New Year's Resolutions That Actually Stick: The Science Behind Success

im Hill:

Welcome to Weight Loss And, where we delve into the world of weight loss. I'm Jim Hill.

Holly Wyatt:

And I'm Holly Wyatt. We're both dedicated to helping you lose weight, keep it off, and live your best life while you're doing it.

Jim Hill:

Indeed, we now realize successful weight loss combines the science and art of medicine, knowing what to do and why you will do it.

Holly Wyatt:

Yes, the “And” allows us to talk about all the other stuff that makes your journey so much bigger, better, and exciting.

Jim Hill:

Ready for the “And” factor?

Holly Wyatt:

Let's dive in.

Jim Hill:

Here we go.

Holly, it's New Year's Day. This is a time filled with hope, ambition, and the promise of a fresh start. But let's be honest, how many of us have set resolutions only to have them fizzle out before February.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, exactly, Jim. That is the story for, I think, a lot of people. New Year's can feel like the perfect time to turn the page and make big changes. But I think it's also frustrating when they don't stick. And I think that's what a lot of people kind of struggle with. Should they be making New Year's resolutions or not? What if they don't stick? But I'm going to put out there, what if this year could be different?

Jim Hill:

Yeah, what if 2025 could be the year you actually follow through. Today, we're diving into the truth about New Year's resolutions or resolutions in general. Should you even bother setting them? What are the common mistakes that derail so many of us when we do this? And most importantly, what are the strategies that might actually work?

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, by the end of this episode, you're going to have a toolkit to create resolutions that excite you, inspire you, And most importantly, some that you can stick with, that will stick with you. Whether you're failed at resolutions before or you're skeptical about setting them at all, we've got something for you in this episode.

Jim Hill:

Fantastic. Let's get started.

Holly Wyatt:

All right. I wanted to start with a really basic question. Should we even make resolutions? Should you even make them? Maybe we just shouldn't be using the first of the year and setting some goals. What do you think about that, Jim?

Jim Hill:

Well, I think it's a great question, first of all. Let's see if we have any science here. And actually, studies show that about 40% of people in the U.S. Do make resolutions, but only about 9% to 12% feel successful a year later. Now that might sound like low odds, but here's the kicker. Those who actually do set resolutions are 10 times more likely to make meaningful changes than those who don't.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, that makes sense. If you don't even put anything out there, how likely are you to succeed at something? So that's interesting. I think that's actually encouraging, but I do see that there's some stigma still, right? Resolutions kind of feel cliche. You know, we all talk about the crowded gyms in January, and then it's gone three weeks later, or the diets that last two weeks, and then they're gone. So why do you think that there's such mixed reputation? You know, on one hand, it seems good to set a resolution. On the other hand, it kind of has that mixed feeling to it.

Jim Hill:

Well, I think part of that is that resolutions have become synonymous with temporary fixes. People see them as fleeting, something you try and then forget later on, probably by February. They don't always feel that these internally are meaningful commitments.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, I agree. They're kind of something you do, but you don't think about very much and they're not meaningful. And that gives them that feeling of, well, maybe I shouldn't even set them. I think another challenge is that resolutions often focus on big life changing goals. And I love a big goal, but committing for something for an entire year that big can feel overwhelming, especially if you're starting from scratch, if you've got a lot of room to make some changes.

Jim Hill:

Yeah, but you know, Holly, on the flip side, I do think there's something powerful about New Year's. It's kind of a natural reset point, something new, a clean slate to think about where you've been and where you want to go.

Holly Wyatt:

Right. The new year is symbolic. It's not just about turning the page on the calendar. It's about the promise of possibility. I love a blank sheet of paper. And that's what a new year's resolution feels like to me. I get to open up my book and it's a blank sheet of paper and anything's possible. So I do love that feel. For a lot of people, I think it's one of the few times they stop and really reflect on their lives.

Jim Hill:

Yeah, there's actually a psychological term for this called the fresh start effect. When we hit a clear transition point like January 1st or a birthday or an anniversary or even the start of a new month, it feels like you can make a mental reset. It seems that it might make change more achievable.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, I do love that feeling. I didn't even know that there was a psychological term for it, but I do like that fresh start feeling. So maybe resolutions themselves aren't the problem. Maybe it's more about how we approach them. That fresh start energy, I think, is powerful. I know it's powerful for me, but maybe we don't even have to call them a resolution. Maybe we can just use that feeling to move forward.

