Winter Garden Magazine January 2015 | Page 38

Making a New Year's Resolution You'll Actually Keep I s your perception of starting out this 2015 with a clean slate and cleaning out the unhealthy closet of habits? Or is it because you can usually get a better deal on a gym membership and fitness classes? For a whole slew of different reasons, the beginning of a new year is easily the most popular time for setting weight loss and fitness goals. By far one of the most sought after New Year's resolution among Americans is to lose weight. Next would be getting organized, spending less money and enjoying life to the fullest, but staying fit as a priority quickly takes a back seat after a couple of months of instant gratification wears off. Only around 8 percent of people are ever successful in achieving their resolutions, and only 46 percent of people maintain efforts towards their goal past six months after making a vow. Statistically 51 percent of Americans say they want to lose weight, but only 26 percent say they are seriously making an effort to do so. So what is it that's holding so many Americans back? Well, it's likely a combination of different factors. But what's most evident is that achieving a New Year's resolution involves much more thought and planning than most are willing to commit to. Put simply, whether you're aiming to lose weight, increase your fitness or even if you have a goal that's completely unrelated, you can't just make the decision that you're going to change and expect it to happen overnight. You need a plan of action! Healthy eating is not about strict dietary limitations, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and stabilizing your mood. If you feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition and diet advice out there, you’re not alone. It seems that for every expert who tells you a certain food is good for you, you’ll find another saying exactly the opposite. But by using these simple tips, you can cut through the confusion and learn how to create a tasty, varied, and healthy diet. 38  |  WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE  |  JANUARY 2015