IDAHO — Many people make resolutions on New Year's Eve before the Calendar officially turns, especially when it comes to healthy habits, but for some sticking to their plan becomes difficult.
About half of New Year's resolutions fail, and one-third of those resolutioners don't make it past January, so the key to success? Start small.
“The biggest thing is creating simple, achievable goals, and not getting too complicated," James Kling, personal trainer and owner of Body Basics in Boise said. "Accomplish something simple, and then once you have done that then add on to it."
It can be as simple as switching out your soda for water.
"With our nutrition clients, we try to get them to change one habit because every person has adopted a certain way of living and it is hard for us to change that," Kling said. "Our bodies want to be at the weight they are currently based on our habits so we change one diet today and carry that on for a week or two and then add one more habit that."
Kling also said that it is important to look at the people and things you are surrounding yourself with on a daily basis, and if they aren't helping you reach your goals then it's time to change those.
"Change your environment, just add a new goal that is really fun and gives you this hope of my life is going to change," Kling added. "Without a new environment it is really hard to do that, so having an environment that is supportive is massive."
The language of your goal is important as well. Resolutions should include goals that are measurable, achievable, specific, and sustainable.
"I am not a big fan of 'New year, new you' or doing diets. I am a fan of creating a better version of yourself through things that are sustainable and through lifestyle habits, so that is what we preach to people," Kling said. "We try to get people to reorient their idea of healthy eating from a diet to a way I want to live for the rest of my life."
Starting something new can be scary, but James said that he would tell people that sometimes the hardest part is just showing up.
"Anything new is scary. It is just going to be that way, but just do it, sign up and do something," he said. "I would find a community of people that you like and that you want to be around and that you feel like support who you want to be around, that is a big thing when you are choosing a facility."
