We're nearing the end of week two of 2025, with "Quitters Day" looming this Friday. So how are your healthy New Year’s resolutions holding up?
Change can be tough, especially when you want to see rapid results
Think of the big bad wolf and think of a crash diet as the house made of straw.
“There are a lot of different things that we can eat and we can potentially eat them in moderation. Sometimes, if there are certain foods that you really enjoy, and you go on a very restrictive diet where you're not allowed to eat those foods, then next thing you know there's a party or there's an event or something different, and all of a sudden like you completely fall off the wagon. And then instead of having sort of the control you eat a bunch of that food,” said Dr. Cole Taylor, a sports medicine physician with Intermountain Health.
Back to the wolf. That house of sticks might be you subjected to an intense exercise program. You stress a body that's too brittle at first to hold up against the elements.
Taylor said, “If you're looking to get into exercise, it’s actually really important to make sure that you're in good shape to start that type of program.”
A resolution that lasts is possible, and the odds aren't as bad as you think.
Last January, the Pew Research Center asked Americans about resolutions in the 2nd and 3rd week of the month. Among adults who made a resolution, 59% said they were still on track.
Pew also found 79% of adults who made resolutions did focus on health, exercise, or diet.
Dr. Taylor likes that first word, health.
“Living in a more healthy way that results in a healthier weight is often something that will shave the pounds a little bit more slowly,” he said.
Taylor uses another positive word - balance to describe approaches to health in the same way that we talk about.
“In the same way we talk about balanced diets and things like that - the same thing exists when it comes to exercise and being healthy,” he said.
Balanced cardio workouts to get the heart pumping and strengthening exercises to keep the body tough and flexible.
The key is to find things you enjoy so you don't see them as punishment.
And health depends on more than nutrition and exercise.
“Find a way to get outside and get a little bit of sun, find a way to improve your sleep and make sure that you're getting enough sleep,” said Taylor. “That's so important to your general health. Get enough water and be hydrated through the day.”
Goals involving health should help your mood as well. In a way it’s like that big bad wolf becoming a friendly dog. Like the dog, health is a commitment, but the commitment pays off in ways beyond what you’d expect, so long as your expectations aren’t to transform completely in a couple weeks.
