Healthy Tip of the Week:   

 How to Revive Your Resolutions  

By Beth W Orenstein  

• After six months, just 46% of Americans who made resolutions have stuck to them.   
• The successful see the slip as helpful and learn from it; for the unsuccessful, it's an excuse to give up.   
• Research shows 90 days are needed to make a change that's lasting and less likely to cause relapse.   

If you're like most people, those New Year's resolutions you made on January 1 are all but forgotten by February 1. And by March 1, what resolutions? According to researchers at the University of Scranton, about 75 percent of Americans who make New Year's resolutions manage to keep them through the first week of the new year. After two weeks, though, the numbers start to drop off significantly, and after six months, just 46 percent have stuck to their resolutions.  

Why is it so hard to make lasting lifestyle changes? "Lots of reasons," said John Norcross, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Scranton and author of "Changeology: 5 Steps to Realizing Your Goals and Resolutions." For starters, some resolutions are just too broad. Some are too lofty. Plus, some people make too many resolutions at once, setting themselves up for failure. But healthy behavioral change is possible, Dr. Norcross said -- it just takes some skill.    

Making Lasting Lifestyle Changes  

If you're one of the majorities whose New Year's resolutions have fallen by the wayside, try these tips for getting back on course.

Be willing to try again. Ok, so you slipped. You ate that pint of ice cream that was calling your name rather than sticking to your resolution to count calories and lose weight. "It's human to slip up," Norcross said. It's how you respond to that slip that determines how successful you'll be at making a change in health behavior.

"Our evidence-based research shows that people who are successful at keeping their New Year's resolutions slip as many times as people who are unsuccessful," he said. The difference is that people who are successful regard the slip as helpful and learn from it. People who are unsuccessful use the slip as an excuse to give up.

"Falling off is part of change," agreed Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Lake Forest, Ill., and author of "A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness." It's not a reason to say, 'Why bother?' Instead, she said, think about what caused you to slip: "Were you stressed out? Were you trying to do too much?" Then address the cause. Look for ways to reduce the stress or other reasons that may be keeping you from staying on track with your diet or exercise program or other resolutions.

Think short-term. If your goals are too lofty, you're bound to fail, Dr. Lombardo said. Rather than a resolution to lose 50 pounds, make it 10. Say to yourself, "I'm going to follow a simple weight-loss plan for two weeks." If you're successful, she suggested rewarding yourself with a massage or a manicure or watching a movie. "People who are successful at keeping resolutions slip as many times as people who are unsuccessful."   

John Norcross, PhD TWEET "If you break up your resolution into smaller segments and keep it simple, you are more likely to succeed. Don't start your exercise program with a marathon. Start with 5 minutes a day. "Five is better than none, and who can't find 5 minutes a day to go for a walk?" said Lombardo, who has consulted with companies including Weight Watchers to help people achieve goals through simple steps." In 1994, Norcross collaborated with colleagues Carlo DiClemente, PhD, of the University of Maryland, and James Prochaska, PhD, of the University of Rhode Island, to publish the book "Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward." In the book, they outline Prochaska's stages of change: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and recycling (learning from relapse). In "Changeology," Norcross updated the stages-of-change research and expanded its applications.

He now recommends a 90-day program to make a change, which he said is how long research shows you need to make a change that's lasting and from which you are less likely to relapse. Norcross said that people fail with most self-help books because they don't include evidence-based research, which his does.
Take advantage of social media. Another way to get back on course with your New Year's resolutions is to share them with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, and other Internet sites. "If you resolve to go to the gym three times a week for the next two weeks, announce what you're doing on Facebook," suggested Lombardo. "Post your workout times. Let your friends congratulate you and get kudos from them." The assistance from your social network can be just what you need to keep you motivated. Your friends may challenge you or join you at the gym and help you out.    

Be mindful of your behaviors. For example, food is meant to be savored and enjoyed. If you savor each bite and really enjoy what you're eating as opposed to feeling guilty, you'll eat a lot less and enjoy it a lot more, said Lombardo. And remember that whatever your resolution, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. "We're such a perfectionist society," Lombardo said. "We think we can't have any cookies and, if we eat one, we think we can eat the whole plate because we've blown our resolution not to eat junk food." You will have more success with your resolutions if you allow yourself some leeway and build rewards into your plans. 

The Bottom Line

It's important to realize that change is hard, Lombardo said. The more you practice new, healthier habits, though, the more automatic those habits become. Things people want to change are usually learned behaviors, she said, and "anything that's learned can be unlearned and relearned." "People who fail at their resolutions don't realize they have a choice and can make a change," she said. "You just need to keep practicing and keep practicing." 

Source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/how-revive-your-resolutions/?xid=fb_EH_sf