Ask Dr. Tariq: New Year’s Resolutions

Dr-TariqIt’s that time of the year again. You have decided to lose the extra 10 lbs you are carrying around or you want to get organized. Maybe you want to spend less and save move. I know I do. I have had New Year resolutions since I was 21 and to be honest I have failed almost every time.

With so many of us making these resolutions and almost all of us failing, there has to be a better way. We all have good intentions and are doing it for the right reason, be it our health or families. A recent University of Scranton study shows that only 8% of people actually end up achieving our goals. How do we break this trend?

Keep the list simple and short. If you are trying to lose the weight, quit smoking, and work out all at once, that will be too much to handle and can be psychologically daunting. You will invariably fail. Have small goals that are broken throughout the year.

Make the goals realistic. Setting a goal of losing 20 pounds is excellent, but you are setting yourself up for failure. Instead, follow a plan to stop buying snacks from the vending machine or bring healthy snacks from home. Maybe start parking at the furthest end of the parking lot versus joining a gym and plan on running the marathon this summer.

Share your goal. Let your friends, family, and co workers know your goal. Start a blog or a group at work.

Believe in yourself. The first step is setting the goal. You still have a better chance of succeeding versus someone who has not set goals. More than half of us will fall off the goal within 2 months. Set reminders on why you set these goals. Get back on track because it is never too late to eat healthier or quit smoking.

Best of wishes for a healthy and productive year.

Dr. Tariq is a Board Certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist. He specializes in non surgical orthopedic care and pain management and works for Integrated Rehab Consultatns based out of Chicago. Originally from Naperville, IL, he earned his undergraduate degree with honors at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and obtained his medical degree at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Upon graduating from medical school, Dr. Tariq joined the Department of Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital Chicago as an intern and went on to complete a three year residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton, Illinois. He has an additional six months of training in Pain and Musculoskeletal Medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Tariq sees patients at Avalon Springs Health Campus in Valpariso and Spring Mill Health Campus in Merrillville. He works as a consultant to assist with the needs of patients undergoing sub-acute rehabilitation. He is actively involved with patients undergoing rehabilitation to provide the best possible care and improve quality of care.