Time to shine in 2009!

I can't sleep. Tonight I managed to be into bed by 10:38 pm, but still nothing. I guess that is what I get for staying up til 3 am most nights (playing Rook) and sleeping in to my hearts content. I have to admit, it's been pretty nice--as brutal as school can be, nothing beats the freedom of Winter break. But I digress...in the last hour and a half, while I have been literally trying to catch some shut-eye, my mind has wondered into 2009. Yes, a time for resolutions-- and indeed mine are usually health oriented. I remembered a newsletter that was forwarded to me from one of my professors last December. And as I was scribbling down the changes I'd like to make this year, I thought, hey--might as well blog about it. Seriously, it's pretty good material--and it's not even from Oprah.

So here it is, a really practical way to set some goals, and stick to them. Much better than say, just thinking in your head, "Hmm, I really do need to eat a lot less sugar."


The beginning: Get back to your pre-holiday habits. Make sure changes you made in 2008 were successful and use January as a time to make your plan for 2009. January 1st is not a great time for many people to make changes. Post-holidays we are tired and it is mid-winter, cold, dark, good weather for hibernation. Not the time we tend to have excessive energy.

Getting started: You will need a blank sheet of paper and a writing utensil.

What: Make a list, on paper, of every nutrition-related change you would like to make. If there is only one proceed to "why". If the list is long, pick one you'd like to tackle this year.

More specifically, What: Write the one change you'd like to begin with at the top of a blank page.

Why: Write all of the reasons you want to make this change. The more reasons you can think of or the more compelling the reasons, the better.

How: Write everything you will need to do to make this change. (This is where a nutrition professional can help - either to review the list with you to help you prioritize and wade through the myths and facts out there or to help you make the list in the first place!) Be specific.

Action: Begin the new plan based on the strategy you came up with. Focus on this one change for at least 3-6 weeks or until it feels comfortable. If you run into stumbling blocks get some help to overcome them. Change is not easy!

Enlist support: People who care about you want to help you succeed so think of how you can involve family, friends, coworkers, etc. in your plan.

Be patient. Success does not mean perfection!

-From "Beyond Broccoli" newsletter, December 2007.