Jim Hill:

Yeah, and really, whether you call it a resolution, a goal, or just a fresh start, it's the act of setting an intention and committing to that. And this can be very powerful. It's about aligning your actions really with the life you want to create.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. So let's talk about what people are focusing on. I think we have some notes what they focused on last year. We don't know what they're going to focus on in 2025 because it hadn't happened yet. But what did they focus on in 2024? What were the top resolutions last year?

Jim Hill:

Holly, I've got the top five for you. You ready?

Holly Wyatt:

I love it. I love it.

Jim Hill:

Drum roll. All right. I'm going to start at the bottom. Coming in at number five, any guesses?

Holly Wyatt:

Well, it's got to be something about lifestyle. Maybe diet or physical activity, something.

Jim Hill:

Improving diet.

Holly Wyatt:

Ah, there we go.

Jim Hill:

About 32% of people aim to eat healthier, making sustainable changes to overall wellness. So number five is diet. Number four, this one surprised me. Any guesses?

Holly Wyatt:

Well, no. Go ahead and tell us. I don't know.

Jim Hill:

All right. I thought this one would be higher. Number four is losing weight.

Holly Wyatt:

Oh, I thought losing weight would be number one or number two.

Jim Hill:

Yeah, I thought it would be number one. It's number four. About 34% of people want to lose weight, shed those extra pounds.

Holly Wyatt:

All right. So about a third.

Jim Hill:

Yeah.

Holly Wyatt:

That may make sense.

Jim Hill:

Number three. All right. This one surprised me a little too. Improving mental health. 36% of people want to prioritize reducing stress and enhancing emotional well-being. That may not be too surprising because, again, I think as a population, we feel like we're stressed out.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. And there's a lot of people talking about that more and more and more. I wouldn't even be shocked if in 2025 that didn't even go up a little bit, if that moved up.

Jim Hill:

Number two, this one's not surprising. About 38% of people are focused on improving finances. Okay.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah.

Jim Hill:

Great. End of year, end of tax year, thinking about the beginning. Let's get a budget. Let's get our finances in order. So it's not too surprising to me. 38% focus a resolution on improving finances.

Holly Wyatt:

And I also wonder if it's because you've just spent a lot of money on the holidays.

Jim Hill:

Well, that could be it, too. It's like, how are you going to pay those bills for the Christmas presents? All right. Coming in at number one, and this actually makes my heart glad that this came in at number one.

Holly Wyatt:

Oh, I know what it's going to be then. I know.

Jim Hill:

It's improving fitness.

Holly Wyatt:

Of course. Your favorite's number one.

Jim Hill:

Nearly 48% of people want to enhance their physical health through more movement, physical activity, exercise. I find this incredibly optimistic. I would not have predicted it. I would have predicted weight loss one, diet two, and fitness coming in maybe four or five. So I love it.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, but when we look at those goals, they really are interconnected, right?

Jim Hill:

Well, they're totally interconnected because one doesn't make sense without the other, really.

Holly Wyatt:

Right, right. I mean, improving fitness can boost your mental health. Managing finances can reduce stress. Eating well can support weight loss. I mean, they all kind of hook together.

Jim Hill

Yeah, none of these are standalone. And sometimes that's when we get into problems is we want to make it about one thing. If I could just eat healthier, everything would be great, I'd lose weight, da-da-da. It doesn't work that way. They're pieces of a puzzle and you've got to fit them together.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. I think it's interesting also to think about these. They really reflect, I think, universal desires around people. You know, we talk about why people want to change. We're always talking about those kind of desires. They want to change, but they want to feel better. And so you can see these things. These are things that you want to physically feel better, mentally feel better, emotionally feel better. You can feel the emotions in these things.

Jim Hill:

Well, I know. And you know, I say all the time, it's not about just the number on the scale or even if it go to finances, the number of dollars in the bank.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah.

Jim Hill:

It's about happiness. It's about creating a life that feels meaningful, and aligned with who you want to be. We often talk about alignment between who you are on the inside and who you are on the outside. That's the power. Numbers on the scale, your diet, your physical activity are just tools, strategies to help you get to that more meaningful life.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. So maybe the real question isn't whether we should make resolutions, but how we can approach them in a way that's meaningful and sustainable to us, right? To you, really, that to me is the power behind it.

