New Year, New You!

By Carolina Boyd

A new year is fast approaching and with it—the promise of a fresh start. January 1^st of each year provides us with a chance to cast out the clutter and regrets of the old year. As is often tradition, many of us will make New Year’s resolutions to welcome in 2019.

“People tend to make New Year’s resolutions because it’s a natural time to look for a new start or to work on positive changes in our lives,” said Dr. Chad Lemaire, Legacy’s medical director of behavioral health. “However, we often put a lot of pressure on ourselves to keep those resolutions.”

Despite that pressure, U.S. News & World Report finds that 80 percent of those who make resolutions are no longer following them by the first week of February. Why such poor returns? The main reason is that we often set unrealistic goals.

“Many resolutions that are made this time of year are difficult to attain. Those who struggle with this might find better success in looking at what they want to work on throughout the year, not just in the New Year,” said Lemaire.

Each year, the most common resolutions include: eating healthier, exercising more, saving money, or sleeping more. However, if you find that your New Year’s resolution has been derailed by a missed workout or too much pizza, the key is not to “beat yourself up.” Habits take time to build and minor mistakes are normal.

“Remember, you didn’t get to this point in your health overnight; so you can’t expect to lose the weight or tone your muscles in one day either,” said Sean Barrett, Legacy registered dietitian. “Take time to reflect on what went wrong and set a few more realistic goals to get back on track.”

No matter what goals you are hoping to achieve in 2019, keep in mind that each day brings the opportunity for positive change, so don’t give up! Here’s to a Happy New Year and a Happy New You!

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