It is simple to make a resolution, but the trick is finding ways to actually keep it and make it happen. This week, we will share our tips on how to make the top five resolutions work for you. We will even share tips to make any change in your lifestyle actually work well (in case your idea is not listed here).
The number 3 resolution is: Eat Healthy and Lose Weight. It’s really not as hard as it seems. When it comes to food, many of us use it as the base for entertainment, fun, comfort and many other reasons. It’s the center of our celebrations, it’s on every commercial we watch, and it’s a huge part of our every day lives! Food is necessary for life, but the type of food you put in your mouth (and the amount) can make a huge difference in your health, emotions, and quality of life!
Set Goals. Reasonable goals. When my daughter was born, I had 95 lbs I needed to get rid of 95 lbs of unwanted weight that needed to come off, and that wasn’t going to happen overnight! Ultimately I had an end goal I wanted to meet: lose 95 lbs. I also needed smaller goals, and I needed a time frame. I needed to give myself small things to work toward to keep myself motivated.
In the beginning, weight comes off easier, and it’s easier to stick to a new food lifestyle, but very quickly that wears off, and you need something to work toward. For me, I knew that more weight would come off in the beginning, versus when I would get closer to my goal weight. So I would give myself a goal every month. Something small, something reasonable, and something attainable.
While 15 lbs was reasonable to expect to lose my first month, I know that ten months in, that 5 lbs would be difficult to lose in a month. It was so exciting to see those pounds drop each month, and to know I was consistently hitting goals!
Find Motivational Partners. Personally, I thrive on competition. I joined a New Year’s weight loss competition, and really enjoyed the encouragement I received from the participants. This was an all online competition, so I didn’t have to worry about thiem being people I knew personally, so I felt I could really be transparent without the fear of being judged.
If competition isn’t your thing, you can always find a close friend or family member to be your encouragement. Maybe you both want to lose weight, or make healthy eating choices in the coming year. Having two of you in it together is so helpful for success!
Change Your Eating Lifestyle. You cannot expect to change your eating habits, or your weight, without making it a lifestyle change. If you only change just to lose weight, and then go back to your regular eating habits after the weight is gone, then you will gain the weight back very quickly. Simple changes can make a big difference.
My personal suggestions include things you can easily control, such as switching out white ingredients, for brown ones. That simply means to switch white breads, for wheats and whole grains, regular pasta for whole grain, white rice for brown rice etc… This will make such a HUGE difference in your eating habits. Also, resign to drink more water. Drinking eight glasses a day seems easy, until you go to do it! Eliminating sugary drinks like sodas, sugary teas etc will make a huge change in your caloric intake.
Count Calories. This was the biggest eye opener for me, just paying attention to how many calories were in what I ate. Not that I was super strict on how many calories I ate, but being aware was very helpful information.
For instance, it is suggested to eat 300-500 calories per meal. There are 150 calries in a typical can of cola. One can of cola is the equivalent to half an entire meal’s worth of calories. And that doesn’t even take into consideration that most of us drink large fountain drinks, and not a small can! Just knowing that changed how I made food and drink choices.
Cheat. Yes. I said that out loud. Once a week, and after a few months, once every two weeks, cheat. Eat whatever you want, as much as you want, for one whole day. It helps your body to reset and to keep burning fat. It also gives you incentive not to cheat for the rest of the week, knowing you have just a few days before you can have those donuts you want. Before you know it, your cheat days won’t even be so much cheating, because your palate will change, and your stomach will shrink.
You CAN do this! You can make a lifestyle change in your eating. Food does not have to control you, even though some days you will feel like it does. Change your portion size, rejoice in small victories, and remember food is fuel, not comfort.
I did it. I lost 95 in a year. It didn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen in a short time. It happened in a year – slowly, and the right way. As a result of all the time it took, my lifestyle, and my family’s lifestyle, changed when it came to food. The goal is more than a number, it’s about a healthy you, inside and out!
You might check out the tips to help you reach these other resolutions too:
