Planning a Big Change?
Set Goals, Start Slow, and Be Realistic

By Marcela Vinocur

Are you tired of making New Year’s resolutions that simply don’t work out? Have you practically given up on making positive changes in your life? Well, it’s not too late to take charge. In fact, making changes may be easier than you think.

Many people make the mistake of wanting to make too many changes too fast. And oftentimes these changes are not even realistic.

For example, deciding to lose 30 lbs, find a new job, and clean out the basement by the end of March is not realistic. Instead, take small steps. Setting a goal of walking for a few minutes each day, five days per week, and gradually building up to walking 30 minutes each day is a goal you can achieve.

There are a number of things you can do that can go a long way to improve your health.

Quit smoking. If you are a smoker and 40 years old, quitting now can add 10 years to your life. And if you’ve quit before and started up again, don’t despair. Most ex-smokers quit six or seven times before they finally succeed. So if you smoke, set a realistic date to quit smoking. Let your friends and family know what your plans are. If you need help quitting, talk to your physician about medications and professional services that help increase the likelihood you will succeed.

Move, move, move. While physical activity is important for all of us, research has shown that people who go from being sedentary to being moderately active benefit more than those of us who are already moderately active and increase to a higher level of activity. When you go from being a couch potato to engaging in moderate physical activity, the health payoff is huge. Physical activity not only helps you manage your weight, control blood pressure, and improve lipids and blood sugar regulation. It also helps boost your mood and decrease stress and anxiety, and it keeps you feeling young. If this isn’t enough to get you started, consider this: A sedentary lifestyle produces the same cardiovascular risk as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

Eat your fruits and veggies. It turns out that your mother was right: There are substantial health benefits associated with consuming five, nine, or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day. A diet loaded with fresh produce can decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure, lower cholesterol, decrease risk of type 2 diabetes, and prevent some kinds of cancer. And these are just a few of the known benefits; there are many more. Increasing your fruit and vegetable intake by as little as one serving per day can have a significant impact on your risk of heart disease. Recent studies have found that for every additional serving of fruits and vegetables consumed, the risk of heart disease drops by 4 percent. If you already eat plenty of fresh produce, consider eating more. For an extra health boost, buy organic, and choose locally grown products. Find new (low-fat) ways of preparing some of your favorite vegetables or, better yet, experiment with fruits and vegetables you don’t normally eat.

Relax. Although stress is a normal part of life, chronic stress or too much stress can wreak havoc on your health. There is mounting scientific evidence that stress can worsen illness, and, in some cases, have a causative effect. Keep track of your stress levels and find proactive ways to keep stress in check. Walking, bicycling, swimming, dancing, and yoga are all great stress-busters. Meditation is another tool for managing stress.

Mind your mood. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is certainly more common in the Northwest than it is in sunnier climes. If you experience a decline in your mood and energy level or an increase in appetite or weight gain during the winter months, you may suffer from this condition. Depression, whether it is seasonal or not, can have profound ramifications. Untreated depression can result in reduced quality of life and decreased self-care, and it can exacerbate pre-existing medical illnesses. Treatments for this condition include spending more time outdoors, bright light therapy, melatonin, psychotherapy, or certain antidepressants.

This New Year, rather than make a lot of resolutions that will fade by March, why not pick one or two areas to focus on that can result in meaningful changes to your health? No matter your age or fitness level, it is definitely not too late to take charge and make your health a priority.

Marcela Vinocur, MD, completed her residency training in psychiatry at Oregon Health Sciences University in 1993. She has a special interest in chronic disease prevention. She maintains a practice specializing in psychopharmacology and serves as the medical director of the weight reduction program at Portland Health and Wellness. She can be reached at 503-236-4506 or www.portlandhealthandwellness.com.