The Top Mistakes to Avoid with Your New Year’s Resolutions
As a new year begins so do all those New Year’s resolutions. But to lay the groundwork for a healthier year, avoid these common resolution mistakes and pitfalls so that you don’t derail by February.
1. You leave out the baby steps
The classic “I’m going to lose weight this year” resolution is always enthusiastic to start, but ends up burning out fast and furious because it is too general. You need a real plan, including all the abby steps, on how you are going to lose that weight.
A better way to resolute would be to start with those small, specific steps that will keep you on track and get you where you want to be. If you are looking to lose weight, set one to three small achievable benchmarks such as, eating breakfast daily, breaking a sweat three times a week, drinking no more than 2 nights a week. These mini-goals will add up to pounds dropping off and you will stay motivated throughout the months.
2. You keep it to yourself
There’s strength, and success, in numbers. Pick a friend, a relative, a co-worker, a registered dietitian (Hi!), or just a personal journal to keep you accountable to your health goals. Checking in with someone, or writing it down, will help you stay on track with you long-term plan.
3. You focus on the wrong thing
“Eliminate”, “don’t eat”, “remove”…. focusing on what you can’t have, instead of what you can have, usually sets you up to overeat the restricted foods. If the diet is overly restricting food groups, then you’re not going to stick to it long-term and any weight you may lose will come right back on, and usually some more too.
Ditch those elimination diets and instead try “adding more” lean protein (like fish, chicken, turkey, and eggs), “doubling-up” on your vegetables, “switching to” whole grains, and “including” one ounce of dark chocolate daily. This vocabulary change-up will make for a much happier and healthier year ahead, promise!
4. You’re too hard on yourself
Give yourself a break, seriously though, I mean it! There will be slip ups, unavoidable circumstances, less than stellar choices made, but remember that every meal is an opportunity to get back on track. Remind yourself of how far you have already come, how good you feel for the progress you made, and go from there. Don’t give that slip up one more thought!
Happy and Healthy New Year! You got this!
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