For over half of your life, you have been listing down new year's resolution, only to find out that by the end of the year not even a single one was realized. Have you ever wondered why is it so hard to fulfill our resolutions, to the point that we promise to change the same things over and over every time the new year is approaching?
Health.com and CNN.com suggests 21 ways on how to focus on your health and fitness goals and help you stick to your new year's resolutions and make them happen throughout the whole year. Your health goals should be broken down to a number of things that are more concrete and tangible by the end of the year.
Reboot your diet
When it comes to cleaning up your eating, take a tip from the Boy Scouts: Be prepared. Admit that there will be temptation everywhere, especially now that you are aware of the things that you can't eat. The solution is to think one step ahead. According to New York City nutritionist Joy Bauer, RD, "Eating better is often associated with misery, so it's no wonder that so many people throw in the towel." Rebooting your diet doesn't mean not eating a specific food for this period of time, but, prepping yourself to eat in moderation, eat a wider variety of food or lessen your consumption of processed food slowly, over a gradual period of time.
Figure out your "why"
Remember that dieting or changing your lifestyle is not a punishment but an investment; one step towards rewarding yourself by being healthy and fit. Knowing the reason/s of why you wanted to change and took action in the first place is an effective motivational pull that will help you stay focus and stick to your goals. Don't focus on subtracting the pleasure of eating that specific kind of food, hence focus on your reasons.
"So the resolution is a positive action that you can perform over and over." Art Markman, PhD, professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Smart Change, agrees. "If it's an addition instead of a takeaway, you're more likely to repeat it until the action becomes an automatic habit," he says.
Do a kitchen cleanse
Your body is not the only one that needs of cleaning, also your kitchen, car, pantry, office or even your room. Throw away the unhealthy ones such as the chips, sodas and high sugar items. Go and shop for healtheir alternatives such as fruits, organic food and the like. Keyword: shopping. Use this as motivation, you will go shopping. Last year, Cornell University researchers found that women who kept healthy food visible in the kitchen had lower BMIs than those who left junky products out on their countertops.
Plan for snack attacks
In line with the Boyscount motto, it is always helpful to plan ahead. Having a concrete plan and itinerary of what to have for your meals and snacks is a way of conditioning your brain. Program your brain to eat in between meals instead of eating huge portions during breakfast, lunch or dinner. "The hours between mid-afternoon and dinnertime are when cravings kick in hard," says Moon.
Reboot your workout
According to some informal research, the trend of "getting in shape" as a new years resolution usually dies down as early as the third week of January. Still, some people continue it for longer periods of time. "People who are successful are more likely to view fitness as a permanent lifestyle change, not an activity they can give up once they reach a number on the scale," says Kirsten McCormick, founder of Running with Forks, a wellness coaching company in Seattle.
Take it a week at a time
"It's easier to make a plan to go running three times this week than vow to run three times a week indefinitely," says Whelan. Change your lifestyle through baby steps, give your body time to adjust.
Raise the stakes
Research shows that anticipating rewards may help you be more devoted to your goal. Or, give yourself penalties to pay if you failed to stick to your new routines. The reward/penalty system surely helps in the mind conditioning. A 2012 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that a financial pledge is another effective incentive.
Bundle your workout
Working out doesn't mean running for hours or going to the gym three times a week. Incorporate activities you like doing with exercise; walk your dog, dance to your favorite songs or exercising while binge watching your favorite series. Sure it is better thank lying on your couch while gobbling up popcorn in your mouth.
Reboot your stressful days
Vow to relax through specific ways: a massage perhaps? or maybe a bubble bath at the end of a long day?
Say no to something every week
Practicing your "No" to simple things per week can lead to good things. Regularly overextending yourself forces you to put your own needs behind others' requests, says Pedram Shojai, an Eastern medicine expert in Orange County, Calif., and author of The Urban Monk.
Take a time-out daily
No, time outs doesnt mean absence, it can be as short as 10 seconds, or one minute. Relax and breathe deeply and clearing your mind can really do wonders for you, your brain and your health.
Try meditation
"Meditating is like your brain's virus checker, detecting toxic stress and blocking its effects on your physical and emotional health," says Shojai. A 2013 study found that adults who were taught the basics of mindful meditation had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Reboot your energy
Know the tasks makes use of your energy efficiently. Sometimes, we focus and exert energy and time doing things that are not really worth it.
Keep a fatigue diary
The first step of resolving a problem is identifying it. Once you pinpoint the time of day you feel draggy, you can make adjustments. "For example, if you're tired in the afternoon, you need to rethink what you eat for lunch or try to drink more water, " says Holly Phillips, MD, author of The Exhaustion Breakthrough.
Make a to-don't list
Yes, you read that right, a "Do not do this" list. Sometimes, the little things we do that stresses us are not important after all.
Pencil in bedtime
It is actually better to plan your sleep. By planning it, our mind thinks that sleeping and resting is a priority.
Download an app
Keep track of your personal and little progress by downloading health apps. From the number of steps you take per day to the number of calories you had can now be accessed and measured in just a few clicks.
Share your battle
Of course doing something hard feels a little bit easier when you know that some people are going through it too. AS they say, "Misery loves company". Feel free to share your hardships ans success on your social media sites, and maybe you could inspire others to live healthier too and learn more tips through them too.
Do more with Google
It's not just a search engine. Make use of Google Calendar, Google Maps, and other Google supported search engines such as Youtube to your advantage.
