They're external (aka more focused on guilt and how you want others to see you than on having fun and feeling healthier). And people who make health changes to feel good follow through more often than those who make changes to look good, according to his research. Plus, when you don't reach your look-great goals as quickly as you'd like, you get discouraged. Regular victories are vital to wanting to stick with anything, Wilson says. So by resolving to perform a certain action -- rather than get a certain result -- you'll get a little high each and every time you follow through.
The result: You'll stick with your resolution. And in the end, you could actually score that smaller number on the scale you've been vying for.
Here, 10 easy-to-follow resolutions that will turn your health around for years to come.
Cut Refined Carbs
Start Strength Training
Stop Sitting So Much
Dump Your Diet Soda Addiction
Shun Even the Occasional Smoke
Shake Your Sodium Habit
Don't Miss Meals
Stress Less
Focus on Your Focus:
Like to jog it out on the treadmill while paging through magazines? Don't. You can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of interval training done three times a week than by jogging on the treadmill for an hour.
