New Year New You

What does that even mean? Most likely, it means something different to everyone. I can't tell you how many times I've made a grandiose New Year's resolution: "I'm going to eat healthier, lose twenty pounds, and hit the gym daily." Let me tell you how that worked out; it didn't. It went great for a month, but then life got in the way, and I gave up. It took me years to figure out the secret to success, and while I'm not always 100% successful, I feel better in my forties than I did in my thirties! I'm encouraging you to give yourself some grace; you deserve it! Whether you are a mom with small children, maybe working too, single and in full career mode, or retired and trying to figure out what's next, you can set health and nutrition goals and achieve them. So what's the secret, you ask? Set goals that are realistic and attainable. For example, your clothes are tight, and you're unsure where to start. Begin by evaluating your diet. Keep a written log of what you eat for a few days (don't cheat!), and figure out how many fruits and veggies you consume in a day. Maybe your goal is to increase your fruit and veggie intake from 2 to 5 a day or increase your water intake. Reevaluate after a few weeks and see if you are meeting your goals. If you are rocking your plan, start a new goal; if not, continue working on it or develop a new one. Be realistic. For example, you tell yourself you are going to eat clean for 30 days, but the next week you go out of town for a birthday party. Next thing you know, you realize you ate out all weekend and failed your set goal. Don't give up on your clean eating plan for the month. Instead, reset your goal to eat clean 80% of the time, and the other 20% are days where you give yourself permission to go off plan. Adjusting your goal to a more user-friendly plan gives you grace and the ability to say it's ok to get back on track without giving in to failure. Mickey Rooney once said, "you always pass failure on your way to success."