It was reportedly Albert Einstein who defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.  How many of us do this with resolutions?  We make the same list over an over (OK this year probably has something new about spending less money) and never accomplish anything on it.  Statistically, by Feb 15, 90% of us will have fallen back to our old habits.

So if getting healthy or losing weight are on your list this year, here’s how to make it stick:

1. Change your mindset.  You have to plan to eat differently and to keep exercising the whole rest of your life.  This isn’t about a diet; diets don’t work except in the short run.  Yes you can lose weight but as soon as you stop dieting, you pack on more than you lost.  Diets are unsustainable.  What you really have to do is change your relationship with food.  Food gives you the energy to do what you want in your life - it nurtures you.  Many regular dieters have an adversarial relationship with food.  You have to learn that you eat when you aren’t hungry and why.  Most of us eat when we’re bored, angry, lonely, hurt or happy rather than just when we’re hungry.  Figure out your triggers and deal directly with them - stop using food as medication or therapy.  And add in exercise.  You can’t be healthy just be eating right or just by exercising.  You have to do both.

2.  Develop a specific plan.  The old adage “fail to plan; plan to fail” is at work here.  Psychologists have documents that people who set very specific and measurable goals are much more likely to succeed.  So a plan that says “I’m going to lose 20 lbs in the next 2 years by eating at least 5 servings of vegetables, 1500 calories and 25 grams of fiber every day” is going to help you much more than simply thinking “I need to lose 20 lbs.”  When you plan your exercise, make sure to schedule it on your calendar just like any other appointment.  Again, “I will spend 1 hour at the gym every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 pm” is a much better plan than “I need more exercise.”  Make sure your plan includes getting support from loved ones and friends, and make your goals public - you are less likely to fold if you’ve told everyone you’re going to do it - and how.

3. Track your progress and results.  Weigh and measure yourself once a week.  At first you might find you will gain weight, especially if you are lifting weights at a gym.  That’s OK as muscle really does weigh more than fat - but you’ll probably also find you’ve lost inches at the same time.  Write down everything you eat every day.  There are lots of great ways to track your calories intake on line.  Here are a couple I recommend:  www.sparkpeople.com; www.livestrong.com(Lance Armstrong’s Foundation).  Both have very good databases of foods plus you can add in your own if they aren’t available yet.  That way you don’t have to check the calorie counts and nutritional value of everything you eat.  Both of these programs also let you track your exercise at the same time.  There are also a few smart phone  apps that have been well reviewed: LoseIt! (free for iPhone); Calorie Counter (free for Android and Blackberry); and Livestrong’s Calorie Tracker ($3 for iPhone, Andriod or Blackberry).  This kind of tracking will let you make adjustments as you go along.

So that’s it: understand that you need to make changes for the rest of your life, make a plan, measure and track your progress toward your goals.  Sounds easy, right?  If only.

Good luck making 2010 your healthiest year yet!  Let me know how you are doing.