Jim Hill:

Perfect. So that's a great segue into what we're going to talk about next. We're going to talk about 10 mistakes people make when setting New Year's resolutions. Now, I only got five on the goals people are setting. You get 10 to talk about on mistakes people make.

Holly Wyatt:

Well, what I thought would be the way to set this up is we could talk about 10 mistakes people make. We can go through that pretty fast because I don't really want, I don't like to talk about the mistakes. And then what I really want us to do is then move to things that people can do to make them stick. You know, the good things that you can do. What can you do? We can move to that.

Jim Hill:

Let's go through these 10 quickly then.

Holly Wyatt:

All right, number one, things that people, mistakes they make is set vague goals. They simply say, I want to lose weight.

Jim Hill:

That's not very actionable, is it?

Holly Wyatt:

One pound? Ten pounds? Oh, I mean, I don't know. I want to exercise more. I hear that all the time. I want to exercise more. And I'm like, well, okay, that's pretty vague. You're not going to know whether you do it or don't do it. It's very hard to make a plan. So I think being clear about what you really want is important.

Jim Hill:

I want to lose a specific amount of weight, or I want to accumulate so much in my bank account next year.

Holly Wyatt:

Yes. So I think being specific. So I think a mistake is setting those vague goals. What about number two on our list, Jim?

Jim Hill:

Well, that's focusing on outcome over process. So again, it's okay to say I want to lose 20 pounds, but that's an outcome. How the heck are you going to do it? Focus on the process. I'm going to change my diet or I'm going to start going to the gym or get some home exercise. The outcome isn't going to happen unless you've also got a way of getting there.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. And I think when you focus on the outcome, you don't enjoy the process. If your goal is the process, then you feel like you're achieving it as you're going and you're not waiting till the end to feel successful. All right, number three, going too big, too fast. And I think we see this in January. So people decide, okay, they have this fitness goal that warms your heart. You're all excited. And they're in the gym for two hours, six days a week. They just jump in and just do so much. They try to maybe overhaul their entire life. And it's just overwhelming, unsustainable. They get sore from doing too much exercise. It's just, it's too big. And, you know, that's hard for me to say, Jim, because I'm a go big or go home person.

Jim Hill:

Yeah. Okay. Number four, it kind of relates to number two, it's lacking an evidence-based plan. So you have a goal, but you have no roadmap to get there. And so you need to look carefully at your roadmaps and get a good one. And we've said over and over, there's no one way to do it. There's no one way to achieve improved health. You've got to have a plan. You've got to have a roadmap and get a one that's backed by some evidence. And there are good ones out there.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. I say a goal without a roadmap is really just a wish, so, you've got to have a plan. Number five, one of my favorites, ignoring your why. Without diving into why you want to achieve this goal, I can almost guarantee you won't achieve the goal. You really have to spend some time. You can't ignore your why. You need to understand the personal reason behind your resolution or your motivation is going to fade really quickly.

Jim Hill:

I like that one. Number six is being too rigid. You know, you got to live your life. Stuff happens. Challenges come up. Barriers come up. You need to be a little bit flexible. If you have a goal that you're not willing to be flexible about, too often you're going to get frustrated and just give up.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, I agree with that one. Number seven mistake people make is relying solely on willpower. Thinking they're just going to use their willpower from day one to get through the whole thing. And we know that doesn't work. You've got to set yourself up so you don't have to use willpower. But I think this is a mistake. People try to just use willpower to hit their goal.

Jim Hill:

You can use it for a while, but it's not a good long-term strategy.

Holly Wyatt:

Exactly.

Jim Hill:

Number eight is a good one, not tracking progress. If you're not measuring your progress, it's hard to stay on track or see improvements. Holly, I think back to one of our national weight control participants. We were asking them why they monitor their weight each day, and she said, “How the heck am I going to know if I'm gaining weight if I don't measure it?” I mean, it's as simple as that. If you've got a behavior you're trying to change, you need to know if it's working or not. So self-monitoring, weight, food intake, physical activity, budgets, whatever, you got to track it.

