New Year, Choose You!

Article date: December 28, 2011

Sticking to those New Year's resolutions can be tough, especially if you've put major lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, getting more exercise, or eating better on your list. A lot of us start out strong on our new healthy path, then lose steam after the first few weeks.

No matter what your goal, it helps to make it specific. It's all too easy to blow off a vague plan, like "getting more exercise" or "eating better." Instead, resolve to walk 30 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or eat a piece of fresh fruit every night after dinner.

Here are a few more tips to get you started. 

• Eat your veggies first. Make it a goal to fill half of your plate with vegetables. They tend to be low in calories and packed with nutrients. Let lean proteins play the supporting role.
• See the sunrise. Early workouts are easier to squeeze into your hectic schedule, and they save you the need to shower twice.
• Prepare in advance for the day you'll quit smoking. Discard cigarettes and ashtrays in your home and car; stock up on oral substitutes like sugarless gum, hard candy or carrot sticks; and practice saying, “No thank you, I don’t smoke,” when offered a cigarette. Find more quit tips at cancer.org/smokeout.
• Stay on top of health screenings. Regular screenings by a health care professional can help find cancer early, when it’s easiest to treat. Not sure what you need to have done or how often? Check our handy screenings guide.

You'll get even more tools and resources to help you reach your health goals when you make a Choose You Commitment. The American Cancer Society Choose You initiative helps women set a healthy goal and stick to it. When you make your Choose You Commitment, you'll get access to helpful videos, quizzes, and other tools, as well as blogs by other women working toward similar goals. You can recruit your friends and family to support your effort. There's even an option to add a financial incentive, for extra motivation. It’s a new year, time to choose you!