(KAIR)--For many people, setting a New Years resolution is a yearly ritual, a chance to set goals and improve areas of their life they see as needing improvement. A lot of the time however, these goals can be abandoned before the calendar page turns to February, but why do so many people find it so hard to keep their resolutions? K-State Research and Extension nutrition specialist Sandy Procter says the best thing you can do is to take smaller steps. Instead of making a large number of resolutions in January, try making a change a month and building on that, seeing if you can stick with it for thirty days.
If cutting your caloric intake is one of your resolutions, Proctor suggests that putting down the television remote, can lower the amount of food you eat. When you are watching television while eating, your attention is most likely on the show you are watching and now what you are consuming. So by focusing only on your meal, you are more conscientious of what you are putting into your body.

During the winter months, it can be difficult to get out and get exercise, so you can make your housework a bit more difficult so you can get the exercise you need. You can do things such as making multiple trips upstairs to put things away or downstairs to do laundry. Those few extra steps can really make a difference.

Finally, Proctor says that you should not get discouraged if you do not accomplish your goals quickly. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You want to continue to try and make positive changes, but don't try to make them all at once.

For more information on eating healthy and becoming more physically active, you can go to the K-State Extension website at www.ksre.ksu.edu.