Has the New Year Started to Produce a New You?

As week 1 of the new year comes to an end, have you kept your resolutions? Truth is, 30% of people have already dropped their resolutions after week 1, and only 30% of people will keep their resolutions past 6 months. How can you improve your odds this year?

1. Make a plan- not a goal. If your resolution is to lose weight, choose a timeline for the weight loss- such as “I will lose 5 pounds a month”, create steps to help you achieve that weight loss- such as “walk on the beach every Monday after dinner”, and write it all down so that you can hold yourself accountable.

2.Place your resolution in a visible place so that you can remind and encourage yourself to achieve your goal often.

3.Tell your friends and family. This will help create a support system & they may have similar goals that you can support them with.

4.Put yourself in the position to achieve. If you plan to quit smoking, stay out of smoke-filled bars.

5.Reward yourself when you achieve small successes. If you are working to cut down on how much you spend at restaurants, go out for just a dessert or an appetizer after saving $100 by eating in.

The majority of New Year’s Resolutions deal with becoming healthier. Below are some tips to help you ease into a healthy lifestyle:

· “I want to eat more fruits & vegetables/add fiber/add nutrients to my diet”- bring a piece of fruit to eat with your lunch & shave a carrot to mix in with your mac & cheese or finely shred broccoli for your spaghetti sauce tonight for dinner.

· “I want to cut back on my salt intake”- start playing with seasonings. For instance, try sprinkling cumin or lemon pepper on your steak instead of salt. Or cook with basil, rosemary, and chives to create flavor over using the salt shaker.

· “I want to eat less high-fat fast food”- start pulling through healthier drive-thu’s. Pick a baked potato and salad at Wendy’s or chicken noodle soup and a fruit cup at Chick-Fil-A over chicken nuggets and fries.

· “I want to drink more water”- set a timeline. For instance, drink 1 bottle of water on the way to work, or make the rule that you must drink 2 bottles of water before you reach for the mid-morning diet coke

For more information on how to stay healthy this year, call or email me to set up an appointment!www.mindyblack.com