Seven Steps to Successful New Year's Resolutions

Seven Steps to Successful New Year's W Resolutions While 65% of New Year's resolutions are about losing weight or getting in shape, they are also the first resolutions to fail, according to a 2013 study by YouGov. Be Focused Y Changing habits can be hard, so try these seven steps to succeed in the new year: Start with a goal that is easy to accomplish. If you want to lose weight, think about habits to change. Break Down the Steps Do you skip breakfast, then eat midmorning snacks or overeat at lunch? Eating breakfast is a specific behavior you can add to get the result you want. Instead of planning a full breakfast right at the start, your first step might be to add milk to your coffee for added protein, calcium and vitamin D. Try the Morning Most everyone has a structured a.m. routine. Develop a new habit by adding in a step, like cooking breakfast, packing a lunch or going on a quick walk. Add a Positive Create a Cue Rather than taking a habit away-like eating fewer sweets-think about new behaviors that could make you healthier-like eating more protein at breakfast. At night, create reminders for yourself such as putting a cereal bowl on the counter or leaving a spoon out for Greek yogurt. Cast an Anchor Attach your new behavior to an activity you already do. After putting away the dinner dishes, pack lunch for the next day. After checking your phone in the morning, eat breakfast. Find Your Tribe Find a colleague, family member or friend to join you on a walk, swap quick breakfast ideas or help you troubleshoot if your new habit doesn't seem to stick. Reach out via social media and search for resources online. DAIRY COUNCIL of CALIFORNIA Healthy Eating Made Easier Visit HealthyEating.org/NewYear or follow #Off2aGoodStart for more on successfully creating healthy habits. Steps are based on teachings by BJ Fogg, Ph.D., director of the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab. #Off2aGoodStart YouGov study: http://today.yougov.com/news/2013/01 /14/resolutions-gone-bad