Premier HealthNet Physician Encourages Goal-Setting when Making a New Year’s Resolution
Local Doctor Shares Five Ways to Make a Realistic Health Resolution
DAYTON, Ohio (December 7, 2012) – For many southwest Ohioans, with the New Year comes the hope of reaching a new self-improvement goal. As thousands set New Year’s resolutions this January, Meghan Brewster, MD, a Premier HealthNet physician practicing at Beavercreek Family Medicine, encourages people to set attainable goals as they lose weight, quit smoking or take other steps to become healthier in 2013.
“Most of the time when my patients share their New Year’s resolution with me, they are hoping to change a habit that most of us know we shouldn’t be doing in the first place,” says Dr. Brewster. “For example, if their plan is to lose weight, I help to set a goal that’s achievable and healthy. I want to see them succeed.”
Four out of five people will not follow through on their New Year’s resolutions and one –third will fail before January is over, according to time management firm Franklin Covey. Dr. Brewster offers five tips that will help make a healthy new year’s resolution more attainable. These tips include:
Set reasonable goals: “Take your big, major goal – losing fifty pounds for example – and break it down in to several smaller ones,” says Dr. Brewster. “Instead of trying to lose fifty pounds in a month, start by trying to lose five to ten pounds in a month.”
Take small steps toward success: “If you pick several smaller changes they will more easily become part of your routine,” says Dr. Brewster. “Little things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a little further out in the parking lot or replacing a can of soda with a glass of water at lunchtime can add up over time and become a more sustainable lifestyle change.”
Prepare for setbacks: “I tell my patients, when they set out to accomplish a large goal like losing weight or quitting smoking, they should be prepared for setbacks, says Dr. Brewster. “Probably the most common reason that I hear patients fall back into an old habit is stress, they find that life itself can make it hard to either make new changes or maintain recent ones. However they shouldn’t allow a setback or two deter them from accomplishing their goals.”
Have support: “What I find tends to help patients achieve the most success is support from either family or friends,” says Dr. Brewster. “Some people also find support with their family doctor. I have patients that come once a month and tell me how they are doing with their resolutions. We look at where things have gone well, see where things haven’t gone quite as well and we see how we can make the next month better.”
Consult your physician: “Before making a resolution that will have an effect on your health you should consult your primary care physician,” Dr. Brewster says. “It will give you the opportunity to sit down and make a specific plan, because then your resolution is something that’s a little bit easier to try and be accountable for.”
For more information on setting a safe and healthy New Year’s resolution, or to find a Premier HealthNet primary care physician, visit www.premierhealthnet.com/doctor.
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