Many of us have proclaimed impressive health resolutions for this fresh new year of 2018.

These resolutions usually involve doing more good things (like exercising and eating vegetables) and less riskier things (like sitting around and eating potato chips).

We know that exercising, eating right and managing our weight will help us reduce our risk of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. We will also feel happier and stronger after several months of regular physical activity.

But let’s face it: making lifestyle changes is difficult. How do we sustain our resolve past the first few weeks of January?

Here are five winning tips for staying on track in 2018:

Break it down

To succeed, we must transform large goals into mini-goals that are both measurable and attainable.

For example, if we want to lose 20 pounds this year, we can break this goal down by saying that we will lose 1 pound every two weeks.

Notice that this mini-goal is measurable (involves numbers) and attainable (one half pound per week). We should consult healthcare and fitness professionals for help in determining what is attainable for each of us.

Write it down

Next, using a calendar or notepad (either digital or paper), we should record our goals, our action plan and our results.

In our weight loss example, our action plan should include exercising regularly. We would use our calendar to write down each exercise session, set reminders to weigh ourselves every two weeks, and then record our results.

Keep in mind that our action plan includes everything we plan to do (or not do) to meet our mini-goal. Posting these calendars and notes in visible places will help remind us of the next step to take. 

Use positive self-talk

Are you human? Me, too. Therefore, we can expect a bit less than perfection when it comes to following through with our action plan.

Let’s expect setbacks and decide today to be positive towards ourselves tomorrow.

Think about it: if we lose 10 pounds this year instead of 20, would that be a failure? Of course not! When we miss an exercise session or overeat horribly, we can forgive ourselves and move back to our action plan.

Find like-minded people

Let’s seek out others who will encourage us to meet our goals and who will help us enjoy the journey

Fitness classes and sports leagues can make exercise more fun. Group support programs for weight loss help us stay on track and offer instruction and accountability.

For assistance in weight management, adults can benefit from “Moving to Wellness,” a new 12-week program at the YMCA of Southwest Michigan that provides group instruction in physical activity and lifestyle change.

Celebrate successes

When we meet our mini-goals, we should celebrate! These are the stepping stones to the top of our personal mountain of success.

Using these five strategies, we can sustain our personal resolve for a healthier lifestyle throughout 2018.

Happy (and Healthy) New Year, southwest Michigan!

Chrissie Kaufmann is a group fitness instructor at the YMCA of Southwest Michigan.