Holly Wyatt:

I agree. And that also serves you to change course if you need to change course a little bit. Also, I think it's empowering to see small changes happening when they are. So I think there's lots of reasons to track the progress. All right, number nine, another one of my favorites, they tend to go it alone. And I think connecting to other people, we've talked about this so many times, your social connections, using other people for accountability, being involved with other people trying to change, having the same resolution or trying to make behavioral change is so important. So don't go it alone. Hook to some other people. Connect to other people.

Jim Hill:

Yeah, we've talked about broadening your social network. If you're hanging around people that aren't doing the healthy behaviors, change it. Find some people that are doing the healthy behaviors and hang out with them.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, hang out with them.

Jim Hill:

All right, last one. Holly is giving up after a setback. Okay, one misstep doesn't mean failure. Oh, I ate that donut this morning. To heck with it. I'm frustrated. I'm just going to give up. You've got to overcome these missteps. They're going to happen. Nobody's perfect. Doesn't mean you have to give up. Keep at it. Get back on track.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, that's a huge one. All right, let's shift now. This is what I really want to talk about is things that people do that make the resolution stick. What do you need to do now? Let's not make the mistakes, but what are we going to replace those mistakes with? What actions do we need to take? And so let's flip the script and talk about what works.

Jim Hill:

All right. We got 10 of these two. I love it. You know, five things, 10 things. Let's do these 10 things. What's the first one, Holly?

Holly Wyatt:

All right. You could guess this one with me. And every single time people say, I want to set a resolution. I want to set a goal. I want to set. I'm always going to say, back it up because they always say, I'm going to start with what I'm going to eat or what I'm going to do. And I would say, back it up. Start with why you want to change, not what you want to change. Start with the why. Successful goal setters don't just focus on what they want to achieve. They dig into why it matters to them. And so getting into that is going to allow you not only to hit your goal to be successful, but to be able to maintain it. And to me, that's the most important part. Make sure you're setting a good goal that has meaning to you. And to do that, you've got to start with why you want to change something, not just jump into what you want to change.

Jim Hill:

So it fits with all those top five resolutions. Each of them require why you want to do it. Why do you want to be fitter? Why do you want to get your finances in order? And you may say the answer is obvious, but you know, we have realized that when you keep asking yourself why, you get to maybe some deep-rooted things that are going to give you motivation over the long term.

Holly Wyatt:

Well, here's the other thing I do with people. If I can't get them really to an emotional why, if they tell me they want to lose weight, but I keep asking why, why, and they can't really articulate or they don't really have an emotional why they want to do it, I say, you know what, we need to think about changing the goal. That goal may not be the best goal for you because it's not maybe tied to something that's really important to you at that emotional level. So that's why I like to start with this, because if you can't figure out really the strong reason why, you might think about switching the goal, doing something else.

Jim Hill:

Okay, good. Number two, they get excited about it. Change feels a lot more doable when you're genuinely excited about it. Someone comes into you, Holly, and says, oh, yeah, the scale's up. I think I probably should lose some weight. What do you think is going to happen?

Holly Wyatt:

They're not successful. I can guarantee it.

Jim Hill:

Successful people don't frame their resolution as chores or obligations. They see them as opportunities. By focusing on the positive outcomes and visualizing how great they'll feel, They turn resolutions into something to look forward to. If you're going to set a resolution, make sure it's something they can really get excited about.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. And when I'm doing classes or working with someone one-on-one, this is one of the things I work the most on. I want to feel that excitement. I want you to get up and be excited about what you're going to do that day. I want you to feel that possibility. That is powerful. That is the energy that's going to drive you through January, into February, into March. So people say, “Ah, this isn't important. You don't have to be excited about it.” I would say, yes, you do have to be excited about it. And why would you want to set a resolution and spend time on something that you're not excited about? I just, I don't get that, actually.

Jim Hill:

Plenty of things to change. So find the one that excites you to get started on.

Holly Wyatt:

All right. So another one that's about your mind that I think is really important, this is what you need to do, is you've got to believe it's possible. So not only do you've got to be excited, now you've got to think, I can do it. Believe in it. Mind state is so important. Those who believe that they can succeed, guess what, are more likely to succeed. They remind themselves that it is achievable. They stick with it longer. They see opportunities. They're better able to problem solve. I do think the mind is way more powerful than we give it credit for. And believing it's possible is really important. If you think, I'm going to set this goal, I'm going to lose some weight, but I probably won't lose the weight. It'll be hard. I won't probably be successful. I'll try it again. But you know, my metabolism is stuck and it's really, and I'm in menopause and you talk about all the reasons that you probably won't. I'm not betting on you in Vegas, Jim. There's no way.

