[SEPARATE BOX]

25 SMALL STEPS

1. Use fat free over whole or 2 percent milk.

2. Do 25 sit-ups daily.

3. Walk during lunch.

4. Eat off smaller plates.

5. Don’t eat after 7:30 p.m.

6. Buy whole grain bread instead of white.

7. Eat fruit for snack.

8. Skip seconds at meals.

9. Schedule a walk with a friend.

10. Play ball with your kids.

11. Stretch each morning.

12. Replace soda can with 8 ounces of water.

13. Don’t eat standing up.

14. Take the stairs.

15. Don’t skip breakfast.

16. Try fish.

17. Walk the beach.

18. Try brown rice instead of white.

19. Substitute a salad for fries or potatoes.

20. Avoid fast food once next week.

21. Shovel snow.

22. Don’t grocery shop hungry.

23. Try a new physical activity.

24. Jump rope at home.

25. Be a role model for your children.

Why do so many resolutions to get in shape fail a few short months into the New Year? Why do so many of our best laid plans fall short?

Research shows that people fail to meet their goals because they don’t have a plan from the start or that they aren’t accountable to anyone for that plan. So how do we succeed on our New Year’s promises to improve and make change ? The answer is easy. It’s all about setting the right goals.

In order to meet and succeed at challenges, goals must be attainable, specific, personal and forgiving. Goals must be small enough to be realistic to achieve (attainable). An example of an attainable goal would be to include more walking in your schedule. To include more walking, though, is not specific. To be specific, a goal would be to walk 30 minutes every day. While walking 30 minutes per day may also be personal, it is not forgiving (less than perfect). To make a goal for physical health, one may choose to walk 30 minutes for four or five days per week. This is a goal that is specific, attainable, personal and forgiving.

A plan can help you achieve those specific, attainable, forgiving goals. For walking 30 minutes, four to five times a week, it would be helpful to schedule those times into your week. Write it into your schedule, ask a friend to join or schedule time to walk with your kids.

An example of a resolution to improve your health in the New Year might include the following:

Goal: Maintain a healthy weight of 140 pounds by eating healthy and adding exercise to my weekly schedule for 2 months.

Plan:

1. Eat a piece of fruit for snack each day.

2. Walk outside 4 days for 30 minutes each time.

3. Dish out a smaller portion on my dinner plate each day.

4. Eat a salad twice each week.

5. Substitute whole grain bread for white bread at breakfast each day.

Setting the right goals and having a realistic, specific plan to help you achieve your goals means success.

Contributed by Allison Smith of Scarborough Wellness, local citizens promoting healthy lifestyles for people of all ages.

Copy the Story Link