Pediatrician Offers a Simple Way to Keep New Year's Resolutions and Create Healthy Habits One Month at a Time

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Dr. Marta Katalenas / Pediatric Center of Round Rock

Dec 26, 2013, 08:00 ET

Austin, TX (PRWEB) December 26, 2013 -- According to the University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45% of American make New Year’s Resolutions and losing weight is the #1 thing people want to accomplish in the new year, but only 8% actually keep their new year goals.

Dr. Marta Katalenas, an Austin, TX pediatrician thinks she knows why and offers a new way to think about making changes for your family’s health in the new year.

“Keeping resolutions are hard because we often are not specific about our goals. We say we want to lose weight in the new year, but not how we plan to accomplish that” says Dr. Katalenas. In an effort to help families reach attainable goals and have a plan they can work on all year long, she has created a list of goals that families can focus on every month. By the end of 2014, families should feel better, get better sleep, and improve focus at school and work."

JANUARY
Eat a piece of fruit every day with breakfast.
FEBRUARY
Jump rope for 10 minutes each morning.
MARCH
Don’t buy or drink sodas or sugary drinks.
APRIL
Walk around the block for 15 minutes every day.
MAY
Cook dinner at home every night.
JUNE
Eat a piece of fruit as an afternoon snack.
JULY
Eat only at meal time:.
AUGUST
Trade your regular meal plate for a salad-sized one.
SEPTEMBER
Visit a different park every weekend.
OCTOBER
Incorporate vegetables into every lunch and dinner.
NOVEMBER
Eat fish once a week.
DECEMBER
Pick one day of the week and make it your “vegetarian day.”

Dr. Katalenas shares more about how to accomplish these goals in the new year at http://www.DrKatalenas.com, where a printable flyer is available for download that she encourages parents to post on their refrigerator, helping families keep on track in the new year.

About Dr. Katalenas
Dr. Marta Katalenas is a board certified pediatrician and owner of the Pediatric Center of Round Rock. She is a public speaker and author of the book "The Step Up Diet: From Scratch… The Quality, Quantity, and Timing Solution to Childhood Obesity", a guide to healthy cooking and eating for busy families.

Melissa Shea, Dr. Marta Katalenas / Pediatric Center of Round Rock, http://www.drkatalenas.com/, +1 (512) 799-0217, [email protected]