Jim Hill:

Yeah. You always tell people, don't think about what if it doesn't work? Think about what if it does work?

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah.

Jim Hill:

Different way of thinking.

Holly Wyatt:

Definitely.

Jim Hill:

Okay, number four, and this one I think is critically important. Find an evidence-based plan. Find a plan for which there's some evidence that it's going to work. Rather than guessing or jumping on the latest fad, successful people use approaches backed by science and proven results. In this area of health and wellness, there is so much research out there. Whether it's a structured fitness plan, a mindful eating strategy, or a time-tested method for building habits, successful people choose tools and techniques they can trust to deliver results. Use science. Look at what we know works.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, and I think this goes with there's not just one way, but find the plan that has some science.

Jim Hill:

We talk about diets all the time. There's no best diet. It depends. There are plenty of choices out there.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, but don't just do something that has no evidence behind it. So do come up with a plan, and you do need to have a plan. You can't just believe it's going to work and then not put a plan in place, but use a plan that has some evidence and find a plan. So I do think that's just as important as all the mindset stuff we just talked about, believing and getting excited. So it's when you couple the two together that you get the big bang for your buck.

All right. Number five, things that people do right when they make a resolution. They prepare and expect curveballs. So we were just talking about how people sometimes get off if something goes wrong, right? They give up. People who are successful, they actually say, I know it won't be perfect. I know I'm going to make a mistake. I know that life is going to throw me some events that I can't foresee that could trip me up. But I'm going to know from the very beginning that that's going to happen and I'm not going to let them trip me up. I know there's going to be, I'm going to get injured or I might get sick or there might be a family issue, but I'm going to push through them. You know, unexpected setbacks and dips in my motivation. I'm going to expect those and I'm going to recognize them. And when I see them, I'm going to say, I knew this was coming, but I'm going to push through it and I'm going to build or raise my resiliency so that I can get through it. Being aware and expecting it, I think, is helpful for making the resolution stick.

Jim Hill:

Yeah, I think a lot of people go into it and they're shocked when things get tough. And I think half the battle is knowing it's not if curveballs are going to come your way, it's when. No way are you going to get through clean with no problems. When life is great and there are no challenges, we're fine. But so often, one thing comes up and boom, we weren't anticipating. It throws us for a loop and we just say, to heck with it, I'm going to give up on everything.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. Versus this way, almost when you see it, you recognize and say, this is what I knew would happen. I didn't know this exact thing would happen, but I knew a curveball would happen, right? I knew something would come up. I can choose to let this derail me or I can move through it and recognize this as part of the process.

Jim Hill:

So when people do this, do they get better at it? After you hit a couple of curveballs, do you get better and more confident that you can do that over time?

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, it's a skill. So after you use the skill a couple times, you're like, yeah, I know what to do and I get better. We talk about being a curveball hitter. It's definitely a skill that you can develop.

Jim Hill:

So you can get up at the plate and say, I hope I get a curveball because I'm ready to hit it.

Holly Wyatt:

Well, I haven't gotten to that point yet because I don't ask the universe, please send me curveball.

Jim Hill:

So you're not hoping you get a curveball, but you're saying if I get it, I can handle it.

Holly Wyatt:

Yes, I'm getting it. You know what? I know some curveballs are coming. I'm not going to wait for life to pitch straight because it's not. It will. It's not always going to pitch straight.

Jim Hill:

But in the baseball analogy, and I love it that you're doing sports analogies, you're making progress here. You know, there are hitters that, boy, when they get fastballs, they can hit the thing out of there. Fantastic. But give them a curveball and they're just hopeless. And many, many great baseball players have failed because they could hit The fastball is like crazy, but couldn't hit the curveballs. So you got to be a curveball hitter.

Holly Wyatt:

That's right. That's what you need to make resolutions stick. Hit the curveballs.

