Tips for Sticking to Your Resolutions!

Tips for Sticking to Your Resolutions!

by Debbie Slutzky, 

Certified Health Coach 

NutritionandHealthCounseling.com

A lot of people begin the New Year by making resolutions. We've all been there. We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more or spend more time with our family. We start the year with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits. Why is it so hard to stick to those New Year's resolutions?

Here are some ways you can make your intentions a reality this year:

1. Write down your intentions and keep them in a visible place, like taped to your bedroom mirror or the dashboard of your car.
2. Get to the source of whatever is keeping you in a rut. Are you in a stressful relationship that causes you to eat a pint of ice cream every night? Are you stressed at your job and feel too tired to exercise after work? If you don't tackle the root of the behavior, it will be much harder to accomplish your goal.
3. Be clear about what your life would look like once you achieve your goal. If you resolve to go to the gym more, how will this benefit you? Get connected to the result of your action, and you will be more likely to stick to the plan.
4. Share your resolutions with friends and family. Hold each other accountable for achieving your goals. If you want to go to the gym more, have a friend call you two or three times a week to check on you or invite her to join you.
5. Reward yourself with every little accomplishment. If your intention is to lose weight and you lose 1 pound a week, pamper yourself with a massage or something special.

Here are some guidelines to healthy eating.

·         Vegetables – both raw and cooked, from all parts of the color spectrum. 4-5 servings per day.

·         Fruits – fresh in season or frozen. 3-4 servings per day.

·         Whole & Cracked Grains -3-5 servings per day.

·         Beans & Legumes – 1-2 servings per day.

·         Healthy Fats such as extra virgin olive oil, expeller-pressed canola oil, nuts and seeds). 5-7 servings per day.

·         Fish & Seafood such as wild Alaskan salmon, Alaskan black cod, sardines. 2-6 servings per week.

·         Other sources of protein such as high quality natural yogurt, eggs, skinless poultry, lean meat. 1-2 servings per week.

·         WATER – drink half your body weight in ounces every day.

·         Keep sweets and treats to a minimum. I suggest having a “treat” day once or twice a month.

Debbie Slutzky is a local nutrition coach and marathon runner.