15 Jan New Year’s resolution recovery plan: five tips to get you back on track

New Year’s resolutions sound so good in theory. People say on Jan. 1 each year that they will strive to do things like get more fit, eat healthier and be a better person.
Statistic show that somewhere around two-thirds of Americans make a New Year’s resolution, but unfortunately only somewhere between 5-20 percent of people actually keep them.
And most of the people who fail do so within the first two weeks of the year.
With today being Jan. 15, that means a whole lot of people have already fallen short of their resolution for 2015. Have you come up short up already?
Don’t give up! Give it a another chance. Here are five tips to get back on track to reach your 2015 New Year’s Resolution:
1. Re-evaluate your resolution – Did you set a goal that was too tough to reach, such as getting to the gym five days a week? Maybe scale it back to three days a week – that’s a lot better than quitting altogether.
2. Get tougher – Maybe you’ve already slipped up on your goal because your willpower wasn’t strong enough. Write your goal down on a piece of paper and hang it up somewhere where you’ll see it all the time to remind you. You are important and deserve the best, so make your resolution a top priority.
3. Use the buddy system – Some people find it much easier to exercise with a partner, or as part of a fitness class or group.
4. Plan out meals – If it seems hopeless to eat right, consider planning out meals beforehand.
Don’t expect to eat healthy if you wait until the last minute to make breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
Get a gameplan ahead of time and go to the grocery store with a smart list.
5. Start today – Quit putting your goals off, start today. Every little positive thing you do will add up to big results.
If you have a few slip-ups along the way don’t beat yourself up over it. Being a more fit person is a marathon, not a sprint.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com