Holiday Resolutions

It's almost that time of the year again when people think they should set New Year's resolutions. Somehow we've been led to believe that if we set resolutions, that will be enough to effect change. The most common resolutions have to do with losing weight. Almost all these resolutions are never realized. At best, a few people may start a diet only to drop it at some point and end up making the same resolution the following year.

It's time to face the facts. Weight loss resolutions don't work. If you wish to lose weight, it would work better to make resolutions that:

1. aren't specifically about losing weight.

2. have to do with other behaviors that will lead to losing fat such as becoming more active, eating more nutritious food, going out to eat less, taking more time to relax, thinking more positively, and being more self-accepting.

3. are based on gradual, small changes in these behaviors. People are more successful making behavior changes when they focus on small, rather than big, steps.

So, don't continue to do something that has never worked-it's time to take a different road to get to where you want to be.