The New Year is here. Resolutions are fresh. You may be earnest about them, but they always seem to fall by the wayside after a few days or weeks. How can you make sure you stick to them this year? Here are 20 tips for sticking to your New Year’s resolutions for 2023 so you can reach goals for health and weight loss.
You may have made some resolutions already, but you will never be able to stick to them if they are not realistic or specific. Think about your resolutions and consider reworking them if you know you cannot stick to them. For example, if you have been a couch potato for years, it may not be reasonable to make a resolution to run every day. Instead, it may make more sense to resolve to walk five days a week.
What’s for dinner? If you’ve planned your meals, dinner may be more likely to be something healthy, such as chicken or fish and vegetables. If you haven’t planned ahead, dinner might end up being Chinese takeout, pizza delivery, or boxed mac and cheese. In other words, whatever is quickest and easiest is most likely to end up on your plate.
Have you ever been caught starving, and had no choices that were healthy to turn to? Bringing snacks can help keep you from getting caught with nothing but options such as candy bars, French fries, or potato chips. Protein Chips, Meat Bars, and Cheese Snacks, and Keto Cookies are just a few options at Netrition.
If you go grocery shopping, you can have healthy foods and ingredients in your home. That way, you can prepare your own healthy foods instead of depending on pre-made restaurant foods or convenience foods. When you cook for yourself, you get to control the ingredients and portion sizes, which means you can choose more nutritious ingredients and keep portions in check.
Making a grocery list can help you make sure you have enough healthy foods to get you through until the next shopping trip. It can also help prevent impulse purchases, such as candy, soft drinks, and chips, by reminding you that you do not need those items.
Eating foods you love lets you enjoy your meal plan without feeling deprived. That lets you work towards your goals without always being tempted to eat something you know you should not. If there are foods you love that aren’t the healthiest, there are usually substitutes for them. For example, Netrition has keto-friendly Granola and Bread to keep you satisfied if you are a carb-lover on a keto or low-carb diet.
Logging your meals helps you stay aware of what you are eating, so you don’t accidentally let foods creep into your diet without you realizing it. It can also help you feel accountable for your food choices. Log what you eat and how much you had, being sure to include bites, condiments, and cooking oils.
Drinking more water is easy and inexpensive, and it may help you to feel less hungry and lose weight. It can help to add a glass before each meal, or add an extra bottle or two throughout the day.
Added sugars are empty calories. They lead to weight gain and health problems when you have too much, and they do not add essential nutrients. Foods such as cakes, candies, cookies, sweetened yogurt and oatmeal, and many condiments have added sugars. Instead of omitting those foods, consider low-sugar or sugar-free options from Netrition, such as Chocolate, Cake, Cookies, Cereal, Barbecue Sauce, and Fruit Spreads.
Your friends play a major role in your health. They can influence your decisions. Spending time with healthy friends can support your own goals. Taking walks, going to museums, and doing volunteer work can be healthy ways to spend time together.
Protein is a filling nutrient, and it supports lean muscle mass, metabolism, and immune function. Including it at most meals and snacks can help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions. Chicken breast, egg whites, tuna, and cottage cheese may be great sources, but there are more creative ways to get protein. Netrition has options such as Protein Shakes and Bars, Protein Cookies, Protein Oatmeal, and even Protein Hot Chocolate!
If your goal is to lose weight or keep blood sugar down, keeping carbs low can help. Ask your healthcare provider what a good goal for you is. Don’t worry about missing your favorite foods. Netrition has all kinds of keto-friendly and low-carb swaps, such as Keto-Friendly and Low-Carb Pasta, Pita, Wraps, Bread, Cake Mixes, and Pancakes, to name just a few.
Eating in a nicer environment that you appreciate can help you eat less while getting more pleasure from your food. It’s a win-win!
Did you know it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to realize that your stomach is full? That is one reason why eating slowly can help you lose weight. Chew thoroughly and notice the flavors and textures of each bite to help yourself slow down.
Getting more sleep can reduce hunger and carb cravings, increase energy, and improve mood. It can even improve blood sugar control. Sleeping more in 2023 may help you stick to your resolutions.
Add your workouts to your calendar to set aside time to complete them. You may find that you have a better track record. Plus, record your workouts so you can be more proud of them and see your progress.
That way, you can always be ready to go for a walk when the opportunity arises. You can always sneak in a workout if you have your gear with you.
Non-food rewards can help you stay motivated to stick to your resolutions. You might give yourself a gift when you achieve certain milestones, such as working out 20 times in a month, or bringing a healthy lunch to work every day for a week. A spa day, new clothes, a new insulated lunch bag, and movie tickets can all be good rewards.
Go to the movies, laugh with friends, or pick up a new hobby. Do something that makes you happy that is not related to your resolutions. It can help take the pressure off and get you recharged so you can keep working towards goals.
Stress management can help prevent stress hormones from having harmful effects such as storing more fat, making you hungrier, and increasing inflammation. Some techniques include exercising, meditating, doing yoga, and doing progressive muscle relaxation.
