Nutrition – Get SMART in 2022

How many times have you come to the start of a new year and set yourself some resolutions, only to find that before long they have gone completely out the window?

Well, you’re not alone in this. A big reason for why this happens is that the resolution is a bit vague – the focus is on a general goal rather than the steps to achieve the outcome such as “eating healthier and exercising more”. So when life starts getting back to its usual rhythm, after the holiday season is over, the resolution gets lost in all the everyday things that you usually contend with. Making significant, long-lasting change is hard.

So how do you stick to your resolutions then? Can it be done? Yes, but you have to make your goals realistic and have a plan to make it happen. A good way to set goals is to use the SMART framework:

Specific – What do you want to accomplish and what will you do to achieve it?

Measureable – How will you track of your changes?

Achievable – Is the goal actually achievable? Yes, it is great to challenge yourself, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed and give up.

Relevant – Why is the goal important to you? What are the benefits of achieving it? Make your goal meaningful.

Time-bound – what is your goal time-frame? An end-date helps to provide motivation and keeps you focused. If you haven’t achieved your goal in the timeframe, take time to consider why. Maybe it was unrealistic or your goal was unachievable, or maybe there were some unexpected barriers that got in your way.

The SMART framework allows you to set boundaries and defines the steps that you’ll need to take. It will also allow you to see what resources or support you might need to help you to reach your goal. Maybe you need a personal trainer or exercise partner to help keep you motivated, or a nutritionist to help you tweak your diet.

Some examples of SMART goals are:

• “exercise more” becomes “walk with a friend after work for 20 minutes, three times a week”.

• “eat healthy” becomes “I will add one extra serve of green vegetables to dinner three times this week”.

• “buy lunch less often” becomes “I will pack my lunch twice this week”.

Once you achieve these initial goals, you can build on your successes and tweak your goals accordingly. For instance, if you successfully added extra green vegetables three times in a week, increase it to five or even seven times.

When setting your SMART goals, focus on positive actions rather than looking to what you should avoid or limit. Look to where you can add in healthy foods or more movement, rather than putting the focus on what you should take out. If you have set yourself the general “eat healthy and exercise more” resolution, maybe you can have a go at SMARTening it up.