Nadine Harden finally got tired of her poor health and her own excuses not to get in shape. The grandmother of six started working out at Omni Health and Fitness and in two years has lost nearly 200 pounds.

"I just got tired of the lifestyle that I had and I just said, 'I'm going to do the best I can, one day at a time,' " she said.

Carrie Brown, 63, of Wrens, Ga., resolved to eat better and has lost more than 30 pounds, and kept it off.

At a time when many people make New Year's resolutions to lose weight, exercise more and quit smoking, making those healthy changes the right way is the real key to success, experts said. Also, it's essential to set goals and have a good plan.

"I find when it comes to smoking -- and it is probably true with all types of New Year's resolutions, whether it is eating or shopping or whatever -- we don't get specific enough with our plans," said Janie Heath, director of clinical outcomes for the Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing Tobacco Cessation Clinic. "We say, 'Well, I'm going to try to quit or I'm going to quit this year.' "

The same is true with weight loss, dietitians said. It helps to have short-term and long-term goals that are specific, measurable and realistic, said Heather Blazier, a registered dietitian with Medical College of Georgia Hospital and Clinics. Weight loss might not be the thing to focus on first, she said.

"Weight isn't always the best goal to make because you don't have a whole lot of control over your actual weight on the scales," Ms. Blazier said. "You have more control over the decisions you're making every day."

The first goals might be adding five fruits or vegetables a day and exercising 30 minutes a day five times a week.

"Things like that are going to ultimately lead to weight loss, but they're things (patients) can really measure and check off of their list every day or every week," she said.

It can't be just limiting calories, said Cheryl Mehta, a registered dietitian with University Hospital.

"It will not work if they are not more active," she said. Though many are intimidated by the idea of committing 30 minutes a day or five times a week to exercise, there's a way to work it in, Mrs. Mehta said.

"It doesn't have to be all at once," she said. "You could do 10 minutes in the morning before work and 10 minutes over your lunch hour and then 10 minutes in the evening. Most people can do that, and it doesn't seem so overwhelming if you break it up into smaller chunks."

Though people might set lofty weight-loss goals of 50 or 100 pounds, little changes add up, too.

"Even if you lose around 5 to 10 percent of your starting weight, that can make a huge difference toward better health," she said. "A lot of times people can get off their medicine; they can get off their diabetes medicine, their blood pressure medicine, etc."

Mrs. Harden, for instance, said she is no longer diabetic and needs half as much blood pressure medication.

The biggest thing is to not let past failed resolutions haunt you. Dr. Heath likens it to learning to ride a bike.

"The first time you get on that bike, you're learning how to do it and you fall off," she said.

A study at the University of Scranton found that half of those who successfully kept a resolution had one slip and the mean number of slips was 14 over a two-year period.

"Just because it didn't work one time doesn't mean it's not going to work this time," Mrs. Mehta said. "The more times you try, the more likely you are to be successful."

That's why it is important to "not beat yourself up" over a slip but to realize that "every day is a new day and you can continue to make good choices in the next day or even in the next minute," Ms. Blazier said.

Ms. Brown puts it this way:

"You might slip up once in a while. You might slip off the path once in a while. But you have to reach back and pull yourself up."

Reach Tom Corwin at (706) 823-3213 or tom.corwin@augustachronicle.com.

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

About 40 percent of Americans will make New Year's resolutions this year, with 20 percent vowing to lose weight, 12 percent to give up smoking and 8 percent to exercise more, according to the national Marist Poll.

If you plan to join them, it is always a good idea to talk it over with your health care provider first, particularly if you are starting an exercise program. In the case of smoking, it can also mean getting valuable support. Here are some tips that might help.

EXERCISING MORE

Many health clubs run specials around this time of year. Omni Health and Fitness, for instance, is reducing its joining fee from $150 to $1, said general manager Lance Smith. The real problem is getting people to continue working out in the months ahead. Mr. Smith said he tries to get newcomers to join at least one group exercise class that meets at a particular time. That way they have an appointment to be back at the club at a certain time.

"Now all of a sudden, there's a camaraderie, there's a support group, there's structure," he said. "They know what they're doing. They know what they're doing is working and it's fun."

LOSING WEIGHT

The top resolution year in and year out, it should go hand in hand with a plan to exercise more. Having a realistic goal is also key to losing and keeping off the weight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the most successful are those who lost weight slowly over time, about 1-2 pounds a week.

- It might be better to focus on eating better, by adding more fruits and vegetables, for example, and doing other things that will lead to weight loss.

- Keeping a food diary can help with weight loss.

- Reassessing progress after a while can help to reset or adjust goals.

STOP SMOKING

It is important to remember that many fail before they succeed -- the national average is seven to 10 times, said Janie Heath, director of clinical outcomes for Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing Tobacco Cessation Clinic. It is important not to get discouraged but to look at what happened and how it can be avoided.

- Set a date and plan for it. Dr. Heath suggests going to a clinic, such as hers, that can provide medication and counseling. You can reach the MCG clinic at (706) 721-1195 Georgia residents can also call the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line at (800) QUIT NOW (784-8669).