This will be the year, we tell ourselves at the start, that we're going to quit smoking, eat healthier, get back into yoga, start weightlifting, and lose that stubborn ring of fat around our midsections.
Although it starts off with the best of intentions, the fervor often ends as abruptly as it began, and just a few weeks into February, the gym floors empty out as the "resolutioners" retire to the couch once more.
That's what happened to 47-year-old Wayne resident Karen Esa – except she didn't quite make it that far. She decided in the last week of December that she wanted to drop a few pounds and tone up before a February vacation. Her new diet and exercise routine would
be in place for New Year's, and she had no doubt that after two months, she'd reach her goal
"I was really 100 percent serious about this," she said. "I believed it."
Two days later, she was done.
"I never lost a pound," she said with a guilty laugh.
What is it about the turning of the calendar that makes us want to make such massive changes? And more important, how come they don't ever seem to stick?
The answer to why we do it, said River Edge-based author and psychotherapist Jay P. Granat, is a bit complicated, but stems from the fact that New Year's is often viewed as the opening of a new chapter in one's life. (Granat's website: stayinthezone.com.)
After all, another year has passed and, he said, we reflect on our mortality, and "think, 'I'm getting on in the years, maybe I better make some shifts,' " he said.
No wonder those resolutions are often health-related; losing weight and quitting smoking tend to top the resolution list.
Unfortunately, many of us don't keep their Jan. 1 resolutions, especially the one to lose weight, Granat said; about 95 percent of people will fail. And it's that four-to-six week mark where they quit most often.
But even if you're stuck in that February rut, Granat said, all is not lost. Getting back on the wagon, even after falling off, shows resiliency, which is crucial for making progress over the long haul.
"Many resolutions are not sprints; they're marathons," he said. "You might turn an ankle or stumble, but you keep going … it's a journey."
Gary Imhoff, the director of marketing and membership at the Ridgewood YMCA, agreed, and said that his organization ran a "Resolution Revolution" program that offered a free week at the gym, and helped members keep track of their progress, sending out notes of encouragement.
"We try to maintain the momentum, and that's been really successful for a lot of people," he said.
A number of those who signed up for the program are still working out, he said; there hasn't been a marked February dropoff. Some of this might be due to the advice the YMCA gives to new members: make your goals attainable, and don't overdo it.
"A lot of people set their standards too high, and those are the ones who tend to drop out," he said. "But even if they're doing the minimal amount of exercise, it's certainly better than not doing anything."
After all, as Granat said, there's still 46 weeks left in the year to make good on that resolution. And those like Esa remain determined as ever to lose that weight.
"I'm going to start going to the gym again," she said. "I want that. I really do."
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http://www.northjersey.com/news/broken-your-new-year-s-resolution-already-you-re-hardly-alone-1.644691?page=all#sthash.RholWZXV.dpuf
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