Make your New Year's Resolution yet? Don't submit it in permanent ink yet! I've got a few suggestions to turn your resolution from a promise abandoned in mid-January, into a manageable source of inspiration (really!) all year long...

First step? Forget about making a New Year's Resolution altogether! On New Year's Day, create an April Resolution...

1. Think spring! If you vow to "lose all that holiday weight gain in a couple of weeks," you might get frustrated when something throws you off course. So create a 4-month plan of activities from January 1 to April 1. This "April Resolution" will give your commitment staying-power.
    
   ~ How to "do" April Resolutions ~
    
   
   1. Does a full nutritional makeover seem, oh, just a BIT overwhelming? Don't switch everything at once. Give yourself time to acclimate by phasing in smarter breakfast options the first week, tackling lunch the following, and so on.
       
   2. I know people who sign up for home meal-delivery service, hoping to learn meal-planning and moderation. But the realization soon sinks in… too pricy, too fancy, and the nutritional principles behind those meals? Still mysterious. For a nutritional investment that can yield a long-lasting return, meet with a dietitian. Whomever you work with, make sure you receive realistic agendas for your lifestyle - tools you can use to tackle eating out, your shopping-style, workplace-eating, entertaining, exercise, and your time restraints.
       
   The bottom line should be staying power. We all crave quick-fix ideas, but REALITY is the key.
    
2. Plan it! When my resolution was to just "eat better," I had a dysfunctional relationship with my scale (the attitude of that thing!). I found that detailed plans - down to the time of day - helped me live up to my promise and teach that scale who's boss. So ditch those blanket statements in favor of specific actions!
    
   ~ Plan it! Examples ~
    
   
   1. To take charge, get specific: Brainstorming doable breakfasts? Then shed that 600-calorie bagel/cream cheese routine for an energy-lasting, 350-calorie combo of omega-rich eggs with high-fiber crackers, cheese spread and fruit.
       
   2. Anticipate temptations and plan how you'll side-step them. To bypass a caloric snare at the coffee shop, bring a high fiber cereal to the office. (One BNI "slim-mixer" favorite: 1 cup Kamut Puffs mixed with half a cup Nature's Path Smart Bran. It totals a mere 135 calories and packs a whopping 11.75 grams of fiber!)
       
3. Keep your tools handy! The right food is your tool for creating success, but it won't just appear when you need it - vending machines still sell Skittles, not broccoli sprouts. Make sure you have your tools at your fingertips when cravings strike!
    
   ~ My favorite Tools ~
    
   
   1. For a handy at-the-office lunch solution, I stash a designated salad bowl and keep pre-cut mixed greens. A handful of this, a handful of that, and I'm set. Dressing is always in the fridge. It takes less time than nuking one of those sodium-jammed, unpronounceable-paragraph-of-ingredients, frozen "health" meals! Leave that for the next earthquake.
       
   2. For protein, I fridge minimal mercury tuna or salmon salad at work. To minimize the rush each morning, I pre-mix a big batch on Sundays.
       
   3. Why are people afraid of apples? They'll keep a power bar in the car for weeks, but not fruit. What's the deal? Go natural! Stock a couple of washed apples, a napkin, and a tiny zip bag for trash in your car. The apples will be A-OK for up to a week. Worst case scenario, you have to reapply your lipstick. Nutritionally speaking, the upgrade from bar to fruit - and the extra lipstick - is totally worth it.
       
4. Shed pounds, not friends: Steer clear of an action plan that's so radical it isolates you. Make it easy for friends to support you, share recipes and nurture your endeavors.
    
   ~ Friend-Friendly Techniques ~
    
   
   1. When ordering out, communicate your order in one sentence instead of a five-minute inquisition. I used to be the girl going, "Can I get a salad without this, without that, can you sub this for that, can you…" Rather, just tell the waiter what you DO want: "I'll have mixed greens, with tomatoes, carrots, beets, hearts of palm, and grilled salmon. Dressing on the side." Done! And I'm back to telling my girlfriend what I think of her "Cute Elevator Guy."
       
   2. If your friends and family love to eat out, don't feel like you have to blow them off to stay on track. Just plan a little: preview the menu in advance and identify dishes that fit your weight-loss agenda.
       
5. Don't forget the vacay! No reason to break up with that rich, dark, delicious Devil's Food Cake forever. Just like at work, you'll need some vacations or you'll burn out. Don't splurge like crazy, but let yourself have some planned fun on special occasions like birthdays, holidays or a particular weekend. BTW, treat it like a REAL vacation: once you're there, relax and enjoy all the "dark and delicious" - no guilt! You deserve it.
    
   ~ Getting Food Vacations Right ~
    
   
   1. Would you take a vacation at home? No way. If you "holiday" at a restaurant you already frequent, you'll be tempted to splurge every time you return. Instead, designate an out-of-the-ordinary food-vacay spot - a top-chef restaurant everyone's raving about, or simply a good gelato spot across town.
       
   2. Say you're planning a trip to Europe, and you've been dreaming about the cheese and wine. Don't guilt yourself for the hankering. Continue to make smart food choices on a day-to-day basis - go light on pasta, choose lean protein and salads - but grant yourself permission to enjoy the gourmet specialties you've anticipated.
       
   Most New Year's Resolutions fizz like uncorked champagne. By April, you're frantically hunting for a new quick-fix in time for swimsuit season. This year, empower yourself with April Resolutions: they provide a nutritional agenda you CAN live by.
    



Rachel S. Beller MS, RD
& the Beller Nutritional Institute Research Team