With the new year comes the opportunity for a fresh start. For many people, this means making “New Year’s Resolutions” like loosing weight, exercising more, cutting down on debit, quitting bad habits (ie smoking), and leading a healthier lifestyle in general. Below are some tips to help keep you on track:
Have a Plan : If you were to go on a long road trip, you wouldn’t just jump in the car and go. If you did, you’d arrive hungry, tired, and fatigued. That’s the same way you’d feel if you jumped into a whole new lifestyle with no planning. Before January 1st arrives, outline the changes you want to implement and decide how you’ll fit them into your schedule. Keep in mind that it may be best to take steps rather than tackle everything at once.
Make Goals: Goals help measure progress. If you don’t know where you want to end up, you won’t really know how to get there. When making your goals, you need to make SMART goals:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Timely
For example, a SMART goal would be something like, “I will walk for 15 minutes 3 days for one week.” Or, “I will prepare one new healthy recipe each week for the month of January.”
Track What You Eat
Looking closely at what you eat is often an eye-opening experience. You don’t have to do it for the rest of your life, but it is a great habit to start. Tracking will help you tweak your diet so that you can still enjoy foods you love without sabotaging your weight loss or healthy eating efforts.
Fill Up on Vegetables
Vegetables are filled with nutrients, water, fiber, and very few calories. If you fill half of your plate with vegetables, you’ll get fuller faster and cut down your calories without feeling deprived. Use herbs and spices to jazz up vegetables instead of using butter and/or salt to flavor them. You can also try going vegetarian once a week. Making a meal focused on veggies is not only good for you but
Exercise
In order to burn calories at a faster rate and build a healthy body, you’ll need to incorporate exercise into your life. Take it slow at first, and then increase your time and/or intensity once you feel comfortable. If you haven’t exercised in a while, talk to your doctor to make sure that you are healthy enough to begin an exercise plan.
Be Gentle With Yourself
If you fall back into old patterns, instead of berating yourself, be grateful that you noticed. Wanting to change is the first step, so have gratitude that you recognize there is change to be made. If you fall off the horse, get back on and try again.