YOU CAN DO IT ADD REALISM TO YOUR WORKOUT REGIMEN FOR A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION.

Byline: Ted Kissell Correspondent

New Year's resolutions come in all shapes and sizes, but it seems that nearly all of us make promises to ourselves that concern, well, our shapes and sizes. That is, we want to get into the former, and get into smaller versions of the latter.

And so, every first week of January, at health clubs around the nation, a wave of bright-eyed neophytes bursts through the locker-room doors, determined to sweat away years of general lassitude - and a month and a half of giblet gravy, gingerbread and spiral-sliced ham.

``People like new beginnings and fresh starts,'' says Dr. Jay Udani, medical director of integrative medicine at Northridge Hospital. ``There's something very clean about starting in January, and we don't want to punish ourselves during the holidays.''

Yet a couple of months later, most of these gung-ho newcomers are gone, having dragged their aching muscles and bruised egos back into their slothful ways.

Why does this happen? Why do we keep making these I'm-going-to-get- in-shape resolutions, why do we keep breaking them, and, most importantly, how do we step out of this cycle of dreams and disappointment and onto the path of a long-term, healthy lifestyle?

Dr. Joseph Haraszti, a psychiatrist and medical director of Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, says the resolution impulse is a perfectly natural response to the season - and not just because of the numbers on the calendar.

``The approach of the winter solstice, with the shorter days, brings about a seasonal depression,'' Haraszti says.

While these ``winter blues'' don't throw everyone into a fit of full- blown seasonal affective disorder, everyone feels their impact to some degree, even in sunny California.

Once the solstice arrives on Dec. 21, and the days begin to get longer, ``We begin to look forward to another year as a kind of rebirth,'' Haraszti says. ``We all go through a sense of renewal and looking forward to things.''

And because we've been in winter hibernation mode, many of us look forward to getting some exercise. The staff of Topanga Training & Fitness in Woodland Hills sees this pattern repeating every year.

``On Jan. 1, people say they're going to make a drastic change - and most people don't respond to drastic changes,'' says Allen Saltzman, who owns the gym with his wife, Sharona. ``That's why (health club) dropout rates are so dramatic.''

At the Mid Valley Athletic Club in Reseda, general manager Ray Haizlip expects some 150 new members in January. By March, 50 percent of them will be gone - a very good retention rate by industry standards.

So how do the club's trainers keep the newbies coming back? Jade Molina, Mid Valley's sports performance and fitness manager, says a big part of the battle is getting them to recognize the difference between a dream and a goal.

``A 'New Year's resolution' is oftentimes just a dream,'' says Molina, ``The first thing we do is get them to really identify the goal that they have in mind and set a timeline to it. Once we identify that specific goal, we get them to identify three things in their life that are keeping them from being at that goal right now. Then we set three new behaviors to help achieve that goal, and they have to sign off on it.''

In fact, good nutrition and exercise habits should be a way of life - not an impulse decision driven by guilt, says Topanga Training & Fitness co-owner Sharona Saltzman.

``It should be a lifelong commitment, not a one-shot deal,'' she says. ``It should be a gradual process. They should take it slow.''

And while your goals - for weight lifted, weight lost, pulse rate, cholesterol level, etc. - should be ambitious enough to have a positive effect on your health, you should not get too crazy right off the bat. Udani stresses the importance of moderate, sustainable goals as the path to making true lifestyle changes that will have a positive impact on one's health.

``Some people set goals like losing 50 pounds in two months, or never eating chocolate again. You have to explain to them why that may not be sustainable.

``If you give yourself very severe, restrictive lifestyle changes, if you waver from the path even once, you're going to feel very disappointed with yourself. You may choose, rather than continue, to just give up at that point.''

Dr. Bill Caplan, director of clinical development at Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute in Oakland, says that, New Year's resolutions or not, unrealistic weight-loss expectations are common.

``In all structured programs, a 5 to 10 percent weight loss is typically achieved,'' he notes. ``In the expectations of the public, 25 or 30 percent is desired. So, just 5 or 10 percent can be quite disappointing, even though we know there are significant health benefits.''

The key to overcoming this kind of disappointment is positive reinforcement, especially from a medical or fitness professional.

Steve Dorff couldn't agree more.

The Hidden Hills composer made a New Year's resolution to get into shape and he's achieved his goals by meeting three times a week with a personal trainer at Topanga Training & Fitness.

``It's been amazing. I was in horrible shape last year,'' says Dorff, 55, whose muscle tone and physical stamina have vastly improved with help and encouragement from personal trainer Brad Mallie.

Without a personal trainer, Dorff says, it would have been tougher to achieve his goals.

``The first time you get sick, you tend to get lazy and you don't come back.''

The Mid Valley Athletic Club includes two personal training sessions with all new memberships. (Call it enlightened self-interest: Haizlip notes that new members who use a trainer, even briefly, remain members for at least two years.)

``People do get discouraged because they have an unrealistic expectation that they're going to change 20 years of deconditioned body into Jennifer Lopez in two weeks,'' Molina notes. ``And they don't have anybody there to reinforce their motivation. But if you know that you have to be accountable to a trainer at least once a week, those three margaritas you had on Saturday night - you're going to pay for it on Monday when you come in to see your trainer.''

Get the job done

Want to bring your get-in-shape resolution from rhetoric to reality? Be sure to follow these tips:

--Seek professional help. Dr. Jay Udani, medical director of integrative medicine at Northridge Hospital, stresses that it's always important to consult a physician before embarking on a new exercise regimen, and to always start slowly. He also emphasizes that positive reinforcement, from either a friend or exercise partner or a professional trainer, is essential for incorporating exercise into your lifestyle long-term.

--Set achievable goals. Dr. Bill Caplan, director of clinical development at Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute in Oakland, says he often uses a pedometer to help patients identify just how active (or inactive) they are, and then they may set about increasing the number of steps they take each day. And Udani advises you to resist the temptation to weigh yourself three times a day. ``It's best to look for incremental gains - not every day, but every couple of weeks,'' Udani counsels. ``Wait long enough to see a realistic change.''

--Get over the four-week hump. ``After the initial excitement and fun, you sort of hit a plateau,'' Udani cautions. ``You might get frustrated or bored with the routine.''

Jade Molina, Mid Valley Athletic Club's sports performance and fitness manager, sees this phenomenon all the time. ``The first week you come in and you have a workout, you're going to be so weak, and you're going to be like, 'What is this?' '' he notes. ``The second week, you're going to be weaker than you were before, because you've broken down muscle that hasn't been worked and has been dormant for a while. The third week, you might be getting back to where you were in the first week, and the fourth week is when you will start to notice that change. What we see traditionally is that people don't make it to the fourth week because it's too hard to make it through weeks two and three.''

- T.K.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) On the cover: Sharona Saltzman, co-owner of Topanga Training & Fitness, and the Spa Loft, says New Year's resolutions should be reasonable and sustainable.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

(2) Steve Dorff, a Hidden Hills composer, says working with personal trainer Brad Mallie has helped him realize his New Year's resolution to get into better shape. Above, the pair work out at Topanga Training & Fitness in Woodland Hills.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Box:

Get the job done (see text)