What makes some people keep their New Year’s Resolutions and not others? Success depends on several things. First as obvious as it seems, you need to state your goals either in writing or to someone. Goals that are not verbalized are rarely realized.

Secondly, your goal should be realistic and measurable. So instead of saying you’re going to lose 35# in 6 months say instead that you will keep a food journal of EVERYTHING that you eat for 2 weeks. Grazing on handfuls of food in between meals quickly adds up calories. Once your patterns emerge, it’s easier to determine what you should change. For example if you tend to race out of the house without eating breakfast then find yourself mid-morning really hungry and reaching for donuts, determine that you’ll get up 30 minutes earlier and commit to eating a breakfast that has some protein.

Set your weight loss goal for 1.5#/wk. Commit to chewing your food more slowly and thoroughly because there is a lag time between the stomach and when the brain senses satiety. Eating slowly enables the brain and stomach to be more in synch.

Instead of saying that you’re going to join a gym or you’re going to work out this year, say that you will do a brisk walk for 30 minutes Monday, Wednesday and Friday immediately after work.

Finally, develop a buddy system. It doesn’t mean that your buddy needs to participate in the same activity as you but that you call each other once a week to encourage each other to stick to your goals.

For some other tips on keeping resolutions, read, “New Year’s Resolutions: It’s Almost Time” or listen to this podcast on “How to Make New Year’s Resolutions Stick” on NPR.