New Year... New You

With the New Year right around the corner many people are contemplating their New Years Resolution. About 45% of Americans set one each year. This resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to improve their lifestyle or specific habits they would like to change. Everyone wants to start the new year off on a good foot! For many, this goal is about health and more specifically losing weight. This resolution should be realistic and you may want to start small. Research has shown that people have more success when they set and meet smaller goals vs. setting a very large goal that they may never meet.

 

If your New Years Resolution is to lose 50 pounds by the summer you may want to re-think. For some people, focusing on the number on the scale can lead to more negative thoughts and self-loathing. Instead, focus on smaller goals to improve your mental and physical wellbeing. It’s no use to beat yourself up because you can’t get into those skinnyjeans or you aren’t as thin as your best friend.

 

Weight loss is not the goal, but instead the result of meeting many much smaller goals and changing your calorie balance (intake vs. output). For example, if you swap your morning bagel sandwich for toast and an egg or a Greek yogurt and some fruit you are saving calories, which in the long run will help you lose weight. Pair this with other healthy swaps and some physical activity and you are likely to start dropping pounds.

 

Some other examples goals may be:

~Walking 30 minutes per day, most days of the week

~Going to Zumba classes 2 days per week

~Cooking a healthy dinner 4 nights per week

~Limiting fast food to 1 time per month

~Eating 5 fruits and vegetables per day

~Limit dessert to 2 times per week

 

Most people start out strong, but when April rolls along the motivation is not really there anymore. Consider sharing your resolution with a friend or family member to help you stay motivated. You might even have similar goals and can help each other along the way.Sharing your progress on social media (Twitter, Facebook, or Instgram) may help you stay motivated as well!