5 Tips to Keep Your Healthy Living New Year’s Resolution
It’s the middle of January and how many of you are ready to give up on your new year’s resolution of living a healthier lifestyle? Stats show that over 70% drop their resolutions by the 31st. The key to a healthier lifestyle transformation is to integrate small changes, which will make you feel better overall and will lead to more healthy habits. Many try to take on an entire lifestyle overhaul rather than integrating smaller and more attainable goals that will take them throughout the entire year.
These five tips illustrate ways to help you stay on track to achieving your healthy resolution well into 2012.---Suncear Scretchen
It’s the middle of January and how many of you are ready to give up on your new year’s resolution of living a healthier lifestyle? Stats show that over 70% drop their resolutions by the 31st. The key to a healthier lifestyle transformation is to integrate small changes, which will make you feel better overall and will lead to more healthy habits. Many try to take on an entire lifestyle overhaul rather than integrating smaller and more attainable goals that will take them throughout the entire year.
These five tips illustrate ways to help you stay on track to achieving your healthy resolution well into 2012.---Suncear Scretchenmore
(Image: Thinkstock)
2) Get a Buddy System
It is so important to have someone on your team to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle. Many of us have families, co-workers and friends who aren't monitoring their caloric intake or fat consumption. Therefore, a new lifestyle can be very isolating for us. That's why having a buddy or network is can help you stay on track. Not only do they provide a supportive environment but they also hold you accountable. .
You may also need to re-evaluate friendships that are not sensitive or supportive of your resolution. It's tough enough to pass on the pal's birthday cake, but if someone is constantly trying to cajole you into eating more so that they don’t feel so bad about their eating habits, you may need to spend less time with that person. Find a community or person who share your healthy aspirations, or, if you can, find a coach/counselor whose job it is to help you meet your goals.more
(Image: File)
(Image: File)
5) Ease up
Simply put: if you fall off the healthy wagon, get back on. Remember that it's a new year’s resolution; not a new month’s resolution, so don’t give up after a few weeks of trying. Creating new habits and making unfamiliar changes is not easy for anyone, so don't think you are alone, and that you are going to make some mistakes along the way.
It’s also okay to indulge every so often, because if you don’t, anger and frustration will seep in because you are depriving your self of things you love. It can be helpful to try some substitutes, such as a chocolate protein smoothie instead of the chocolate shake, dates instead of the candy, fruit juice instead of soda. You won’t even miss the more unhealthy options and your cravings for them will eventually subside.more
Some of these tips are easier than other to implement but keep in mind that your resolution of living a healthier lifestyle will make you feel and look better and you will be ready to take on a different goal in 2013.
Suncear Scretchen is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor and feels that it is her purpose in life to help other lead healthier lifestyles. She chronicles her healthy living lifestyle in her blog The Conscious Chick.more