How to keep resolutions past January

How to make resolutions stick past January

Make 2011 your year! If you’ve resolved to eat better, reduce stress or lose weight—now’s the time to make it happen. Our expert strategies will help you avoid the biggest barriers and reach your goals.
Eat More Fruit and Vegetables


Your excuse: "When I'm hungry, fruit and vegetables aren't what I want."

Excuse Buster: Get your vegies in a creamy, crunchy form: keep a container of hummus in the fridge and dip in (with wholemeal crackers or pita) when you need something that feels sinful, recommends Suzanne Hobbs, from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in the US. (Half a cup equals one veggie serving.) Another proven way to boost your intake: keep a bowl of fruit on your desk or kitchen counter. You may not feel like having fruit in the abstract, but if it looks good and smells great, you might find you want it.
Make Time for Exercise


Your Excuse: "I don't have time."

Excuse Buster: Start with mini-workouts and add on from there. Research has found that short-but-frequent workouts (10-minute exercise sessions, four times a day) produced the same health benefits as a daily 40-minute session. So don't hold out for a trip to the gym; you can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, cut your risk of diabetes, and control your weight if you just take a quick walk whenever you have time, says Rod Dishman, PhD, an exercise psychologist at the University of Georgia in the US.
Shape up Fast


Your Excuse: "I get discouraged because I never see results."

Excuse Buster: Lift weights. If you're doing cardio workouts, it can take as long as four months before you begin to notice shapely muscle where fat used to be, says Kara Gallagher, PhD, CEO of Mohr Results, a US-based nutrition and fitness company. But lifting weights can slash that time in half. To maximise the visible pay-off, work out at high intensity on most weekdays and don't spot-train; instead, engage the whole body. Moves such as squats and walking lunges are effective, Gallagher says especially if you hold 3.5- to 4.5-kg hand weights while doing them. Eat Less Junk


Your Excuse: "I hate feeling deprived."

Excuse Buster: Indulge in your favourite treats—but set a price for them. "A few months ago, I made a resolution not to have a chocolate bar unless I ate a piece of fruit first," says food-behaviour researcher Brian Wansink, PhD, author of Mindless Eating ($19.95; Penguin; available 4 Jan 2011). "When I wanted sweets, I usually couldn't find a piece of fruit. Or I found one, and the sweetness of the fruit satisfied my craving." Another anti- deprivation strategy: set three small weight-loss goals each month—none of them eliminating a food entirely. Instead of vowing not to eat muffins, commit to skipping muffins for breakfast. You'll have to stick to any goal for only 30 days—okay, maybe 31—but, says Wansink, the diet changes tend to last. Lose Weight for Good


Your Excuse: "I can lose the weight, but it always creeps back."

Excuse Buster: Weigh yourself daily. A US study that tracked 314 volunteers who’d shed 20 per cent of their body weight, found that daily maintenance is key. Participants who stepped on the scales every day were 82 per cent more likely than others to keep the weight off. Stop Mindless Eating


Your Excuse: "I eat when I'm depressed … or bored … or anxious."

Excuse Buster: Distract yourself. For most people, emotional eating is simply a bad habit. To break the cycle, look at what you're usually doing when your emotional munchies hit—and change the pattern. If crankiness makes you reach for chips while sorting through the mail after work, don't sort through the mail right after work. Throw a lead on the dog and go for a walk instead. Or eat wholegrain crackers and an apple before you leave the office, so you're not ravenous when you get home.
Get Enough Sleep


Your Excuse: "I'm exhausted, but I can never get to sleep at a decent hour."

Excuse Buster: Make a few crucial changes: use the bed for only sleep and sex—and remove all work materials, computers and televisions from the bedroom. Keep things cool and dark. Even something as inconsequential as the light from your alarm clock can make you feel more awake, so face it away from you. Stick to a regular bedtime and wake time, even on weekends, to prime your body to fall asleep when you get into bed. Use Time Wisely


Your Excuse: "There's simply no more time in the day."

Excuse Buster: Take advantage of waiting around. When running errands, always come prepared for downtime, says time-management consultant Julie Morgenstern, author of Time Management from the Inside Out ($29.99; Hachette). "Always bring extra activities—bills or a stack of thank-you notes, for example—so you can stay productive," she advises. Other time-savers: ask for the first appointment of the day, when your doctor (or hairstylist) is unlikely to be running behind. Avoid filling prescriptions at the beginning of the month; that's when lines are longest. And on your voicemail, ask callers to repeat phone numbers, so you don't have to listen to messages twice.
Start Over—it’s Not Too late


Your Excuse: "It's too late to start over."

Excuse Buster: Embrace discomfort—at least temporarily. Change is hard, but perpetual dissatisfaction is no picnic either. "You won't make any real progress unless you're willing to be temporarily uncomfortable," says Robert Leahy, author of The Worry Cure ($24.99; Hachette). "Taking one step backwards from your easy life is the first step forwards." You may even find that what you thought would be excruciating (putting your house up for sale, having a one-on-one with your boss or partner) isn't nearly as unpleasant as you thought.

Courtesy of: http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/prevention/health/galleries/g/-/8410986/11/10-new-year-s-resolutions-you-can-keep/

Even though I know most of this information, from all the reading I've done on this topic, its helpful to see it. I need this kind of reminders and encouragement to continue my journey without giving up!

Thank you!

your welcome. Do oyu have a weight loss you need to achieve I am here to help and happy to be of assistance I am losing 51 kgs over the next 51 weeks.

My resloutin to lose 20 kgs by the end of the year is continuing past January every time I want to eat something I shouldn't I think to myself, do I want to eat that or do I want to travel around an explore the world, and that stops me and helps me make better choices.

I go to the gym 5-6 times a week and train to lose weight by pushing myslef to the point of sweating and working no less than an hour each time. I do a mixture of weights cardio and hydro - swimming laps and doing aqua aerobics exercises.

I've lost two kgs this past month and when I see my GP in 4 weeks I hope I have lost another 3-4 kgs.

What is your resolution and have you stuck with it, let us know.