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FAMILY MEDICINE®
COLUMN
By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic
Medicine
3426-FM
01/01/11
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS SHOULD BE SPECIFIC
AND REALISTIC
Question:
The new year is coming, and I know I need to
make some resolutions about my health. But
every year I make and break them. How can I
make resolutions that I can keep?
Answer:
Making “New Year’s resolutions” is a
longstanding tradition. Many people feel the
beginning of a new year is a good time to
make changes to improve their health and
future. However, most resolutions are so
broad, they’re impossible to keep. An
example might be, “I’m going to lose 20
lbs.” Note that there’s nothing in the
resolution about how you are going to lose
the 20 lbs., or by when.
Some resolutions are just downright vague,
like “I’m going to exercise this year.” If
you make no specific plan, it’s very easy to
put the resolution aside.
If you want to make New Year’s resolutions
you can keep, make them focused and
achievable. Sometimes you’re better off to
make one good, reasonable resolution than
several that aren’t sustainable.
Once you have decided on your resolution,
write it down very specifically. If your
goal is weight loss, then spell out what you
want to do: “I want to lose 12 pounds by
April 1, 2011.” You can continue your
resolution by stating how you are going to
accomplish this. You might say: “I am going
to limit myself to 1500 calories per day. I
will weigh myself every Saturday morning. I
expect to lose one pound every week.”
In April you can reassess your goal and
perhaps set a new goal for the next 12 weeks
as well as reevaluate your methods for
weight loss. At that point, ask yourself
questions like: “Did it work?” “Did I lose
12 pounds?” “Was sticking to 1500 calories a
day hard or easy?”
A research study several years ago shed
further light on the differences between
“good” and “bad” resolutions. The study
involved more than two hundred people who
had made New Year’s resolutions, most
relating to health. By July 1, about forty
percent of them were still keeping their
commitment. The researchers found that those
forty percent had several things in common.
First, they believed from the very beginning
that they had the ability to change. They
had self-confidence, and they set realistic
goals. Second, they did not engage in
self-blame. And third, they avoided wishful
thinking. In other words, they didn’t go
into the new year believing their life would
change completely if they lost weight or
quit smoking. Rather, they kept themselves
centered on realistic thinking, like “I’ll
feel better when I look in the mirror if I
lose weight,” or “I’ll be able to smell and
taste my food a lot more if I quit smoking.”
Remember that a New Year’s resolution is not
about adding to the stress in your life;
it’s about improving your life. If making
and breaking a resolution is too stressful
for you, don’t make resolutions. But if you
do make a resolution and break it, don’t get
discouraged -- just try again. For most
people, relapses are a part of breaking any
bad habit. Don't forget: It doesn’t have to
be New Year’s Day to make resolutions. You
can make a vow to improve your health any
time you want.
Family Medicine® is a weekly column. General
medical questions can be sent to Martha A.
Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University
College of Osteopathic Medicine,
Communication Office, Athens, Ohio 45701, or
familymedicine@oucom.ohiou.edu. Please
do not send letters asking Dr. Simpson to
diagnose a condition or suggest a treatment
plan. Medical information in Family
Medicine® is provided as an educational
service only and does not replace the
judgment of your personal physician, who
should be relied on to diagnose and
recommend treatment for your medical
conditions. Past columns are available
online at
www.familymedicinenews.org.
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