How can I achieve my New Year’s resolution for 2019?

Reporter: Lindsey Sablan
Published: Updated:
Photo: Pixabay / MGN

You know the scene on Jan. 1, no matter what year it is: people flood the gym in brand new workout gear, hoping this will be the year their goals become reality.

But some 80 percent of New Year’s resolution fail by the second week of February. Dr. Dianah Lake, a physician and fitness coach, said the new trend to help crush those elusive resolutions is to start early.

“The date in itself, January 1st, that’s nothing, it has no real significance,” Dr. Lake said. “You could decide today, you know, that, ‘Listen, in the next six months, I want to lose 20 pounds or 25 pounds’ and still get the results.”

She said there is no science that shows starting on New Year’s Day is a recipe for success. But there is evidence that waiting until the holiday season is over can be a disadvantage.

“They’ve done studies, multiple studies,” Dr. Lake said, “to show the average American will gain weight if they’re not cautious.”

A person eating a salad. Photo via WINK News.
A person eating a salad. Photo via WINK News.

If you start early, you will have all the more reason to resist sweets and high-calorie alcohol.

“Being cognizant that, you know, you’re already on a plan, will help you kind of, you know, control your cravings a little better,” she said.

But if you start before Jan. 1, your mood may be improved by the results you are already reaping.

“You go into the new year feeling like you’re actually seeing results before the year begins,” Dr. Lake said. “That’s a great feeling because now you feel like you’re ahead of the game, when everyone else is showing up in the gym for the first time.”

By then, the logical goes, you are well on your way to making your resolutions a reality.

“That’s a boost in your confidence,” Dr. Lake said. “You feel like ‘I can do this.'”

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