Seems like only yesterday we were singing along to Auld Lang Syne – toasting to the new year with one hand and jotting down lofty 2014 health goals to totally transform our lives with the other.
That ‘yesterday’ was already 6 months ago – we’re half way through the year. How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along?
Maybe you’ve gotten a little lax in your commitment to those goals or maybe you don’t even remember what they were. No matter what the case, it’s not too late to get back on track with these 5 steps to reset your New Year’s resolutions:
Weight loss – Were you hoping to lose 25 pounds? Maybe even more? If the number on your scale isn’t dropping, you may have stopped because your goals were unrealistic or not planned out well.
Reset – To lose 25 pounds in one year, you’d need to lose approximately 8 ounces per week. Although that sounds simple, that involves dedication to moderate exercise and eating right – every day. Two reset steps below – exercise and diet – will help you reach this goal.
Exercise more – You were hoping to exercise more. More than what? If you weren’t exercising at all, ‘more’ isn’t really a whole lot … more.
Reset – Write down an exercise plan and stick to it. Exercise doesn’t necessarily mean lifting weights 7 days per week or running 5 miles a day. Commit to at least 20 minutes of moderate exercise – walking, swimming or yoga – 5 days per week. Or any activity you like. That could mean walking at lunch or taking a class after work.
Eat better – Drastically cutting out all foods you think are ‘bad’ for you is a way to set yourself up for certain failure. Restrictive diets do not work in the long run and increase cravings for unhealthy foods. Your body most probably will also go into starvation mode and not allow calories to burn properly. The correct way is to eat a proper diet.
Reset – Start your day out with a protein-rich breakfast – like a smoothie made with almonds, banana and yogurt – or any other fruit or nut. Throw in kale or spinach for added nutrition. For lunch, watch out for the highly-processed carbohydrates – white bread or white rice. Eat a mixed green salad with chicken or salmon, or a small sandwich with lean meats and whole breads. For dinner, keep portions smaller – only the size of your fist, with your protein source only being about 4 ounces. Be sure to include a large portion of healthy whole grains and vegetables. Throughout the day, snack on whole foods – not chips or soda – when you get hungry. Try small portions of nuts, fresh or dried fruit, or whole-wheat crackers and humus. If you find it challenging to control portions, buy individual snack packs.
Organize your life – Did you have grandiose plans to organize every drawer, cupboard and closet? Maybe organize stacks of papers that have been piling up or putting all of your photos from the last 10 years into photo albums? What you needed is a plan to tackle this in small doses.
Reset – Make a list off all of your organizing tasks and give yourself a time limit for each. Some might be a one-hour project, some might take an afternoon. Start with ones that mean the most to you or ones you might like better. You’ll build momentum after you see the results of your labors, which will inspire you to keep organizing away.
Emotional Wellness – We all want to be happy. That’s human nature. But it’s probably the hardest ‘goal’ to set for a year because it involves so many different aspects of our lives, Happiness is also very difficult to define.
Reset – First, make a list of all of the good things that you already have in your life. You might be surprised how fortunate you already are. Now make a list of the things you think would help you improve your happiness. If it’s making more friends, determine how you will meet them – a library, worship or other social settings. If you think you’d be happier making more money, plan out how to increase your bank account, then start striving for that. No matter what you think will help increase your emotional wellness, make a list and plan how you can discover that. If you think your needs may be greater, consider consulting a life coach or medical professional.
If these reset strategies inspired you to get back to your goals, consider sharing them with friends or family who might need a boost to get back on track toward their 2014 resolutions.
Related Articles:
Poor Weight Loss Resolutions – Part 1
Poor Weight Loss Resolutions – Part 2
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