Wednesday, January 1, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Fit For Sisters Andrew Loscutoff Columnist The key to successful health resolutions Newsflash! 2019 is over, people can finally get around to making all those changes they9ve been intending to make. Now that the dialogue transitions from complaining to actually doing something, how do you stick to your guns and make it happen? Surely, someone reading now can think back to last New Year9s and remember what it was they swore off. How9d that go? What was the apple that tumbled the cart? Why can9t people seem to get out of their own way? A goal must have some weight to it, some meaning, or higher impact than just being healthier. A goal with- out any meaning will leave an easy out without moral consequence. If you dream of the mountains, the beauty, and the fresh alpine air, why not make it a goal to conquer such hikes? This goal lays out a trail of consequential lifestyle adjustments to get there. Our theoretical hiker must maintain a slim body- weight, keep their legs and lungs very strong, and they ought to find friends who will enjoy the endeavors with them. The third aspect will be the details required: gym workouts, three per week; daily walks; weekend hikes; whole, unprocessed nutrition. Now that you have your plan in order, the next move will be making those changes stick. What9s your exercise history? If you haven9t been to the gym in a long, long time there is little sense in going into a program with hair-on-fire intensity, or gigantic volume (total gym work per session). The same goes for diet. A person who might enjoy a daily pastry, eating burgers and fries, and a few beers will not be successful going 100 percent into salads and meal-replacement shakes. Changes ought to begin one small step above where you currently are progressing along with success. How does one set up suc- cess? The environment we exist in will predict a lot of health outcomes. Say a per- son is eating out with friends when the waiter approaches at the end of the meal and asks about dessert. The peer pressure is on. If everyone else is getting dessert, why the heck not? The company one keeps is also an interesting factor. Close friends and relatives have a big impact. What ends up at the table at family din- ners often is not the healthi- est. Interestingly, proximity to the gym or access to rec- reation also plays a role. A person who drives by a gym on their way home will at least have the subliminal cue that they ought to exercise. On a smaller level, the per- sonal environment matters. A kitchen clean-out, a new wardrobe of fitness clothes, and cues around the home or work will give a boost to the subconscious. Seek out support. Humans are tribal, they want to belong to something; energy is cultivated upon the