By Marie Haaland, SWNS

When it comes to wellness, the old adage is true: You are your own worst enemy.

According to a new survey of 2,000 Americans, the person most likely to derail your efforts to be healthy is yourself.

Results revealed a variety of barriers when attempting to reach wellness goals – and showed that 31 percent of respondents don’t trust their own willpower.

More than that, respondents feel the temptation of unhealthy foods (42 percent), a lack of motivation (40 percent) and a lack of time to exercise (33 percent) have all held them back from reaching their wellness goals.

This is in addition to eating treats around the holidays (30 percent) and having a lack of time in which to prepare healthy meals (27 percent).

Commissioned by LuckyVitamin and conducted by OnePoll, the survey looked at the common derailments for Americans’ health goals, as well as ways to overcome them.

The vast majority of respondents (81 percent) reported taking steps to become healthier – with the top ambitions being to make healthier food choices (61 percent), exercise more frequently (57 percent) and maintain a healthy weight (57 percent).

But despite Americans’ good intentions, less than half (46 percent) feel like they achieve the goals they set.

One of the things holding Americans back is a lack of support: Fifty-seven percent report feeling alone as they work toward their wellness goals.

Respondents have turned to a variety of resources in an attempt to find encouragement, everything from wellness advisers and online forums to advice from social media influencers.

Americans were most likely to have tried using health magazines or self-help books (65 percent), online videos (64 percent) and wellness blogs (56 percent).

Still, with the amount of information available online, two-thirds of respondents (66 percent) report feeling overwhelmed – with the leading cause of confusion found to be not knowing which vitamins/supplements to take (37 percent)

That was followed by not knowing how to eat balanced meals (32 percent), how to best meal prep/plan (32 percent), confusion over when to take vitamins/supplements (27 percent) and how to use different workout equipment at the gym (24 percent).

“These numbers underscore the recurring themes we hear every day,” said Dr. Jeremy Wolf, N.D., Licensed Naturopathic Physician. “Natural products — vitamins and supplements in particular — come in such a wide variety of formulations, tailored to specific needs; however, the sheer volume of choices and information available causes second-guessing.”

“For example,” added Dr. Wolf, “Getting advice on the variations in strains from one probiotic to the next — taking diet, exercise and sleeping habits into account — can support you on your wellness journey.”

In addition to those resources, six in 10 respondents have set wellness goals with another person to find support – most often their significant other (55 percent) or their friends (40 percent).

And the collaboration pays off – as 83 percent of those who set goals with another person found themselves more successful in their efforts.

“Having one-on-one support and a high level of confidence in your choices makes a big difference in living well,” said Sam Wolf, LuckyVitamin’s Founder and Chief Wellness Spreader. “Through the LV+ Membership program, customers have access to our team of expert wellness consultants for one-on-one conversations to help them choose the right natural products, while taking advantage of additional savings.”

WHAT HOLDS AMERICANS BACK FROM THEIR HEALTH GOALS?
Temptation of unhealthy foods 42 percent
Lack of motivation 40 percent
Lack of time to exercise 33 percent
Eating treats around the holidays 30 percent
Lack of time to eat/prepare healthy foods 27 percent
“Treat yourself” mentality 22 percent
Significant other brings home junk food 19 percent
Co-workers bring unhealthy foods/treats to share at work 16 percent
My family doesn’t want to eat healthy meals 16 percent
Significant other cooks me unhealthy foods 15 percent

TOP 5 HEALTH CONFUSIONS
Which vitamins and/or supplements to take 37 percent
How to eat balanced meals 32 percent
How to best meal prep/plan 32 percent
When to take vitamins and/or supplement 27 percent
How to use different workout equipment at the gym 24 percent