Many of us set resolutions for New Year’s, with one of the top resolutions being related to diet and exercise. We resolve to take better charge of our dietary habits in the next year than we did in the past and cook up fanciful ideas in the midst of holiday mania. Once the party is over those notions fade in color, and we lose motivation to make them happen.
Our best intentions for health are often thwarted because we don’t anticipate obstacles that can arise or make a plan to rescue ourselves when we are stuck or become unmotivated. This is why it is better to view a New Year’s resolution as goal setting rather than as some magical wish we made over the holidays.
Goals that are set with simple initial expectations are the ones that are most likely to be met. A huge part of meeting goals is to develop habits that encourage the steps toward our goals. The newest diet fad, magic pill or tonics are not a sustainable plan for permanent changes to our health. Here are some simple ways to form new habits that will lead long-range success with your dietary ambitions:
1. Change your mind
To work toward achieving health goals, developing habits that lead to the outcome you desire is essential. This begins with a mindset of patience and realism. Take time to create a strategy for success and remember that wellness and fitness do not happen overnight, but they are attainable.
2. Keep a journal
If you haven’t been keeping track of the food you eat every day, it’s a good idea to start. This way, you can really see what you eat and how much. Find a good app on your smart phone or keep a paper one, whichever is best for you. It’s a good idea to monitor fluid intake as well. Be honest!
3. Educate yourself
Using the foods from your journal, learn about the nutritional value of the foods you eat the most and decide how to moderate your consumption of the foods with the highest amounts of salt, saturated fat and sugar. For example, if you notice that potato chips and candy bars appear in your journal frequently, set healthier, moderate limits for those foods.
4. Set a time
Routine is the most powerful way to create habits. Make it a point to follow a chain of events at about the same time daily, particularly in the morning and the evening. For example, you may take a morning shower before having breakfast. Make simple, wholesome breakfasts with quicker prep times to help along the flow of the morning. Snack on a serving of fruit or vegetables every two hours between meals. Consuming enough water is of utmost importance for supporting health, too. Establish mini breaks during which you will drink a glass of water or have one with each meal and each snack.
5. Pick a place
Establish regular places to carry out your healthy rituals. It helps to make those spaces into ones that you look forward to visiting. Associate healthy dining with a comfortable atmosphere.
Developing lasting, good, new habits are most successfully pursued gradually. See the big picture when it comes to health and wellness, and realize that the overall result you want is made up of several small changes. Try making only one new habit at a time until it lands as a natural part of your life. Avoid overwhelming yourself!
Cheers to a happy, healthy new year!
