Making Small Changes for 2022

This is the time of year most people start to prepare for a new year’s resolution, or some type of lifestyle change. That’s great, but most of the time it does not go as well as planned because our current habits are ingrained in us. Most people are not patient enough to see a lasting change.

It is important to remember to be patient and only add in what you can handle for now. The body does not work as fast as the internet, so do not expect to lose 40 lbs in two weeks, nor think it is feasible to add in a long workout to an already busy day. Some people have the ability to change their habits on a dime, but most do not. Think of it as a very slow process and trust what you’re doing will work. Fad diets are great for losing a bunch of weight quickly, but most of the time people add that weight back on within a year or two. A better approach is to make very small changes to your lifestyle, stick with them for a few weeks and then add another once it becomes part of your life/routine. A healthy amount of weight to lose a week is 2 lbs. It doesn’t seem like a lot but typically a slower approach tends to lead to longer lasting changes in habits.

Try to make simple changes at first and then build from it. Give yourself short term goals as well as long term goals. Maybe you try to drink more water and less soda/juice and add a 10-15 minute walk to your day. Do that for a few weeks and then progress to only drinking water, reduce refined carbohydrates, and perform consistent 15 minute walks. This is one example. There are many things that can be done, but keep it simple and remind yourself of the long term outcome. If it takes you two years to solidify healthy habits for the rest of your life, it’s worth it.

I know this sounds like common sense to most people, but it needs to be said because people are not patient enough and give up before they give their body a chance to make a change. Celebrate the small wins along the way.