5 Ways to Make Your Healthy Living New Year’s Resolution Stick

The New Year rings in with many making resolutions to start fresh. The majority of resolutions involve a healthy living choice. Examples of New Year resolutions healthy living changes include diet, exercise, and more preventative care. You have made your resolution for the New Year, now we have a few ways to help you make them stick.

New Years Resolutions Healthy Living Plan

1. Plan to achieve your goal

Write a list of reasons you want to achieve your goal. Document your journey as a way to look back and see how far you have come and to remind you why you made this resolution. Some questions you may want to ask yourself before making your healthy living plan:

• Am I setting this goal for vanity or health?
• Is it attainable?
• How will I manage any setbacks?
• How can I ensure my changes are sustainable for the long term?

Celebrate the each step that helps you achieve your end goal and don’t beat yourself up for any setbacks.

2. Find a realistic plan

Not every set of changes works for every body. In order to achieve maximum success with your healthy living goals; it’s important to understand your body and create a menu and routine that most easily fits into your life.

Some diet changes to consider:

• Going gluten free
• Cutting calories
• Protein and plant heavy, low carbs
• Portion control
• FODMAP

Related: Top 3 Healthy Food Trends for 2016

3. Create or join a support system

Support can come from any number of sources such as friends, family, nutritionists, doctors and even online groups. Look for a buddy to share your resolution goals, who you can talk to, plan with and keep each other on task. If you are exercising more seek out a trainer. When you are trying to eat healthier join a healthy club, program or class.

Online support systems are growing also in popularity. Websites such as WeightWatchers.com and numerous Facebook groups offer online tools to help keep folks on track in their healthy living plans.

4. When you start to slip into old habits

You will slip every once in a while, but it does not mean you have given up. In your plan, you have written down how you will deal with the setbacks, revisit your original plan to remind yourself of your overall goal and how you planned to achieve it.

Some strategies you could have in place are:

• Have a motivation playlist of songs on the ready.
• Get outside for some fresh air to reset your mind.
• Speed dial that special person who knows how to motivate you.
• Drink water, eat fruit and move. You may just be dehydrated, have low blood sugar or need some adrenaline.

Remember one slip does not mean you have to give in completely. Even the most healthy nutritionists live by an 80/20 rule – eat great for 80% of the time, and allow for some flexibility the other 20%.

5. Rewards help

Reward yourself for attaining each stage or small goal as an incentive to keep going. Find pictures, stories or other visual reminders in places around your home to remind you of your journey and to stay on track of your New Year resolutions healthy living changes. Every step of the way deserves a pat on the back.

Congratulations you have made a New Year resolutions healthy living goal and on your way to a new healthier you that will stick. Make your plan one step at a time. Seek like-minded people. Remind yourself of the reasons of your resolution by journaling and visual reminders. Do not be so hard on yourself when you slip. Reset your mind with the environment, food, music, and exercise. Soon you will complete your resolution and be a better version of who you were when you started. You can conquer the New Year resolutions healthy living challenge for a healthier life.

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