Tips for Sticking to Your New Year's Resolution |
- Journaling what you eat helps you to learn
what you eat, when you eat it, and how often.
You can also keep track of your moods to see if
your moods trigger any specific eating habits.
Journaling has been linked to long-term weight
maintenance.
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- It's a lifetime change, not a quick fix.
Begin to look at food as choices that you'll
make. Sometimes it's okay to have that
chocolate bar but know that it's a choice.
The 80-20 rule works for eating, too -- if you
follow your healthful eating plan and exercise
80% of the time, you can slack off a little the
rest of the time.
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- Pay attention to empty calories. Do you know
how many calories you take in when you add the
sweetened creamer to your coffee, buy that
latte, or grab a handful of chips or candy at
the office?
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- It's not about deprivation. Make
choices that are satisfying and fill you up. For
example, that 290 calorie "protein bar" you had
for lunch has more calories than a serving of
chicken chili with rice and a orange for
dessert.
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- Plan ahead -- look at your calendar and plan
for those days when it's tough to get to the gym
or to "eat right." Planning helps you take
charge of what you eat.
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- Making your lunch and bringing it to work
will not only help you in sticking to your New
Year's resolution but will save you money, too.
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- Eating more fruits and vegetables is helpful
for weight loss and for adding nutrition to your
diet. Add a portion of fruits and vegetables to
each meal. If you don't like veggies or fruits,
find ways to "disguise" it -- make a great sauce
or soup with the vegetables, put a low calorie
sauce (sparingly) on the veggies, or mix extra
veggies into a dish that you are preparing.
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- Get your exercise where you can. You
don't have to join an expensive health club, just
walking will help you get your needed exercise.
Have your kids join you, perhaps for a family walk
after dinner, or find ways to enjoy active
playtime with your family (hiking, biking, playing
ball, shooting hoops, bowling, etc.)
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