Multiple Choice New Year's Resolutions

It's the season of introspection and self-loathing! Happy New Year!

Studies show most of us actually don't make our New Year's Resolutions until after January 1, so I'm here to help with a few practical, healthy suggestions for those who have not yet decided on this year's ~~guilt trip~~ resolutions.

Here's something I know from professional experience: most of us are making similar resolutions, year after year, and never actually following through on them in the long run. We choose huge resolutions like quitting smoking, losing 30 pounds or running a marathon.

That's not a resolution. That's a mammoth goal. Here's what I suggest. If there's one truth about goal-setting and goal-achieving, it's that those who succeed usually break their big goals (the quitting smoking, weight loss, marathon goals) into smaller steps and focus on each of those steps, one at a time, until the final step gets them to their overall goal.

If you've got any sort of health or fitness resolution in mind for 2012 (perhaps the same one you had in mind for 2011, 2010, 2009...) chances are you're going to have to adopt some healthy habits to get you there. Skim through the following list and choose one, or a couple, of these healthy behaviours and resolve to incorporate them into your daily life in 2012.

• drink 3 litres of water per day
• take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator
• eat breakfast every day
• walk the dog as a family every day
• eat dinner as a family, away from the television, every day
• eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal and snack
• substitute a sprinkle of cinnamon for sugar in your coffee
• take your infant/toddler/preschooler out to walk and/or play every day
• weigh yourself at the same approximate time, once per day or once per week
• stop eating at least 2 hours before bedtime
• walk (or jog, cycle, swim, etc.) 3 times per week for 30-60 minutes
• strength train your full body 2 times per week
• substitute a cup of green tea for one of your usual cups of coffee
• try a new sport or fitness class
• plan your meals and take a list to the grocery store
• stretch in the morning after showering and before dressing
• keep a food journal
• find a workout buddy—in person or online—to chat and/or exercise with
• see your doctor to discuss your weight, blood pressure and other vitals
• complete a 10-minute workout every day
• tell your friends and family about your healthy resolution(s)
• shop for clothing that fits your current size and stop waiting to lose weight
• watch less television
• keep a daily journal of your thoughts, hopes, dreams and stresses