COVER STORY
Keep your New Years fi tness resolutions
New Year’s resolutions run the
gamut from the simple to the
complex. Some people resolve
to make small changes that don’t affect
their daily lives all that much, while
others aim to make signifi cant changes
in the hopes of dramatically improving
their quality of life. Resolving to lose
weight, which often tops annual lists of
the most popular resolutions, falls into
the latter category.
A 2018 survey from Cision and Varo
Money found that 45 percent of respondents
resolved to lose weight or
get in shape in 2018. Unfortunately,
various studies have found that resolutions
often fall by the wayside long
before people achieve their goals. In
fact, a 2015 report from U.S. News indicated
that 80 percent of resolutions
fail by the second week of February.
Such success rates, or lack thereof,
might not be too big a deal for people
who make silly resolutions that, successful
or not, would not have too big
an impact on their lives. But many people
resolve to lose weight for serious
COURIER L 28 IFE, NOVEMBER 8-14, 2019
reasons, such as lowering their risk for
disease or improving their quality of
life. In such instances, success can be
a matter of life or death.
After resolving to lose weight, people
might be derailed by some common
pitfalls. Recognizing these pitfalls
and learning how to avoid them can
help people achieve their weight loss
goals.
• You’re not specifi c enough. Try not
to be vague when setting your weight
loss goals. Simply saying “I want to
lose weight” likely won’t provide the
motivation you need to achieve your
goal. Speak with your physician and
ask about how much weight you need
to lose. Once you learn that number,
work with your doctor and a personal
trainer to set realistic goals. For example,
if you need to lose 10 lbs., resolving
to lose one pound per week
for 10 weeks is a specifi c, realistic and
healthy approach to weight loss. And
by the end of that 10-week period, you
likely will have grown accustomed to
your new health routine, increasing the
likelihood that you will keep it up even
after you achieved your goal.
• You try to save up your calories. The
experts at Northwestern Medicine®
note that many people think skipping
a few meals per day will decrease their
overall calorie intake. However, such
an approach typically leads to overeating
when you sit down for a meal
or increased snacking throughout the
day. In addition, skipping meals slows
down your metabolism, adversely affecting
how your body approaches
burning calories.
• You embrace a fad diet. Various
studies examining an assortment of
fad diets have indicated that such diets
typically only produce short-term
results, if any. Any weight lost while
adhering to a fad diet is typically regained
once dieters go off the diet.
Instead of adopting a fad diet, work
with your physician to devise a healthy,
long-term eating plan.
• You eat more than you think. Audra
Wilson, RD, a clinical dietitian affi liated
with Northwestern Medicine®, notes
that people typically underestimate
their calorie intake by 30 percent.
Chances are, you’re consuming more
calories than you think, even while you
attempt to lose weight. Track the calories
you consume each day so you can
stay the course in regard to what your
physician recommends.
Avoiding some common weight loss
pitfalls can help people turn their resolution
to drop some weight into a reality.
Vascular Institute of New York
960 50th St.between Ninth and
10th avenues in Borough Park,
(718) 438–3800, www.vascularnyc.com.
Open every day, 8 am – 5 pm.
Additional locations: 5801 Woodside
Ave., Queens; 97-32 63rd Rd.,
Queens; 432 E. 149th St. in the
Bronx.
/www.vascularnyc.com
/www.vascularnyc.com