Setting Nutritional New Year’s Resolutions the Healthy Way
It’s that time when most of us think about setting our New Year’s resolutions. If you’re like many people, you may have a goal of “losing weight” or “getting healthier.” These are great goals, and changing your diet is one of the best ways to reach both.
The problem is that too many people make the wrong diet changes. They want to lose 30 pounds and be healthy in an unrealistic amount of time, so once January 1st comes around, they rely on fad diets that don’t properly nourish their bodies.
This is why people fail to reach their New Year’s goals.
Here are some ways to set your nutritional New Year’s resolutions healthily.
Rely on How You Feel, Not on Technology
I see more and more people using a tracking app to track how many calories they eat daily. But most of these programs give you a caloric reward (you can eat more) on days you exercise and a caloric punishment (you must eat less) on days you don’t.
This kind of “logic” goes against normal intuitive eating patterns. Most people feel less hungry on their most active days and vice versa. I advise you to listen to your hunger signals and make decisions instead.
Avoid Restrictive Fad Diets
I can’t think of anything less healthy than a diet that does not allow you to eat macronutrients. Fat, protein, and carbohydrates are all important for our health. Some people do better with more fat and fewer carbs, and others do better with more carbs and less protein. It depends on age, activity level, lifestyle, and general health. Your best bet is to work with a health coach.
Take Baby Steps
No one becomes overweight and unhealthy overnight. It happens over the course of weeks, months, and years. Losing weight and regaining health will not happen overnight, so you must be realistic.
Because weight loss and improved health can take time, it’s important to focus on setting small goals and taking baby steps to achieve them. Reaching smaller goals (e.g., lose 5 pounds, walk upstairs without becoming out of breath) instead of one big one (e.g., lose 50 pounds and look fabulous in a bikini) will help you stay on track and committed.
Set yourself up for success in the coming year. Follow these tips to be smart about your weight loss and health goals. If you’d like to work with a health coach who can help you reach your health goals, please contact us here at Core3.
Sources: