Have you made any healthy lifestyle goals for 2014? A good goal is a SMART Goal. So make sure your New Year’s goals are SMART:

Specific: not vague or general.

Measureable: in terms of quantity or time. Establish a criteria for measuring goal achievement. E.g. How much? How many? How will I know I have achieved my goal?

Achievable: it is important to set a goal that can be achieved and is realistic, in terms of your other life commitments.

Realistic: to be realistic, your goal must be something you are both willing and able to achieve.

Timeframe: by which you will have achieved your goal. In order to be achieved a good goal needs a timeframe.

For Example: If your New Year’s Resolution for 2014 is to increase your exercise, rather than saying “I will increase my exercise”, make it SMART like this:

“Starting tomorrow, I will walk for 30minutes 5 mornings per week before breakfast”

Another SMART Goal:

“By the start of March 2014 I will have lost 5kg (averaging 0.5kg/week)”

For more help achieving your New Year’s Resolutions, contact an Accredited Dietitian.