Each year, we set goals or resolutions to become healthier with our food choices and/or exercise routines, only to find that shortly after setting them they become distant memories.

What happens to these worthwhile goals that were so important to us? Did we set a goal, but not process an action plan to meet the desired goal? Or did we set out to do too much? Was the goal unrealistic?  Or was it really a New Year’s wish: “I wish I would…”  

An effective goal encourages you to develop strategies for the path to meet your desired goal. The loss of weight, in itself, is not an action. The action is the changes you make in your eating habits – choices of food to consume or not to consume and routine physical activity. To achieve a goal, there one normally needs to make some lifestyle changes.
One strategy is to make your goal tangible. Spend some time writing out what it is you want to change, what is it that you want to achieve and set “SMART” goals that will keep you motivated on your journey toward a healthier you.

SMART goal setting is an acronym that stands for:
S-pecific  
M-easurable
A-ttainable
R-ealistic and relevant
T-imely

Here is how you set SMART goals:

• Be specific, so you can measure them. What do you plan to do? Can you break it down into smaller steps? The smaller and more specific the steps you set to reach your goal, the more likely you will be successful.Instead of saying, "I'm going to eat more fruit,” say "I will eat a piece of fruit for one of my snacks every day.”  You may want to start with even smaller steps, such as, “The days I work I will eat a piece of fruit for my snack.” Then plan the steps required to make it happen. “I will buy five pieces of fruit at the start of the week and take them to work.” Make plans for the times you may forget or come up short. “I will buy some dried fruit or lite canned fruit and keep at my office for the days I forget my fresh fruit." An exercise goal may look like this: Instead of saying "I'm going to exercise,” be more specific. Say, "I will walk for 20 minutes at lunchtime Monday through Thursday.” Know exactly what you will be doing and when you will be doing it.

• Measure your actions to see if you're attaining the goal. Perhaps your goal is to write down everything you eat and drink for one week. Review your food records at the end of the week and see whether you met that goal. You can then set a new goal. Your new goal might be the same as your prior goal, or you might change your goal based on the results of your prior goal. If it was your fruit goal, you will easily know at the end of the week how well you did based on how many pieces of fruit you have left on your desk.   

• Attainable. Don't make your goal unattainable. While you want to push yourself, try dividing your ultimate goal into many smaller ones. Instead of saying, "I'll never eat lunch out again,” resolve to pack lunch three days a week. Or instead of thinking, "How could I ever eat a whole cup of vegetables?" add a salad to your dinner two nights a week.

• Be Realistic. This includes the goal and the number of smaller steps you plan to work on and achieve. Instead of thinking, "I'll never have dessert again,” only eat dessert on Saturday night. Or instead of saying, "I will walk 60 minutes seven days a week,” say, "I will walk 30 minutes five days a week.” Anything extra is a bonus.

• Timely. Pick a time period, like a week or a month, when setting a goal. That will keep you focused on a starting and end point. You can then build on the goal you're measuring by adding a new one for the next time period.

Food preparation techniques that reduce calories, fat, and sodium go a long way to keeping you healthy during the holidays. Lighten up your favorite holiday foods and create new recipes with these tips:

1. Keep up your regular physical activity throughout the holiday season. If you are feeling strapped for time, make the session a few minutes shorter.

2. Don't go to a party hungry. We often eat faster and more when we are hungry - therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch to avoid overeating at the party. You might even want to eat a small, nutritious snack before leaving for the party to give you the willpower to resist hors d'oeuvres, saving your calories for the meal.

The holiday season is filled with wonderful food, seasonal goodies, and lots of cheer.  We also look forward to spending meaningful time with family and friends at social gatherings. What we don’t look forward too is how bad we feel in January when we find ourselves a little heavier, a bit more sluggish and out of shape because we stopped being as active and gave in to all the holiday temptations.  

Your objective should be to minimize the damage from holiday foods while enjoying the holidays at the same time. The holidays should not be a time of deprivation; by attempting to avoid these indulgences you are setting yourself up for failure.  With a little anticipation and a plan in hand, this year, you can avoid being a victim of the annual holiday trap and even be able to maintain your weight and feel great throughout the season!