New Year, New You!

Looking for a positive way to kick-start the New Year? New Year’s resolutions are a fun and popular way to start fresh, but they often tend to fall flat by February. Here are some tips and tricks on how to stick to healthy resolutions to start the New Year off right.

Decrease intake of sweets and fats.

A sweet tooth can prove to be a challenge, especially during the holidays. Instead of making unrealistic promises—like, “I’ll never eat chocolate again,” or cutting out fast food entirely—it’s more effective to set a time limit or a portion limit regarding favorite guilty pleasures. For example, try only eating a single square of chocolate rather than the whole bar, or only ordering fast food once a month.

Exercise more.

Vowing to exercise more is one of the most common resolutions made by people each year. It is also one of the resolutions most often broken. Many people start off strong but end up abandoning their new exercise routine quickly. Instead of rushing into a vigorous workout schedule, try starting off slow. Adding more exercise gradually as the body grows stronger will help maintain a steady pace and ensure a longer-lasting commitment.

Make meals from scratch.

It’s easy to get discouraged from making meals from scratch, because it’s more time-consuming than simply popping a TV dinner into the microwave. But cooking from scratch is much healthier. Instead of promising to make a home-cooked meal after a busy day when it’s likely that fatigue and hunger will take over, try setting one day aside to cook a few meals for the following week, then pop them in the freezer where they will be ready for quick consumption later on.

Lower stress levels.

A simple and effective way to relieve stress is walking. Taking a 5-10 minute walk is a quick and easy way to relax at any time of day, whether it’s early in the morning, during a lunch break or after dinner.