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A New Year, a new self.
It is a time of the year where people will set goals for 2015 to live healthier and better lives. The sad reality is many people shoot for the stars and fail.
“It is a cultural thing that we do. One of the flaws is that some people make too much of a big change, and it is the idea of forever in a day,” Thibodaux psychologist Dr. Lynn Guidry said. “It is all-or-nothing thinking. If you fall short, then it is like you throw in the towel. Sometimes people bite off more than they can chew.”
According to www.usa.gov, top resolutions include losing weight, quitting smoking and even volunteering to help others.
“There is definitely an uptick,” CrossFit owner and personal trainer Brian Ellender said of foot traffic. “It is spread out throughout January because children are getting back in school. It is a steady increase from December.”
People come in with every intention of staying fit and in-shape, but aren’t as dedicated as the year progresses.
“You really have to take the first month seriously,” Ellender said. “It takes a good three or four weeks of training before you really start seeing a change.”
He advises visiting the gym three or four days per weekly so one’s body isn’t overwhelmed.
“The rest and recovery time is important so people are not walking around sore all the time. That is not good to begin with,” Ellender said. “Mild soreness is one thing, but when people try to rack their bodies everyday, it makes for a very unpleasant experience.”
Local dietitians see an uptake in work at the start of a new year.
“Every year, we get a bunch of calls around January of people wanting to lose weight,” said Marie LeBlanc, Thibodaux Regional Medical Center dietitian.
Cutting out food groups or skipping meals is not a healthy option, she said.
“That is the funny thing about dietitians. People want a magic diet, and we have to preach a well-balanced diet,” LeBlanc explained. “It is not so much a diet in terms of weight loss, which most people think. It is more of a healthy lifestyle.”
LeBlanc referenced the ‘My Plate’ method, which shows exactly what people should eat every meal.
“‘My Plate’ is a good, realistic visual for people. People can relate to what a plate is supposed to look like as opposed to what you should and should not eat,” she said.
As someone who studies nutrition and the value of a well-balanced diet, LeBlanc is not a fan of “gimmick” diets.
“I like any type of weight loss plan that will let you incorporate things you typically eat,” she said. “Any type of weight loss plan that tells you you can’t have something or eliminates a food group, that is always a red flag to me.”
LeBlanc said gradual changes are the way to go, instead of overhauling an entire diet.
“If you are drinking 12 sodas per day, cut that down to one or two per day,” she said. “Do something realistic. I think that is the biggest thing people need to stick to, small realistic goals and one at a time.”
Another top resolution for 2015 is to quit smoking.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 42.1 million people in America smoke cigarettes.
Smoking cessation programs gain popularity, too, this time of year.
“The New Year brings fresh start and lifestyle changes for a lot of people,” said Heather Price, Terrebonne General Medical Center Geaux Free prevention and education specialist. “It is a time where motivation is highest for smokers to cut back.”
Geaux Free is the hospital’s smoking cessation program.
“We offer group sessions that help develop a support network,” Price said. “You have a the support of a certified tobacco treatment specialist as well as people who are going through something similar.”
Like overeating, stopping smoking requires a behavioral change, which is challenging.
“You have to encourage and motivate people when their drive is the highest. One of the central approaches is preventing relapses,” Price said.
While quitting smoking and working out may help folks feel good physically; volunteering can help people feel better emotionally.
Melanie Toups of the Junior Auxiliary of Houma, which helps area women and children, said the holiday spirit aspires philanthropy.
“I think for New Years, everyone reflects on the past year so they try to figure out what they can do to better themselves or better their families,” Toups said. “In doing that, they become a little more philanthropic and a little more giving. They feel like it is a good time to get started because it is a New Year filled with new ideas and new concepts.
“You get to see the faces of kids who we give brand new shoes to or the faces of the women who we get groceries for. If one day of their life, they can forget about all of their struggles, it is an amazing feeling,” she added.
The start of a new year also encourages people to reprioritize in their lives, according to Mandy Holloway, of Refuge 127 in Thibodaux.
“You can take that fresh new start. I think for anybody, New Years is a time to change. People see it as a clean slate and fresh start. You can’t out-give and out-serve,” she said.
While New Year’s resolutions are well intended, odds don’t favor success.
Research indicates 50 percent of all resolutions fail after 30 days, and 90 percent don’t make it to the end of the year, according to Dan Britton, co-author of “One Word That Will Change Your Life.”
“I feel like New Year’s resolutions have turned into New Year’s Insanities. It doesn’t work. Yet, we think that next year it will work,” he said.
Like Ellender and LeBlanc, Britton advised keeping things simple.
Britton and co-authors Jimmy Page and Jon Gordon suggest adopting one word and applying it to all you do.
“We drift to complexity. We drive to simplicity,” Britton said. “That is the foundation of what ‘One Word’ is. Each day our lives get more complicated and more complex so what we do is live with narrative focus for greater impact. That is what ‘One Word’ does.”
The word chosen is applied to what they reference as the six dimensions of life: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, relational and financial.
“One of the big words is focus or purpose. People want to understand what their purpose is. Having a single focus for the year allows you to incorporate that into the six dimensions of life,” Britton said. “By the end of the year, you can see what was accomplished. It is not mastering your word, but living your word.”
Britton first applied “intimacy” in 2000, which he said changed his life.
“I wanted to be intimate in my faith with God, my family, my friends and I wanted it to be authentic,” Britton said. “That one word transformed my life.”
“One Word That Will Change Your Life” is available on Amazon.com or www.getoneword.com.
Staying in shape ranked in the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for 2015. CrossFit Houma Owner and Trainer, Brian Ellender along with fellow trainer, Katie Prestenbach work on some squat techniques.