Jim Hill:

All right. Number six, another good one. Find a community. We talked about people make a mistake by trying to go it alone. What we're talking about are some lifelong changes here. All of these resolutions, whether it's diet, physical activity, weight loss, finances, If you try to do it alone, it's going to be much harder. Successful people seek out support systems. That can be many things. It can be a workout buddy. It can be a fitness coach. It can be an online group. It can be joining a volleyball league or pickleball. That's the hot new thing there. Being part of community provides encouragement, accountability, and inspiration to keep going, especially on tough days. At the end of the day, Holly, it's more fun if you do this with a group who has the same goals as you do.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. I believe this is one of the most important things, especially if you want to continue past the couple weeks in January. Whatever you're trying to change, find other people who are wanting to change it too. If you're wanting to change your fitness, then find people who are working on that fitness. If you're wanting to lose weight, find people who are trying to lose weight. If you're wanting to change your finances, find people that are trying to do that. I believe that's so important to the point when I make a resolution or set a goal, I specifically do that. I think, huh, if I'm trying to run faster, I'm like, can I find a running group to start running with? You know, very specific. That's how important I think that one is.

Jim Hill:

Okay, what's next?

Holly Wyatt:

Next is they add routines. New routines that help make that easier. People who stick with the resolutions build daily or weekly routines that make their goals more automatic, make them easier. So if you're trying to work out every morning, you start to make the routine, for instance, to put out your workout clothes the night before. Or a new routine, if you're working on your diet, meal prepping on Sundays. Something that can make the bigger behavior, we've talked about this so many times, easier by creating new little routines to support it.

Jim Hill:

Most of our behavior is automatic. We don't think about it. We have these patterns, boom. They just go. Examples are you get to work and you don't think about how you got here. You got here, you got here safely because you had a habit of driving to work. Or the fact you say, gosh, I can't remember if I brushed my teeth this morning or not. Probably did because it's an automatic habit. And we know that those are necessary. We talk about, Holly, some analogies of thinking of a habit as a path through the forest. You've got a thick forest and there are paths and you decide that you don't want to go where the path goes. So you got to create a new path. And so you got to do two things. You got to let the other one grow over so you're not going there anymore. But you've got to create a new one. And it's not easy to create it and you have to work to create it to bushwhack or whatever. But then once you get the new path, there you go. You're following it and it becomes automatic.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. So in one way, you got to add new ones, but in some ways you may have to stop some of the ones you've been doing before.

Jim Hill:

Absolutely. Let the older ones grow over because it's too tempting to go back down that path you know very well.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. So if you have a routine that's not, you may have to stop some of them and then add the new ones. I like that. I like that.

Jim Hill:

Exactly. This is a real key to behavior change. If you have to think about it every time you do it, you're not going to do it. Put it on automatic. Make it a habit. Make it a ritual. Make it a routine. Very important. All right, Holly, number eight, people who are successful change their environment. Your environment can either help or sabotage your goals. Successful people set themselves up for successes by tweaking their surroundings, stocking the fridge with healthy options, placing reminders of their goals where they'll see them, or removing temptations. For example, you say, boy, I want to stop eating so many sweets, but you still stock your cupboard with cookies. and you say, yeah, I'm just not going to eat them. I mean, come on. If they're there, you're going to eat them. It's much easier not to put them there in the first place. This sounds like it's no big deal, but it is a huge deal. Usually, like, say, late at night when you get hungry, very few people are going to get in the car and go out. You're going to look at what you've got in the cupboard. And the idea, if you've got things, it may not be the healthiest things, but there are things that you said, these are acceptable as snacks. You're going to eat what's there. You've got to know what's your physical activity environment. If you want to walk more, are there places around your house to walk? Is there a gym nearby? Is there a rec center? You've got to look at your physical environment, just like we talked before about your social environment.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. Well, I think this one kind of goes with the routines. It's your routines and your environment. You're wanting to change something. You're wanting to lose weight, change your fitness, whatever. You need to make new routines and a new environment that's going to support it. I always say your routines and your environment creating your lifestyle, be that your body weight, be that your what you eat, be that how much you move, they're creating it, they're helping you, they're supporting it. You want to make a change, you got to change those to match what you're wanting to create. So I think that's critical. And I sometimes tell people, especially at the beginning of the year, just change something in your environment that reminds you you want to change, that this year is different.

Just do something different so you can remember, oh, yeah, this year I'm going to be different. This year this is important to me. This year I'm going to be and do something differently. That can be helpful, just to change something that reminds you of that.

