We’re nearing the end of another year and talk of New Year’s Resolutions is everywhere. These goals for the New Year often revolve around health and fitness goals. Unfortunately, may of us tend to make unrealistic resolutions that don’t last long beyond the end of January. Here are some suggestions for making resolutions that you can keep throughout 2010.

Take stock of 2009. What were your goals for this year? Which ones did you accomplish? Which ones do you wish you had accomplished? Why did you fail (or succeed) at reaching your goals? Knowing the answers to these questions and really considering what you did and didn’t accomplish in 2009 will help you set realistic goals and stick to your resolutions for 2010.

Focus, focus, focus. Select one or two goals (or however many you feel you can realistically accomplish) and commit to reaching them. Remember that the more goals you set, the less time and energy you can commit to accomplishing each one. Focusing on fewer goals will help you succeed at reaching them all.

Write your goals down and be specific. Writing out exactly what you want and why you want it solidifies the goal in your mind. If you need help fleshing out your goals, try using the What, Where, When, Why and How questions of journalism.

• What do you want to accomplish? In as specific terms as possible, describe your goal. (e.g., I want to lose 25 pounds.)
• Why do you want to accomplish the goal? Consider what accomplishing the goal means to you. This will help you stick to your objectives when your motivation wanes. (e.g., I want to lose weight so that I have more energy and I can reduce my diabetes medication dose.)
• Where will you do it? If necessary, describe the location where you will accomplish the goal. (e.g., I will go to the gym and exercise at home.)
• When will you accomplish the goal by? Set a deadline for reaching your goal or specify the frequency of the behavior. (e.g., I will exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times each week OR I will reach my weight loss goal by November 1, 2010.)
• How will you accomplish the goal? Set forth the strategies you will use to reach your goals. (e.g., I will increase the amount of time or intensity of my exercise routine each month and will reduce the number of times I eat out to one time each week.)

Break main goals into several achievable steps. Using the answers to the questions above (especially How, When and Where), you can easily set forth steps or smaller goals that will make reaching your main goals easier. It can help to write these sub-goals out, as well, being as specific with them as with your main goals. Using the weight loss goal “I will lose 25 pounds by November 1, 2010″ above as an example, set the sub-goals of: 1) increasing fiber intake; 2) increasing vegetable intake; and 3) increasing exercise frequency and intensity. Then flesh those goals out, as well.

Choose your resolutions wisely. Know what you really want to accomplish in the coming year and choose goals that excite you. While we are using weight loss as the example here, please remember that New Year’s Resolutions don’t have to be about health and fitness. If learning a new language or skill or saving money for a dream vacation is what you really want, then focus on those goals instead. Being excited about your goals will keep you motivated to achieve them.

Take some time this week to consider 2009 and think ahead to 2010. Pat yourself on the back for all you’ve accomplished this year and set some goals for the year to come.

May 2010 be a healthy, happy year, no matter what you resolve to accomplish!

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."

Unhealthy foods and drinks are available everywhere this time of year and holiday parties are one of the biggest culprits. When the frequency of holiday parties presents temptations of special treats like eggnog, cakes, pies, and cookies over and over again throughout December it can really wreak havoc on your healthy eating plan. In order to survive the holiday season without packing on the pounds, it’s essential that you head to these get-togethers armed with some strategies for staying healthy this holiday season.

1. Stick to your exercise routine. Now is not the time to give up on your workouts. Make exercise a priority this month and if your schedule absolutely eliminates the opportunity to get to the gym, work in a few short workouts throughout your day. When we’re active and feeling good about our bodies, we’re less likely to overeat or indulge in high-calorie treats.
2. Eat lightly throughout the day of the party. Don’t skip meals altogether in an effort to bank up calories you can blow through as soon as you see the buffet. Instead, have a filling but low-cal breakfast, a light lunch and a small snack to keep you energized throughout the day. For example, your breakfast might be oatmeal or fruit and light yogurt. Then you could have a salad with light dressing for lunch and a piece of fruit and some light cheese as a snack before you head out the door.  That way you won’t be starving when you get to the party and you’ll be better equipped to make the healthiest choices.
3. Don’t drink all your calories. A few mixed drinks or glasses of wine can quickly add up to several hundred calories. Limit yourself to one or two alcoholic drinks, alternating them with glasses of water, and then switch to water, diet soda or some other low-calorie beverage altogether.
4. Make it difficult to munch mindlessly. Sit or stand as far away from the food table as you can. Carry a clutch in one hand and keep a glass of water (or other low-cal drink) in the other.
5. Focus on the social aspects of the parties. Get involved. Make conversation. Play or start a group game. Laugh and have fun.  This is the true purpose of a party, after all.
6. Stay busy. If all else fails and you need a serious distraction from the food, offer to help the hostess in some way (so long as it doesn’t involve restocking the chip bowls). Take coats, set the table, serve drinks or lead the gift exchange. Find something to get involved in that will help keep your mind off the food table.
7. When you do choose to eat, make healthy choices. If hors d’oeuvres are being served, stick to veggies and fruits, shrimp cocktail, and other low-calorie options. If it’s a buffet or sit-down dinner, use the smallest plate possible and take small portions of the healthiest options available, skipping the rich, calorie-laden dishes.
8. Give yourself permission to indulge. Then do it consciously. If you have a good idea what will be served, decide before you get to the party what you would like to indulge in. If you’re not sure what foods will be available, decide what portion of the meal you’d like to splurge on. Maybe you’re really looking forward to some homemade pie or you know one hostess always offers amazing specialty cheeses. Whatever you choose to let yourself indulge in, put it on a plate, sit down at a table or in a chair and focus on really enjoying every bite you eat.

Holiday parties are a great time to get together with friends and family, relax, have some fun and celebrate the season. Head to them prepared and you won’t have to worry about the typical holiday weight gain of years past.

"Eat well. Live well. Be well."