Despite the positive intentions behind resolving to work harder at a healthier lifestyle when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, it’s hard to stick to them. Sure, for the first few weeks of the new year, everyone is eager to eat a lot of veggies, drink water, and hit the gym. But after a few weeks, old habits set in where positive intentions once lived. In order to fight the urge to give up on your healthy resolutions and to make them last, here are ten tips toward committing to a healthier lifestyle in 2019.
1. Don’t think of it as a “resolution”
You are perfect as you are. Before you start on any ridiculous “diet fad” or silly weight loss plan, appreciate your body for what it is and what it can do. Think of your resolution as a lifestyle change aiding your strong body toward a healthier reality.
2. Don’t rush to the gym
Many think that paying for a membership or buying a workout class bundle is going to ensure an abundance of fitness, but that’s never the case. Before wasting money on something to “hold you accountable”, hold yourself accountable. If YOU want it and you don’t feel forced to go to the gym, you will wind up having a more fulfilling workout. Start by doing some at home workouts, lacing up your sneakers and hitting the pavement, or testing out a few classes before settling on something permanent.
3. Find an inspiration
Social media is teeming with creative ideas and tons of people doing amazing things that you can follow. There are thousands of Instagram accounts dedicated to exercise and fitness ideas, mindful eating, clean recipes, and wellness. Try out some new ideas from social media and see what fits for you.
4. Don’t jump on a random diet fad
Dieting puts you completely backwards. From the South Beach Diet to Whole 30, all you’ll get is a very temporary change and a boatload of cravings. If you desire to eat cleaner and to find a healthier you, don’t head towards a diet. Find a way to eat intuitively that works for you. Maybe this means eating less sugar or allowing yourself drinks or dessert on certain days of the week. Maybe it means eating more veggies, getting in the kitchen more instead of eating out, or trying to swap out processed snacks for more whole ingredients. In the long run, you will be much more satisfied with yourself and your results if you focus on making lasting changes instead of heading towards unhealthy diet trends.
5. Figure out what intuitive eating means to you
Making positive life changes shouldn’t be about decreasing the number on a scale, the amount of calories you consume, or how many desserts you eat. Life should be about doing what makes you happy and a healthy lifestyle can 100% be a part of this. Intuitive eating means eating what your body is asking for by answering all of its desires and feeding it what it needs to thrive. Our bodies tell us exactly what they need if we just listen. They are the greatest machines we have and we should be celebrating them and taking care of them. A balanced diet is about giving your body proteins, carbs, healthy fats, natural sugars, and staying hydrated.
6. Meal prep, meal prep, MEAL PREP!
The easiest way to stick with a healthy lifestyle and to turn positive choices into a positive reality is to stay organized in your kitchen. Having your snacks and ingredients organized, pre-cut and washed or made and ready to cook will help you to make positive choices.
7. Find a buddy
Finding someone with similar intentions for the New Year—whether it’s a friend, significant other, roommate or sibling— will help you to get into the flow of a healthy lifestyle. Doing anything alone is often much more difficult than doing it alongside someone you care about. If you find someone who is willing to go out on runs, attend yoga classes, and cook with you, you’ll be more excited to wake up every day and make choices toward a healthier you.
8. Jump in the kitchen
One of the easiest ways to make healthy choices is to cook for yourself. Not only is it more rewarding to have a meal that you’ve cooked yourself, but it’s cheaper and way easier to make healthy choices if you’re in charge. It’s easy to fall into the trap of eating unhealthy when you go out. However, if you find some recipes and creative meal ideas you’re looking forward to learning how to cook for yourself, you’ll feel more excited about being in the kitchen. The great thing about cooking healthy food is that it generally doesn’t have to be difficult to make. Simple ingredients that are easy to put together are often much healthier for you in general.
9. Follow the 80/20 rule
If you find yourself needing more regimented practices than just being intuitive and listening to yourself, the 80/20 rule is a great way to go through your day to day while being mindful. If you commit yourself to making healthy and fulfilling choices 80% of your day or week, the other 20% can be yummy desserts, a glass of wine, or a scoop of ice cream. The 80/20 rule allows flexibility in your new lifestyle and does what a diet doesn’t: it lets you live.
10. Don’t cut anything out of your life. Allow yourself all of your favorite things… just in moderation.
One of the great myths of being healthy is that you simply can’t have alcohol, sugar, treats, dessert, bread, etc. This just isn’t true. When making mindful lifestyle choices and healthy changes, cutting things out of your diet (unless of course you’re intolerant or allergic!) is the wrong choice to make. When we cut things out of our diets, we are being unfair to our bodies, especially if we love these things. That being said, instead of having ten Oreos in a sitting, have two for dessert. Instead of half a bottle of wine, have two glasses with dinner.
It is impossible to go through life not allowing yourself all of your favorite things. When you’re making healthy choices and living mindfully, you CAN have anything you want, and you can crush your resolutions.