleep – not getting good sleep more than three nights per week,” says Breus. “We now have both an overweight and an obese society, and with it comes sleep apnea, which effects about 20% of the total population but more like 80% of the overweight/obese population.”
That’s not all: Bad sleep hygiene includes excessive screen time for both adults and kids, and copious amounts of caffeine. “It’s literally everywhere, or hidden in energy drinks. Not only does this prevent many people from going to sleep, but for those that can still fall asleep, the quality of that sleep is terrible,” says Breus.
Not too late to make sleep your rest-o-lution:
· Pick bedtime and wake-up time and stick to it.
· Stop caffeine early. Caffeine has a half life of six to eight hours, so stopping at 2 p.m. means at least half is out of your system before bedtime, which will help you fall asleep easier and maintain sleep quality.
· Stop alcohol three hours before lights out. It takes the average human one hour to digest one adult beverage.
· Get a good exercise session in during the day.
· Have a peaceful ritual every night like reading a book, walking your pet, or having a nice shower or bath.
The dirt on gyms
You’re hitting the gym to lose weight and get healthy?
Beware the germs, viruses, and fungus! The gym is one dirty place, according to Bryan Combs, a nurse practitioner at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Get a grip and keep your immune system healthy. Handlebars on ellipticals, treadmills, stationary bicycles and weight machines are covered in bacteria. Clean them yourself with wipes or a disinfectant spray before and after each use, recommends Combs.
Don’t assume the gym towels are clean. “A lot of gyms use the same container to carry dirty towels to the washing area and then use the same one to bring clean towels back, so they can become contaminated again,” says Combs.
Reusable water bottles and gym bags are germ carriers. Wash your bottle after every use and use a disinfectant spray regularly on your gym bag.
Head off fungal infections like athlete’s foot by always wearing shoes in all areas of the gym, but especially in change rooms and in the shower. If you sit down, make sure a clean towel is placed on top of the bench or seat.
