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Article by Anneliese Kuemmerle, MS, RDN published January 2026
As the holidays wind down and daily routines return, many of us may be taking some time to reflect on what we want for ourselves in the year ahead. The new year presents an opportunity to step back, reflect, and choose habits we’d like to build on or adjust moving forward. “Setting intentions” has become a popular way to think about change. Intentions can be a helpful starting point, but on their own do not necessarily lead to action. If we think about an intention as the destination we want to reach, then goals are the map that gives us specific directions to get there. Goals made around specific, achievable behavior changes help us arrive at our intentions.
Research shows that goal setting can support better health and well-being. Setting clear, specific goals helps turn good intentions into action. Studies have found that when people are trained to make structured goals, they report improved quality of life, higher life satisfaction, and better emotional well-being. Participants in goal-setting programs often report less negative mood, more positive feelings, and greater engagement in daily life.
For many people, diet changes are top of mind this time of year, especially after enjoying holiday desserts, indulgent meals, and comfort food. With this time of year feeling like a good time to “reset,” fad diets tend to show up. These plans often promise fast weight loss through extreme rules, detoxes, or cutting out entire food groups. Fad diets do not hold up well in scientific studies. Research reviews show that while extreme diets may lead to short-term weight loss, they are difficult to maintain and often lead to weight regain. Restrictive diets also make it hard to get all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients we need to be healthy.
The American Heart Association recommends an overall healthy eating pattern over “quick-fix diets” for maintaining a healthy weight. Healthy eating patterns emphasize vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean or plant-based proteins like chicken or turkey breast, seafood, low-fat dairy, lentils, and beans. Healthy eating patterns also limit added sugars, sodium, saturated fat, and processed foods. Setting specific, achievable goals that gradually shift your diet toward a healthy eating pattern can improve long-term health more effectively than fad diets.
Long-term studies show that gradual lifestyle changes support gradual weight loss, metabolic health, and overall quality of life. Over time, a balanced eating pattern is linked with lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions. They also spare us the stress and negative energy of trying to follow something science has shown us does not work!
We can move towards intentions focused on weight loss or eating healthy with a “map” of goals that change one small behavior at a time. This might look like adding a serving of vegetables to dinner, going for a ten-minute walk before work, or cooking one more meal at home for a set number of days each week. Choose the number of days based on what realistically fits into your schedule. When these small changes become your new habit, build on them. This can help you work towards intentions about having better health throughout the whole year. Making and achieving specific goals can gradually change your habits, and support not only your physical health, but also your satisfaction with life and overall well-being.