Jim Hill:

Yup. Number nine.

Holly Wyatt:

Number nine. People who are successful have fun from day number one. And this is a big one because I think so many times people are like, all right, I'm going to suck it up and I'm going to suffer and I'm going to get through it. And then in April or in May, when I hit my goal, then I'm going to celebrate and I'm going to have fun. And that I think doesn't work. The idea is from day number one, can the process be fun, not just the outcome? So really thinking about how you can make the behaviors that you're doing fun and incorporating on them into your life. What do you get to do instead of what do you have to do? So people who are successful, I think, incorporate that fun. Think of it as fun from the very beginning instead of waiting to the very end.

Jim Hill:

So I'm changing, Holly, in the ongoing effort to get Dr. Jim to stop saying things are hard, I'm beginning to understand the process can be rewarding right from day one. Yes, you might have to change your diet. You might have to maybe even be a little hungry at times, but it can be interesting and growth promoting. And that's the way to think of it much more than hard. So see, Holly, I'm beginning to come around.

Holly Wyatt:

Oh my gosh, you're learning, Jim. It's amazing.

Jim Hill:

I'm learning. And that brings us to the last one, Holly. They learn as they go or learn as they do, you know? You aren't going to get this right off the bat. It's not about getting it perfect. It's about progress. And one of the things we've seen in the many people we work with, they get better and better and better over time. It's like hitting curveballs. Once you've hit one or two, you get better at doing it. You don't start off being great at it right away. So resolutions aren't about perfection right away. They're about progress. Those who succeed view missteps as opportunities to learn and adapt. So rather than say, “Oh man, I went off my diet plan and ate x, y, and z.” Say, “Okay, I've learned. There are times when I'm really tempted here and I'm not going to put myself in that situation again.” So instead of giving up when something doesn't work, they reflect, they adjust, and they keep moving. This growth mindset helps them stay the course no matter what challenges arise. I think this, Holly, may be one of the real keys to success is recognizing that you are going to get better and you need to get better in order to maintain your new lifestyle and your new life.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, I always say no regrets. You don't have to regret anything, anything that you did or didn't do or how it happened, you can use that as a learning opportunity. And that feels different and gives you that energy to move forward. You can use anything to move forward.

Jim Hill:

Okay, 10. 10 great things that successful people do, Holly. So we went over what people get wrong, but we really emphasize if you want to succeed at your resolution, 10 things that you can do to help ensure that you're going to succeed. You want to take a couple of listener questions?

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah, let's take a couple. Let's see. Here's one we get a lot, kind of typical. I'll give this one to you, Jim. I always start strong in January, but I lose steam by February. How can I keep my motivation going all year?

Jim Hill:

Oh, that's a good one. And again, what we've talked about is the timeline here. Don't think of it as temporary. Don't think of it, I'm going to start in January. I'm going to go all out. But by February, you've lost interest. And part of that is thinking of it to start with. You know, it's back to a healthy mindset of understanding this is a long-term goal. The key to focus on is creating new habits. Again, you're bushwhacking through the forest. That isn't easy to start with. It takes a lot of effort. You got to think about it. But once you get those paths, those routines made, then it's going to be much, much easier. So look at it as a long-term process. If you're going to lose weight, for example, don't think of it as a three-month or a six-month process. Think of it as a multi-year process, a forever kind of process. You're going to get better as you go, but if you start out thinking, I'm going to do really hard, I'll do anything in January, you're probably going to fail. You really need to expect a long-term process. And it's important that you visit your Why every now and then. Because you can find a lot of ways to get short-term reinforcement, short-term motivation. But knowing your deep why is that long-term motivation that's going to get you through some of those challenges that arise.

Holly Wyatt:

And that's why I say you've got to focus on the why from the very beginning. Don't set a goal that you don't have a strong emotional why for. And it's for this exact reason, so that you can revisit that and use that to pull you through January, February, into March. If you haven't worked on that, then you don't have that. And it's going to be hard sometimes to, you'll get stuck. You won't be able to move through. But if you spent some time on it and you are able to revisit it, then that can be the energy you need, the motivation you need to make things stick, to move past January.

Jim Hill:

Okay. One more quick one, Holly. Should I keep my resolution private or share it with others?

