Resolve to see resolutions through

• Reprints

Updated: May 24, 2011 5:06AM

Just because you’ve procrastinated nearly two months on your New Year’s resolutions — remember, you were going to get in better shape, eat healthier, stop smoking, and, whoops, not procrastinate — doesn’t mean you can’t still accomplish your 2011 goals.

“It’s never too late” is the message from experts on fitness, nutrition and diet, and smoking cessation. Even if you started to tackle your resolutions and stopped once the change became too difficult, the experts agree there’s nothing magical about Jan. 1 for bettering yourself.

“Overall health doesn’t have anything to do with a calendar — losing two months of 2011 is absolutely no excuse for giving up on the entire year,” says Chicago fitness expert Cathy Adolph before asking procrastinators, “If now’s not the time, when is the time?”

And don’t despair — you have plenty of company in your lack of follow-through. “Statistics show that more than 50 percent of people ditch their resolutions after the first month,” says Dana Joy Altman, founder/leader of the Chicago dance club Dance It Off!

“When that many people fail to keep their resolutions, that tells me there’s nothing wrong with the people making them, but [rather] with the resolutions themselves. Resolutions are inherently rigid. I think people tend to feel they are ‘good’ for keeping them and ‘bad’ if they break them. It can be punishing and an easy way to set yourself up to fail,” Altman continues.

“I think you have to allow yourself the time to change at your own pace — a pace that’s authentic to you. That’s been the most valuable lesson I’ve learned. This idea of forcing something new on yourself — something that you have to do everyday — can be overwhelming and, for the most part, unrealistic,” says Altman, a fan of Barbara Sher’s book Live the Life You Love.

Creating accountability and a support system — whether that means grabbing a friend for walking or working out in a gym, checking in with a trainer, dietitian or medical doctor, or joining a support group to help you overcome smoking or other addictions — are vital to success, according to Adolph, fitness and wellness manager at East Bank Club; registered dietitian Brooke Schantz of Loyola University Health System, and registered nurse Carol Southard, tobacco treatment specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

“Excuses don’t work as well if you commit to someone and give someone permission to hold you accountable,” Adolph notes. “It’s time to grab an exercise partner, meet with an expert who can design a customized plan for you, overcome your intimidation of a gym — believe me, everyone is intimidated — and be accountable to someone. Simply put, just do it.”

For those procrastinating on eating healthier, Schantz recommends meeting with a dietitian and doctor to determine a healthy eating plan based on their medical history, becoming accountable to someone, and finding a walking partner.

“If you’re still making excuses, you’re really not ready. There are no good excuses for not working on your health, but you have to reach the point to say, ‘Now I’m ready.’ You have to be able to answer ‘yes’ to the question I always ask: ‘Are you worth it?’ It’s never too late to start practicing a healthier lifestyle. Practice makes perfect,” says Schantz.

Smoking cessation expert Southard, who says most smokers make 11 serious attempts before quitting their addiction, is adamant that smokers seek expert help rather than trying to quit on their own.

“Those who attain success not only realize that they can ask for help, they realize they should ask for help,” adds Southard, who runs weekly smoking cessation support groups at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and is available by phone to her clients 24/7.

“Quitting smoking is not about willpower — instead, it’s about learning how to quit, and, unless you have the tools, quitting won’t be permanent,” explains Southard, who stresses the importance of the smoker making the decision to quit. “Then it’s your decision — and quitting’s not something you’re doing to yourself, but something you’re doing for yourself.”

To help achieve changes she chooses for her life, Dana Altman says, “I found what works best for me is to sit in silence away from the phone and computer for at least 10 minutes a day and just breathe. This practice helps me re-group, get in touch with how I feel in the moment, and get clear on what I want and need to do next.”

The best news? Any progress on life improvement is better than no progress, the experts agree.

Sandy Thorn Clark is a local free-lance writer.