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Newtrition for the New Year Every Year

By: Sarah Remmer, RD, CDE

In January, most of us have great intentions to make changes to our lifestyles. A New Year, a new you right? Well, maybe for a few weeks… Many of us are so motivated and determined to make changes that we don’t really stop to think "are these changes realistic for me right now?" Or, "am I working on too many changes at once?" Gyms are swarming with eager exercisers, the candy and chocolate are no where to be found in the house and our fridges are packed full with fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, most of us set goals that are too lofty to maintain for a long period of time—especially when it comes to nutrition! The key is to set one to three goals at a time and make sure that they are SMART goals. By this I mean: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

Specific:
Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. What are you going to do? Why is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately accomplish? How are you going to do it? Ensure the goals you set are very specific, clear and easy. Instead of setting a goal to eat healthier, set a specific goal such as eating 3 different vegetables a day 3 days a week.

Measurable:
Establish criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that entices you on to continue on towards your goal. Keeping a food diary is the best way to stay on track with your nutrition goals. Looking back on week of food logs and realizing that you have achieved your goal is very motivating and encouraging.

Attainable:
When you identify goals that are important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. An example would be: "I believe that buying organic produce is more environmentally friendly than conventional produce, therefore I will go to the farmers market every second Friday from the beginning of May until the end of September to buy organic produce." You can attain almost any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry them out.

Realistic:
To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. Having a goal such as "I will eliminate junk food from my diet completely" is likely unrealistic for most people as well as unnecessary. Strive for a more realistic goal such as "I will limit myself to one treat a day during the work week." Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished.

Timely:
A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. If your goal is to gain 10 lbs of lean body mass, when do you want to gain it by? "Someday" won’t work. But if you anchor it within a timeframe, then you’ve set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.

Examples of SMART goals:

• I will eat 3 different colors of fruits and vegetables per day during the week starting January 1st until March 1st, 2009. I will re-evaluate my goal thereafter.
• I will do cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes 4 days a week at the gym starting January 5th until February 5th 2009.
• I will only allow myself to eat out at a restaurant or fast food place 2 times per week starting January 5th until March 5th 2009.
• I will make and bring my lunch to work 2 days a week starting January 5th until February 5th, 2009. § I will go to 3 hour-long exercise classes per week starting February 1st until March 1st.
• I will eat breakfast within an hour of waking up at least 5 days a week starting today until January 30th, 2009.
• I will make sure that all of the grain products that I buy at the grocery store have at least 3 grams of fibre per serving starting today until March 5th, 2009.

Make you own SMART goal:

I will _______________ at least ____ many days a day/week/month from ______ to _______ and then re-evaluate my goal.

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