Capital Region | Capital Health | Winter 2019

4 Capital Region Medical Center How to keep your New Year’s resolutions this year 3 tips to achieve and manage your weight-loss goals We’ve all been there. The New Year rolls around, and we decide this will be the year we finally reach our weight-loss or health goals. Then by Valentine’s Day, we’ve given up, forgotten or lost hope in achieving the goal we set in January. We hit a bump in the road—a setback that derails even the most well-laid-out plans. Now we are lounging on the couch eating Valentine’s candy feeling farther from our goals than when we started. Sound familiar? If you’ve had a few not-so-successful weight-loss plans in the past, try these tips to help this year really be “your year.” Stay focused The key to achieving any weight-loss goal is to stay focused and don’t get discouraged. You may not see results right away, or your results may hit a plateau. Be resilient, and over time your efforts will pay off—so keep going! Snow day? Work out inside! Take advantage of a quiet day around the house with this at-home body weight workout from our Group Fitness Supervisor, Sarah Harbour. Complete five rounds of the workout/Repeat circuit five times: 30 mountain climbers 25 situps 20 squats 15 burpees 10 pushups 5 bicycle crunches 1 Baby steps Don’t start with a goal of losing 50 pounds. Instead, start with a more easily achieved goal of losing five pounds. The same goes for goals of increasing physical activity and healthy eating. Start with goals you can achieve. Then, when you see the success, it’s easier to push yourself to keep improving in small increments. Experiencing setbacks, not seeing immediate results or feeling a sense of failure, is often the cause of giving up—so don’t set yourself up for failure. 2 One step at a time Changing behavior is not an overnight process. It takes time and dedication to turn a lifestyle of lethargy and French fries into a lifestyle of active, healthy and balanced behavior. So focus first on adding one fruit or vegetable to your plate at each meal. Then focus on adding 10 minutes of physical activity to each day. Going cold turkey by denying yourself all of your favorite foods or saying you will work out an hour every single day is a quick path to disappointment. Give yourself time to adjust and create new habits. You’ll be less miserable and much more successful. 3 Get support Whether it’s making the resolution with a spouse or friend, joining a support group, seeking a personal trainer or merely talking about your journey with friends and family, research shows that when we share our goals, we are more driven to achieve them. No one ever said losing weight was easy. Sticking to your old habits is easy. That’s why someone to hold you accountable, encourage and support you is often vital to success. Whatever support method you choose, you won’t regret it. Ready to achieve your fitness goals? Join the Sam B. Cook Healthplex Wellness Center! Visit sbchealthplex.crmc.org or call 573-632-5614 to explore your options. Find us at 1432 Southwest Blvd., Jefferson City, MO 65109.