What was your New Year’s resolution? Did you try a diet that requires a ton of effort? If so: Stop complicating things! Simplicity is what you should strive for in order for your healthy efforts to become everlasting.
Each New Year offers an opportunity to hit the refresh button. Instead of fad diets, let’s take a look at some long-standing fundamental nutrition recommendations and realistic ways to implement them in your life.
Make sure you have an ideal eating environment. The healthy way must also be the most convenient.
— Organize your kitchen. The healthiest food should be right at your fingertips — on your kitchen counter and at eye level in your cabinets.
— Tuck away your indulgences. Toss any remaining Halloween candy, holiday leftovers and New Year’s party desserts.
— Make sure your kitchen is stocked with food staples that you could use to pull together last-minute meals and snacks. Some examples are frozen fruit and veggies, canned beans, whole grains and assorted nuts.
[See: High-Protein Breakfast Ideas.]
Cook more meals at home. Be aware of everything that goes into your body.
— If you don’t feel confident in the kitchen, take a cooking class.
— Experiment with new gadgets such as an air fryer or an instant pot.
— Double up your recipes when possible so you can freeze half for another day.
— Don’t overwhelm yourself with lots of new recipes but keep things exciting by experimenting with a new recipe every week or so. Meatless Mondays offer an opportunity to improve the nutritional quality of your meals while trying new recipes.
— For an easy way to incorporate new foods into your diet at home and learn new recipes without the hassle of shopping and prepping, try a meal-kit delivery service.
Eating well requires proper planning. But there are shortcuts!.
— Take a look at your schedule in the beginning of each week and meal plan according to what works for your schedule. Don’t forget to take into account what you are in the mood to eat.
— Prep healthy and satisfying snacks and have them handy. This could be as simple as washing and cutting up fruit or individually packing handfuls of nuts.
— Start your day in a healthy way by creating the foundation to your breakfast for the entire week. Steel-cut oats or egg muffins are ideal for this.
— Batch cooking a variety of roasted veggies, a couple of protein sources and whole grains allow you to mix and match throughout the week. Make a whole new enticing meal with the same building blocks, yet switch up the condiments by using a different sauce or dressing.
— Utilize ready-made food to cut down on cooking. Rotisserie chickens from the supermarket or frozen vegetable burgers are great examples.
— Have a back-up plan. Take note of the local eateries and supermarkets nearby and decide now where you will go and what you will purchase in the event that you need a last minute healthy lunch or quick dinner.
[See: The 10 Best Diets for Fast Weight Loss.]
Exercise is vital. It’s not just about what we put into our body but it is also about what we do with our body.
— Set realistic exercise goals. You should not go from sedentary to a daily exercise routine for the risk of injury and consequential setback.
— Find an activity that you enjoy so you look forward to doing it. Reflect back to previous physical activities or sports you engaged in before, or take a shot at something new. There are many opportunities to try out fitness classes for free or discounted rates.
— Make sure that the time of the day and location of your physical activity is as convenient as possible. If getting to a gym seems out of the picture, consider investing in home gym equipment. Virtual gym classes and trainers are convenient and becoming more affordable.
— Block off the time on your calendar that is reserved for your exercise.
— Have a back-up plan in case your schedule changes. This could be plain and simple walk after dinner if you miss your morning exercise.
Listen to what your body tells you.
— Give yourself permission to deviate from your plan. It’s not all or nothing.
— Don’t demonize any food.
— Practice mindful eating. Slow down and savor your food. Don’t eat distracted. Your shows can wait until after dinner.
— Honor your hunger cures. Stop eating when you’re full so you don’t eat too much.
Get professional support. Asking for help is a strength; we can’t have all the answers ourselves.
— Is it lack of sleep or poor sleep quality? Schedule an appointment with a sleep specialist.
— Is it stress or life situations? Reach out to a therapist.
— Is it an injury? Find the appropriate doctor.
— Do you need to heal your relationship with food? Look into intuitive eating.
— Do you have specific nutrition questions or just would like more nutrition support? A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is the expert for you.
[See: How to Make Healthful Dietary Changes Last a Lifetime.]
A healthy lifestyle and way of eating should be sustainable throughout your life. It’s normal to have ups and downs. Motivation gets you started, keeps you going and picks you up when you’re down. Keep a food journal or use a food tracker app, find a workout buddy or opt to meet friends for a fitness class over a restaurant for happy hour.
If you get knocked down, pinpoint the issues that are hindering your efforts and possible future challenges you may encounter, and develop a new plan of action. Inspiration can be found when you least expect it.
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Make Your Diet Last in 2019 originally appeared on usnews.com
