Developing healthy habits that will last through the new year.
Written by Casey Couch

A screeching alarm broke through the quiet in Pascal Morris-Barrie’s apartment, jolting him awake from the comfort of his warm bed.
Though it would be easier to hit snooze, Morris-Barrie rolled out of bed and bundled up for the cold. Fighting to find his last ounce of motivation, he heads outside for a 10 mile run, each stride getting closer to his New Year’s goal.
“You can find motivation several ways, but start with something small and achievable”
“My goal was to be able to finish and complete a marathon in three hours and 30 minutes,” Morris-Barrie, an environmental policy and urban studies major at Cleveland State University (CSU), said. “The hardest part of running is getting out the door.”
Morris-Barrie is one of many CSU students who struggle with finding motivation to exercise or maintain a healthy diet during the chilly winter months when New Year’s resolutions are often made but not met.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the time between the last week of November and the first week of January can account for up to 50% of an individual’s weight gain throughout the year, as social gatherings increase and physical activities decrease.
Marissa Wilson, a certified nutrition coach with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, said that snowy winter conditions can often discourage people from prioritizing their physical health, as it’s easier to stay indoors.
“Physical health declines in the winter because cold weather tends to discourage outdoor activity, as do the shorter days,” Wilson, 32, said. “It also becomes easier to eat comforting foods, especially when the holiday seasons are around.”
Just ask Emily Ginley, a journalism major at CSU who tries her best to maintain a healthy and balanced plate throughout the year, but still falls victim to the holiday treats when they are placed in front of her.
“I stay pretty healthy until the holidays hit,” Ginley, 24, said. “There’s so much holiday food. You’re going to parties and taking home leftovers.”
Wilson says that an easy way to avoid this problem and create good dieting habits is to make healthy meals ahead of time, which can help with both portion control and calorie control.
“The best way I’ve found to maintain a healthier diet during the cold winter months is to meal prep ahead of time,” Wilson said. “You can do this by preparing dump and go meals made for a Crock-Pot, or you can make extra servings as you’re cooking and freeze them as you go. There are many resources that can help you be creative with meal prepping, and cookbooks that are dedicated to it as well.”
Keeping a balanced plate with vegetables, fruits, proteins and grains will also help ensure that each food group is present in the diet. Wilson recommends referencing a chart from Harvard University that showcases a visual example of a healthy eating plate, which Ginley has tried herself and wants to utilize more in the new year.
“I try to have one of each food group. I always have a protein and vegetables,” Ginely said. “I have meal prepped for myself too. I go through phases. This is my body and I want to take care of it.”
Wilson also recommends that when setting a New Year's goal, whether diet or exercise related, it’s best to keep it small and realistic. This will help make it easier to meet those goals until it turns into a habit.
“You can find motivation several ways, but start with something small and achievable,” Wilson said. “You can switch up your regular routine like taking a new class or exercising with a friend. Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to choose something that fits in with your lifestyle.”
Further recommendations include investing in home exercise equipment such as a stepper or small walking pad. There are also hundreds of free workouts on YouTube, many of which can be done at home with no equipment needed. Incorporating these for 15 minutes a day can easily turn into a new healthy habit.
For Morris-Barrie, his motivation built up with every run that he went on. Though he had set a big New Year’s goal for himself, he was able to prove that putting in the work can pay off.
On May 25, 2024, four months after he began training, Morris-Barrie completed the Cleveland Marathon. His time: 3 hours, 30 minutes, 54 seconds.