On January 1, many of us resolve to change our habits. We vow to move more, sit less, eat better, lose weight, spend wisely, call our mothers, or start a new hobby.
Setting New Year’s resolutions can be a valuable exercise: research shows that the act of making them increases the likelihood of achieving change.
Whatever your goals are for the new year, here are three stories of 23andMe customers who made positive changes in their lives to inspire and motivate.
A Family Gets Healthy, with Some Help from Mom
Corie Allessie, a retired dental assistant and former Navy jet mechanic, has a few essential rules for healthy living.Never, ever eat in front of the television. Get up and get moving (winter is not an excuse). Prepare healthy food – especially vegetables – ahead of time. Minimize eating out. Walk whenever you can (her preferred walking partner is her 170-pound Saint Bernard, Pete). And keep yourself accountable by writing in a journal or sharing your goals with a friend or family member.
From Meat and Potatoes to Chicken and Fish
Erick Rodriguez, a professional Jiu-Jitsu athlete in the Army reserves, grew up in the Midwest and never thought much about his diet. But the self-proclaimed “meat and potatoes guy” overhauled his lifestyle after learning he was at an increased likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
Making the Change
Kim Gugliotta fills her plate with healthy foods like legumes, vegetables, chicken, fish, and tofu. She walks for at least 30 minutes a day. And she’s a regular on the pickleball courts of Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.
But Kim wasn’t always so health conscious. Just a few years ago, she would have opted for “steak and cheeseburgers” and would have been tempted to skip her daily walk.
