If you’re one of the surprisingly few people who have been loyal gym members for many years, you probably hate January. Why? Because all the “I’m going to eat healthier’, ‘I’m going to lose weight’ or ‘I’m going to tackle reducing my cellulite’ resolution-makers crowd into any gym they can find in January eager to start the New Year right. The good news is that it won’t take long for your gym to return to normal as more and more people fall off the resolution wagon. You should be fine by February. While only about 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions, we all continue to make them year after year. And that’s a good thing. Regardless of what the numbers say, there’s nothing wrong with trying again and again in hopes that your resolutions eventually stick. But until that happens, maybe you can try a different approach that might actually have a fairly good chance of success.

The Problem with Resolutions

 

In a way, we very often set ourselves up for failure when we make New Year’s resolutions. It’s not easy to suddenly change your diet, or jump into a workout schedule for the first time in your life, or even lose 10 pounds (permanently). Of course, at the first signs of trouble in tackling these really massive goals, it becomes easier to give up – just as 92% of us do each year.

Try This in 2017

Resolve to shift your outlook, not necessarily your weight. Clearly making a big resolution to reduce  cellulite isn’t working. Instead, try to take your focus from losing a certain number of pounds and simply try to do anything you can to be healthier, regardless of how big or small, and regardless of ‘success’. To give you an idea of what we man, here are just a few suggestions to help you get started. You can try one, some or all of them. You can try to make the change every day, or just pick certain days. Whatever works for you. The idea is to get started with something you can maintain. Once you are on the road, even in the smallest way, it’s easier to stay on it and use it get to where you want to be.

1. Eat More Whole Foods

Try to eat whole (unprocessed) foods, like vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and legumes at every meal. They fill you up more which means you eat less.

2. Get Your Rest

Giving your body time to recover and recharge each night helps give you more energy to tackle more life-changing, and weight-reducing, tasks when you’re awake

3. Get Rid of Sugar Wherever Possible

If you have 2 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee, try having just one. Or cut your dessert in half. Or try going without dessert one day a week. Or try anything that you think you can do to reduce your sugar intake by any amount.

4. Drink More Water

If you already carry a full water bottle with you, fantastic. If not, start now. Your body is 60% water and maintaining proper levels helps your digestion, body temperature, nutrient distribution, detoxification and circulation.

5. Get a Little More Active

If you’re not comfortable going to a gym, don’t bother. Just try to add some more activity to your daily routine. Stand when you’re on the phone. Have walk-and-talk meetings. Park further away from the mall entrance. Play with you children.

If you pick just one of these and stick to it at least occasionally, that’s an achievement. It may not seem like a big deal or that you have reached much of a goal. But when nothing else has worked, the goal isn’t as important as just getting yourself a ‘win’.