Serving the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire of Georgia and South Carolina.

Making Healthy New Year's Resolutions You Will Actually Keep

Monday, December 19, 2016

If you make, then break, healthy New Year’s resolutions every year, you are not alone. Forty-five percent of people in the United States usually make New Year’s resolutions, according to Statistics Brain, but only eight percent successfully achieve their resolution.

Two of the top five New Year’s resolutions are health-related, with ‘losing weight’ at number one and ‘staying fit and healthy’ at number five. ‘Quit smoking’ rounds out the list at number seven.

“We see a lot of patients asking questions about improving their overall health through lifestyle changes this time of year,” said SouthCoast Health physician Dr. Regina B. Dandy. “It’s really a great thing that so many people take the New Year mark as a time to think about their overall wellness and what they can do to improve, but the tricky part is actually changing your personal health habits.”

People do not fail to reach their goals because they lack discipline – many people stop short because they set unreasonable goals, or they fail to plan for the inevitable inconvenience or discomfort involved. Fortunately, you can take steps to succeed in setting and reaching your resolutions this New Year.

How to Succeed at Your Healthy New Year’s Resolutions:

  • Seek guidance from a nutritionist, personal trainer, doctor or other healthcare professional. A nutritionist can help you develop a healthy eating plan, while a primary care physician can give you tips on how to lower your blood pressure or cholesterol. A personal trainer can help you integrate these professional strategies into your life in ways that optimize your chances of success.
  • Create a list of questions during your professional consultations. Ask specific questions, such as “How much weight can I safely lose each week?” or “How much exercise should I get each week to reach my goals?”
  • Set reachable goals with reasonable timelines for each goal to avoid inevitable failures that tempt you to quit.
  • Create a doable, healthy plan to achieve those goals. Avoid crash diets and extreme exercise programs, as they are often too intense to be sustainable long enough to see any real results. In other words, they leave you too hungry and tired to stay in the program.
  • Allow yourself room to fail – just adjust accordingly. If you give into temptation and eat a piece of pie at lunch, for example, simply consume smaller portions at dinner or take a walk around the block. Don’t let the small setbacks derail your overall plan!

Improve your health this year by setting reasonable New Year’s resolutions and planning the right steps to achieve those goals. SouthCoast Health offers a wide array of services that can help you get there, including primary care physicians, nutritionists, physical therapists, diabetic counseling services, and much more.


Whether you are looking for a primary care doctor or a pediatrician, or another medical specialist, SouthCoast Health has you covered with its wide range of world-class healthcare services, available throughout the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry. SouthCoast Health has 120 physicians and medical professionals in 18 locations in Savannah, Richmond Hill, Pooler, Rincon, Baxley, Hilton Head, Hinesville, and Statesboro. SouthCoast Health offers comprehensive medical services including: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Allergy and Asthma, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Eye Care, Imaging, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Neurology, Physical Therapy, Podiatry, Sleep Medicine, Surgery, Clinical Trial Research Studies, Diabetic Self-Management Training Sessions, Dietetic Counseling, Laboratory Services, Massage Therapy, Optical Shop, Pharmacy, and Urgent Care.

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