Healthy Living: Jump-starting your resolution may lead to better success!

SEATTLE, Wash.,-- Nearly half of us will make a new year’s resolution this year and most often, they focus on our physical health.

But why wait until January 1st to start getting on the right track?

Dr. Polo, the Behavioral Health Medical Director with Regence Blueshield says,  “You really have to make sure that you are ready to do something different.”

According to Forbes, roughly 40% of people will make their resolutions in the new year.

“The most common resolutions that people set at the beginning of the year, is either to eat better, eat differently or exercise more.”

…but why wait? A good jump start may be just what you need to be successful with your goals!

Here are 4 ways Dr. Polo says we should approach the idea.

First: Set realistic goals, “Sometimes people say hey I wanna lose 50 pounds, well losing 50 pounds in a month is not a realistic goal.”

He says a more realistic goal might to lose 5 pounds a month over a course of 5 months, “We set these goals of what we want to achieve and we want them to happen very quickly, and very often the goals that relate to being healthy are not something that you can do quickly.”

Next, Dr. Polo says create a plan, because change isn’t just going happen, “You have to be very specific about what it is you are trying to achieve and then you have to make sure that you create a plan that actually gets you there.”

Another thing that can help keep you on track is consistency. Dr. Polo says stick with it. A good way to do that is by tracking your activity! “Very often, the change that occurs is really small over a long period of time, so you can kind of lose hope or you can kind of forget about what you’re doing if you’re not actually tracking your progress so that you can see that you are actually getting where you want to be.”

Finally, Dr. Polo says team up! A little healthy competition can really maximize your success, “The support helps kinda keep you on track with what you’re trying to achieve and sometimes a little friendly competition can be helpful too.”

No matter what your health or fitness goals are, Dr. Polo says this combination of things will really be your best bet.

“Like all things in life, if you attack a problem from multiple different angles, you are more likely to get where you need to go.”

Dr. Polo says our mental health is extremely important during these changes as well. He says regulating our stress, being engaged with other people and making sure that we take time to play in the middle of work, sort of a rejuvenation, can all really help with our success.