Ask a Dietitian

Goal Setting – Your New Years Resolutions!

1. The first step is to give yourself the time to reflect on what will really make you happy. Rather than going for the quick fix—I’m going to lose 10 lbs in one week—try to step back and study yourself. What do you really want? Is it to have more energy? Is it to make better food choices? Is it to start exercising again? Be objective, think about your long term goals, what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? What are you willing to change or give up?

2. Next, set goals based on your true values not on superficial desires. For example, a common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. You are much more likely to succeed at losing weight if you focus clearly on every aspect of why it’s an important goal for you, and if you frame it in the context of a lifestyle change. If you practice extreme self-care, work on your health, get your emotional needs met, take time for yourself, exercise, work on your self-esteem, discover what colours, styles and materials really suit you, etc. You are much more likely to lose weight and keep it off than if you simply decide to cut down on calories and fat.

3. Develop a strategy and make sure your goals are specific and measurable. You may decide to consult with a registered dietitian to help you develop a plan of action.

4. What are your limiting hidden assumptions or your personal beliefs? Do you say to yourself “I just can’t lose weight”? or “I’ll never be able to exercise regularly”? or “I’m too fat to go to the gym”? Often we inhibit our success and happiness by assuming things that aren’t necessarily true or inevitable.

5. Write your goals down. Make sure you have a time frame. Make an action plan: what are the steps you need to take to reach each goal? Break it down into chunks. Commit to doing something each week to bring you closer to achieving your dream.

6. Be kind to yourself and those around you. Watch how you talk to yourself–keep it positive!

7. Get support, either from a friend, dietitian or life coach who can cheer you on and applaud your progress.

8. Visit your dreams daily! Don’t keep them in a drawer! If you have written them down, keep them visible–on the fridge, on your screensaver…

9. Address what might be holding you back from achieving your dreams and then take care of it, whether it’s getting rid of the junk in the cupboards, tossing out the many boxes of chocolate you got for Christmas, de-cluttering your house or saying goodbye to destructive relationships. Think of it as a journey–who and what do you want on the road with you?

10. And finally, celebrate!