The same old New Year’s resolutions require little effort to make, but it’s time to kick those habits in order to make the New Year successful. Many use the New Year to get a jumpstart on a healthier lifestyle, especially after the holiday season.

Lauren Wright, a sophomore in education, said, “Focusing on nutrition and exercise is a very popular resolution because students have been on holiday break, which includes lots of home cooking and sweets.”

Now that the holidays are over, it is the perfect time to get back on track. “With the holidays’ famous goodies put away, focusing on nutrition is a much needed thing,” says Wright. Knowing the resources that N.C. State has to offer will make New Year resolutions not a measly two-week change, but one you can keep.

The University Dining website provides nutrition facts for every food item on campus and for student eateries in the area. One feature on the website is “What Pizza Really Delivers.” This compares one slice of pizza to Quarter Pounders, Big Macs and other fast food meals.

N.C. State’s dietitian Lisa Eberhart said, “Go online and look up your favorite fast food meals. Sometimes the nutrition information is shocking. For instance, a chicken quesadilla at Moe’s without the side of chips and a drink is almost 800 calories.”

Beverages also have a heavy impact on a person’s diet. University Health Promotion states that a 12 oz. beer ranges from 145-150 calories, which means a six-pack of beer can contain up to 900 calories.

“A good way to lose weight is to limit your alcohol intake since it always stores as body fat,” Eberhart said. Other suggestions include walking to classes, getting off the bus a stop early, taking the stairs and drinking more water. If students have questions, N.C. State has an “Ask Our Dietitian” website where they can email Eberhart and receive a response within one to two days.

To further increase physical activity and overall health, The Carmichael Recreation Center has over 10,000 square feet of cardio and weight training equipment. For students interested in group activities, Campus Recreation offers 51 club sports and 17 group fitness classes ranging from Zumba, an aerobic workout with the Salsa and other dances, to stomach toning in Ab Solutions. The classes are offered for free by the University, Sunday through Friday.

The Carmichael Gymnasium also provides ways for students to stay active with handball/racquet ball, an indoor track, a rock-climbing wall, squash, table tennis, basketball and swimming. Afterwards, the steam and sauna rooms are available for relaxation.

Instead of being active inside, N.C. State’s Outdoor Adventures has equipment to rent for reasonable prices and suggestions on places to travel. Their recommendations include state parks, lakes, and beaches located in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee, along with activities to do there.

If time is an issue, there are plenty of outdoor activities nearby. A 9-hole disc golf course and the 18-hole Lonnie Poole Golf Course, located on Centennial campus, offer a fun exercise option. On main campus, students can run on the Paul Derr Track and Miller Fields. Trails and scenery are located not far from campus. Lake Johnson has paved and unpaved trails three miles from the University off of Avent Ferry Road.

Even with resources available today to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, many fail to keep their resolutions. David Fitzgerald, a senior in mechanical engineering, said, “I made a resolution in November and have stuck with it ever since. A New Year’s resolution is a one-time thought, one-day deal, and four days later you can’t remember what it was.”

Students know that time management and proper goal setting techniques for their studies are necessary in order to be successful. Moreover, this theory not only applies for education, but life in general. Goal setting is a key element when it comes to making a New Year’s resolution.

“It’s about creating a goal and knowing where to go with it,” Fitzgerald said. “We all have admirable goals, but you get caught up in the moment of making resolutions and lose sight of where you are going to be in six to twelve months.”

It is possible to keep New Year resolutions. All that is required is setting reasonable goals and making use of resources available to help stick to the promises made for 2011.