Though you may feel as though the new year is a wonderful time to make some important fresh starts in your life, many experts recommend that you shouldn’t make a weight loss resolution. As much as it may be one of the most common types of resolution that people make, it may also be one of the least effective and potentially the most harmful.
Among the reasons that you shouldn’t make a weight loss resolution is the simple fact that the majority of them are never achieved. The last thing you want to do is start your year with a goal that you will not reach. As motivated as you may be at the start of the year, that novelty wears off very quickly and you risk causing harm to both your mood and your metabolism.
But just because you shouldn’t make a weight loss resolution, it doesn’t mean that you can’t see the new year as the ideal opportunity to make some healthy changes. Make a pledge to yourself to achieve a healthier body – including a better weight – in 2017. There are some fantastic ways for you to do this without having to adhere to a rigid program that you are likely to drop before reaching your goal.
Consider the following ways to use the new year to make yourself healthier and achieve a better weight:
· Drink more water – very few of us are drinking enough water every day. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, sip away at water all day long. It will help you to stay hydrated, give you energy, boost your metabolism, shrink your appetite and make your body more efficient at losing weight.
· Eat more veggies – have a look at your plate at each major meal. Try to fill as much of it as possible with vegetables. This means that you’ll want to eat slightly less meat and starch on every plate. Your goal over time should be to fill half your plate with veggies. This will give you more fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients while filling you up on a low number of calories.
· Cut back on fast food – we all love fast food and we all eat it from time to time. However, if you can cut back on the number of times you eat it, you’ll help to slash your intake of calories, sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats. You’ll eat fewer empty calories as a whole. If you usually eat fast food three times per week, try to cut it back to two. It will make a difference.
· Exercise on a daily basis – this doesn’t mean you need a gym membership (unless you love the gym!). It does mean that you need to get up and move around every day. Go for a walk before or after work, or even during your lunch break. Do some yoga. Try Pilates. Head to the pool at the local community center. Or do all of those things. Mix it up so you’ll enjoy the workout and will keep it up over time.
