By Cristen Scifo, Dietetic Intern As the year begins to wind down, it can be easy to throw the health and wellness goals you made at the start of the new year aside. Life becomes hectic with studying, final projects, and for seniors: post graduation plans. It is when the going gets tough that we have to find the strength to stay motivated with our goals. The following ideas may help give you the extra bit that you need to stay on track this spring! Write it down: Come up with one or two fitness goals (if you haven’t already) and write them down. Make sure they are realistic and attainable. These goals should not be related to weight or appearance. A goal based off of something like this is more likely to be given up on when our lives get hectic. Instead make the goal something like this: “I want to feel more energized”, “I want to feel less stressed”, or “I want to sleep better at night”. These goals are more likely to be adhered to and focus on your overall wellness. After picking your goal, come up with a plan to make that dream a reality. Make this plan as specific as possible, but remember to make it attainable. If your goal is to feel more energized, the plan can be to pack hummus and vegetables as a snack at least three days a week, or to hit the gym at least twice a week. See? Specific but attainable! Display your goal and plan somewhere visible to you, consider the fridge or the inside of your closet door. Try to add rather than take away: While giving up all junk foods is a great goal in theory, it may not be the easiest to stick with. It is more realistic to allow yourself these foods while adding healthy options as well. Goals that focus on giving yourself something additional are way more likely to be adhered to. Try adding a healthy meal once a day to start with rather than eliminating an unhealthy one. Instead of cutting down on all your tv time, maybe try limiting it a little bit and adding a walk to your daily routine. Our brains can perceive a goal that takes away something you like as a punishment, thus making it harder to reach that goal. Go slowly: It is a marathon, not a sprint! Any goal that requires you to drastically change how you eat or live is probably not the best option. Your healthy goals should be more of a lifestyle modification than a change. If your goal is to eventually run a 5k, start by walking a little extra every day, then maybe jogging a mile a couple times a week, and slowly add on to it until you can run that 5k. If you start the process by attempting to run a 5k on the first day, you will probably get sore and stop running. We often make similar mistakes with our diets. Any diet that asks you to cut out entire food groups may not be maintainable. Instead focus on what makes you feel good. Eat an extra serving of fruit, try whole grain bread, or put some additional vegetables on your plate at each meal. Don’t forget the fable of the turtle and the hare. When it comes to healthy living goals, be the turtle! (This is UMD after all). Hopefully the three above tips can help to set reasonable and smart goals for a healthier lifestyle. If you need some extra motivation, find a friend or family member who can serve as your “accountability partner”. You and your chosen partner can work together to achieve your goals while keeping you motivated. So get out there and crush your wellness goals this spring!
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