While New Year’s resolutions don’t appear to be particularly effective, you should still start the new year on a healthy note. Therefore, here are some actually-achievable strategies to incorporate in hopes of starting the new year on the right track.
Clean out your fridge
Look at this as a form of kitchen remodeling, in which all unhealthy foods need to go to make room for healthier options. It’s easier to start the year off on a healthy note when your home isn’t loaded with unhealthy foods, so take this time to clean out your fridge. Of course, we aren’t saying to throw out all of your unhealthy foods (that’s just wasteful). Just don’t restock them when you finish them, or donate them to people in need.
With that in mind, it’s still important to have healthy snacks and possible “cheat meals” at your disposal. Keeping healthy snacks and cheat meals in your home prevents you from ordering in or buying fast food when you’re in a pinch. Not only can restaurants sabotage your diet, but having planned cheat meals (which you actually make at home) can lead to those cheat meals not being so bad. If you make this meal yourself, then you know what’s going into it and you’re likely saving money.
In terms of healthy snacks, you don’t want to starve yourself and you should know it’s okay to snack if you’re hungry. Not eating enough can lead to you breaking your diet and overeating (among other things).
Create a meal plan you can stick to (and make adjustments as you go)
Sure, your friend might be losing a ton of weight from this new diet and your other friend might be seeing success from the exact opposite diet, but the key is to create a meal plan you can stick to. You’re the one who’s going to have to live by it every single day.
As a friendly reminder, it’s perfectly acceptable to make adjustments as you go. That’s how you continue to see success and ensure you don’t plateau, as well as actually enjoy what you’re eating.
Don’t wait until the new year to go all in on a workout plan
There are two main reasons why we say this. You likely have some downtime during the holidays, and you can use this downtime to your advantage by getting a routine in place. Also, if you’re not used to going to the gym, then you’ll be overwhelmed if you start at the beginning of a new year.
Your life isn’t going to be less busy when you go back to work, and you don’t want to fall back into your old habits if they don’t feature an exercise plan (if that’s something you want to incorporate into your lifestyle). Also, the gym is often packed at the beginning of the year since there are thousands of people who want to get in better shape. Your workouts might take longer because you have to wait on machines and you also might stop going if it’s too crowded.
If you do your workouts away from the gym, then this is, of course, not a concern. Regardless, it’s best to hit the ground running (literally and figuratively) while you have all of this motivation.
Start the new year on a clean slate
If you want to give your new healthy lifestyle and goals everything you’ve got, then you need to start the new year on a clean state. Whether you need to forgive yourself or just make a few adjustments to get back on track, starting anew is important for your mental health.
You should look to the health information exchange and strategies above to help you get the new year started on a healthy note. That way, you can crush your goals and become the person you want to be.