Holly Wyatt:

Ooh, what a good one. And I think that depends on what works for you. I think some people thrive on accountability and putting it out there kind of helps with that piece if you know you've put it out there. And others may feel a lot of pressure from that. I tend to think sharing it with someone is okay, how much you put it out there. But telling someone I think makes it a little bit more real. So I tend to go on, you know, to say, share it a little bit, but you can be specific about who you share it with. You don't have to go out on social media and do it. But I do think it can be helpful. And even more than maybe that kind of sharing it for accountability, I do think finding a community and connecting in that way is important. So I would suggest doing that, whether or not you share it from an accountability standpoint or not. Want to do some vulnerability questions?

Jim Hill:

Yes, let's do some vulnerability questions.

Holly Wyatt:

All right. For you, as a wellness expert, that's what I'll call you, Jim. You're a wellness expert. Do you ever feel pressure to live up to the advice that you give during the new year?

Jim Hill:

So the short answer is, yes, I do. But you have to be careful how you do that. So a great example is people in the grocery store judging someone else's grocery cart, right? So I might go to the checkout and I might have some Oreo cookies or something. And people are saying, oh, you're a wellness expert. How can you do that? Well, number one, you may have known that I worked out for an hour before I went to the grocery store. It's hard to look at one behavior and judge someone. I definitely try to live up to our advice, Holly, because I believe it's the way to live a healthier, happy life. And some of that's harder for me than others. But yeah, I do feel like I need to be an example to others. If I'm telling people to go out and exercise, I want to be able to say, guys, I exercise an hour every day. I hardly ever miss a day. So, I want to be a role model but I don't judge people for what's in their grocery cart or the fact that they missed a day of exercise. It's the long-term behavior your pattern that's important.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. But it sounds like maybe you feel a little of the pressure. I mean, let's be honest. I've had things in my grocery cart before and people look in and I'm like, you know, I felt the need to explain.

Jim Hill:

It's like if people see you in the chip aisle, they should write into the program and let us know.

Holly Wyatt:

I know. I was like, oh my gosh. Yeah. So Holly's got three bags of chips in her cart. What's going on?

Jim Hill:

All right, Holly.

Holly Wyatt:

Yes.

Jim Hill:

Do you make New Year's resolutions?

Holly Wyatt:

I make goals or set intentions all the time. And like I said, I love the blank page of a new intention. So I do love the beginning of the year. I definitely set intentions for the next year. But I also set intentions almost every morning. When I open my journal, when I do my morning ritual, it's a blank page. I love that feeling. What do I want to happen today? But the beginning of the year, yeah, I say, where do I want my life to go? What do I want to create? What can I get excited about? Absolutely.

Jim Hill:

So to sort of summarize, resolutions can be powerful tools for growth, but their success depends on approaching them with intent, purpose, and a plan.

Holly Wyatt:

Exactly, Jim. This year, focus on creating resolutions that matter to you. Ones you can get excited about, ones that inspire you, ones that align with the life that you want to build. Don't set a goal or a New Year's resolution because that's what other people want or that's what society tells you you should do. Those never work. They're exciting when you figure out what you really want and you can have the ability to move toward that.

Jim Hill:

Yeah. And we'd love to hear your goals and what strategies have worked for you. So send us your stories and questions at hello@weightlossand.com. Let's make 2025 the year you achieve meaningful and lasting change.

Holly Wyatt:

Yeah. Thanks for spending time with us and we will be here in 2025 and I can't wait to see all the things that you create. Keep moving forward, stay inspired, and we will see you soon.

Jim Hill:

See you soon. Bye.

Holly Wyatt:

Bye, everybody.

Jim Hill:

And that's a wrap for today's episode of Weight Loss And. We hope you enjoy diving into the world of weight loss with us.

Holly Wyatt:

If you want to stay connected and continue exploring the “Ands” of weight loss, be sure to follow our podcast on your favorite platform.

Jim Hill:

We'd also love to hear from you. Share your thoughts, questions, or topic suggestions by reaching out at [weightlossand.com](http://weightlossand.com/). Your feedback helps us tailor future episodes to your needs.

Holly Wyatt:

And remember, the journey doesn't end here. Keep applying the knowledge and strategies you've learned and embrace the power of the “And” in your own weight loss journey.