Resolutely healthy: make 2005 your best year yet.(Marilu: eye-opening discoveries on health and fitness)

Yikes! It's 2005. And you know what that means--it's time for New Year's resolutions. Resolutions are popular because everyone feels they could use a little improvement. Unfortunately, many people barely get out of the starting gate before they stumble. The biggest reason most people fail is that they try to fix too much at once--join a gym, get out of debt, floss after meals and have thinner thighs in 30 days.

If this sounds familiar, I suggest you narrow it down to just one--but make it a big one! In fact, why not resolve to make "health" your No. 1 priority this year?

What does that mean? It means that before every decision you make, ask yourself, "What is the healthiest choice I can make?" If you smoke or drink too much, you know the answer. But if you're simply aiming for a healthier lifestyle, your direction is harder to define. It's worth the effort though, because once you've got a handle on your health, everything else falls into place.

Make It a Game

The reasons to make health your priority are obvious, but there is a downside. Most resolutions, such as losing 10 pounds, saving money or organizing your home, are easier to tackle because they can be measured tangibly. We can check our progress along the way with pounds lost, dollars gained and living space freed. It makes a game out of it, which feeds our motivation. However, we often get so obsessed with winning the game that we forget our main objective.

For example, if you're trying to lose 20 pounds, you may compromise your health by starving yourself or by following a fad diet just to "win." We all know that our health is a greater priority than fast weight loss. But watching those numbers drop on the scale is more fun than a vague promise to be healthier.

By the Numbers