You say you want a resolution? How about Go for Bold?

Do you want to commit to being healthier in 2025?

Beth Fields Dowdell, DNP, CRNP, has three mechanisms to help you get there: Do, eat, believe.

Dowdell, director of Community Health and Outpatient Care Management at Meritus Health, said the Go for Bold framework started five years ago is designed so anyone can become healthier versions of themselves.

“Don’t make drastic changes in your life,” she said. “Make small, attainable goals. Otherwise, when you don’t reach that big goal you’ve set, you have failed and are back to square one."

First, let’s explain what Go for Bold is. Started in 2020, it’s a community-wide initiative started by Healthy Washington County aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles for the residents of Washington County, with the goal of losing 1 million community pounds by 2030. So far, the community has logged more than 160,000 pounds lost.

By visiting healthywashingtoncounty.com/goforbold, users will find tools to help them lose weight. Those tools tend to focus around activity, diet and mental health — or do, eat, believe.

Residents are able to sign up for free workout classes, walking groups and other activities to get their blood pumping. There’s also a free weight tracker that allows you to keep tabs on your progress, as well as the progress of the community.

“Start something that doesn’t cost you anything,” Dowdell said, noting Hub City Nutrition has partnered with Healthy Washington County to offer free community fitness camps.

The site also offers tips for healthy eating. Dowdell said not to make rash changes to your diet, but to start simply.

“We have the plate method,” she said. “Half of your plate should be non-starchy vegetables. A quarter of your plate should be protein. The other quarter of your plate should be a carbohydrate.”

She also recommends you think about what you drink.

“It’s amazing how many drinks contain calories,” she said. “Now, that’s not necessarily bad for you, but if you’re thinking about calories, it’s something to be aware of.”

The last component is believing in yourself, or rather, taking care of your own mental health.

“Connect with a person who has a similar purpose as you,” Dowdell said. “You can’t go out there and do it alone. And focus on connections. The relationships we have with others are powerful.”

Related to that, Dowdell stresses that you should not beat yourself up if and when you don’t live up to your expectations.

“Even if you get off board, think about what you can do to get back on that wagon, owning up to what happened and getting back on board,” she said. “Otherwise, you’ll never make progress.

Explore all that Go for Bold offers by checking out the Healthy Washington County website at healthywashingtoncounty.com.