BY SEMHAR DEBESSAI>LA.COM
If you made a resolution for the new year (and haven't already broken it), think 366.

That's the number of days in the leap year, and the number of hurdles you'll have to jump to achieve your goal.

Not surprisingly, of Americans who set a resolution for 2006, nearly 40 percent said theirs was related to losing weight, according to a survey conducted by the Opinion Research Corp. and Stephen Shapiro, author of "Goal-Free Living."

Also not surprisingly, more than half of the country's resolution-makers abandon their resoluteness about six weeks into the year, according to the survey.

"People set themselves up for failure by making these short-term goals," says wellness expert Dr. Rovenia "Dr. Ro" Brock, host of TV One's "Living Healthy." "Rome wasn't built in a day."

Going from carrying a rarely used gym membership card to the advanced-level step class? Not the kind of steps Dr. Ro has in mind.

Dr. Ro, emphasizes, whatever you do, "remember, this is a process."

She suggests: Start small and build from there. ("It's much easier to add days or hours to your workout than it is to take away"); set goals month to month; and remember what kicked your butt into gear in the first place.

For Carole Carson, 66, it was a trip to the doctor that did it.

"I was in the 90th percentile for heart disease, cancer and stroke," says the author of "From Fat to Fit."

From that point, she lost 60 pounds (hold your applause) in six months (wait for it) and has kept it off for five years (cue the cheers).

Her ongoing transformation hasn't been without its trials. But like the medical test that got her started, continued tests keep her going. ("I'm performing like somebody in my late 40s," she says.)

Although she's "just not a New Year's resolution kind of girl," Dr. Ro says resolutions can be a great way to change the course of your life.

"Doesn't matter what you call it - New Year's resolution, whatever - the question is how you approach it," she says.

Dr. Ro offers advice from her book "Dr. Ro's Ten Secrets to Livin' Healthy," on how to stay focused on your fitness resolution for the new year so it can last a lifetime.

>BUY COOL GEAR

Feeling good in new workout clothes can help put you in the right state of mind.

>NO EXCUSES

Know that you can come up with a slew of reasons not to get up and work out (not enough time; it's too hard; it hurts), but know, too, that the hard part is fighting those "rationalizations that can sabotage your resolve."

>MAKE IT A FAMILY AFFAIR

Get fit and get closer as you work with your kids or your significant other toward a healthier way of living. "Mom can't be the only one moving," says Dr. Ro. Also, she adds, "Genetically and environmentally, (children are) at risk by what your habits are." So nip their couch-potato and potato chip-eating ways in the bud.

>INVOLVE YOUR FRIENDS

Carole Carson found that telling her friends allowed her to be held accountable for her actions (or inactions). "I'll lie to myself; I'm the queen of denial," she says. Recently, she got 1,000 of her "friends" (like-minded individuals in her town who wanted to get fit) for what she called a "Community Meltdown." They lost a combined total of four tons.

>GET WALKING

Dr. Ro recommends, "If you're looking for weight maintenance, you need to (walk) for an hour a day, three times a week." For weight loss, up the ped power to five days a week (in addition to focusing on caloric intake and portion control).

>SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

Take notice of small improvements. "If six-pack abs are not what you've ever seen on your body, let's just try to get a healthy body," says Dr. Ro. "Let's set the goal to be fit. You can be a size 14 and be healthy ... be able to run up and down the stairs without being winded; get through a stress test with excellence."

>START SMALL

Your first day in the gym and kickboxing class has kicked your butt and now you're down for the count. There's no shame in starting small ("Ten minutes a day, even," says Dr. Ro) and moving up from there.

>THIRD WEEK'S A CHARM

Studies have shown it takes three weeks to form a habit. Make it a good one.

>DON'T WAIT FOR A WAKE-UP CALL

You don't have to be at a risky, life-threatening point to take that first leap into living a healthier lifestyle. Let not getting that wake-up call be your motivation.

>TAKE A BREAK

It's OK to not feel like exercising and to ... not exercise. It shouldn't throw you completely off course if you go a week without a run or indulge in a piece of cake at an office birthday celebration. To this, Dr. Ro says, "This is not about one meal (or) one day. It's what you do over time that will ensure your long-term success."

Semhar Debessai, (818) 713-3665 semhar.debessai@dailynews.com