5 Changes for a Healthy New Year

A new year has begun. Welcome, 2017!

With the dawn of every New Year come new goals and resolutions. The most common New Year’s Resolution? Weight loss.

How many years have you vowed to get healthy and lose weight? How many years have you failed to achieve your goal? Don’t worry. It has happened to all of us. However, this year it doesn’t have to end in disappointment. This can be the year you make a resolution and you succeed!

The biggest problem with making goals is setting the bar too high or feeling daunted by lofty goals. Start with setting your goals a month at a time and making small changes. These small achievements will make for a big payoff at the end of the year. Remember that even small changes make a big difference in the long run. For example: instead of setting a goal to lose 50 pounds over the course of the year, aim to lose just 5 pounds in the first month. Make changes and add a new goal each month.

Here are 5 changes you can make for a Healthy New Year:

1. Drink more water – Water transports oxygen and nutrients, helps dissolve sugars, rids our bodies of toxins, lubricates our joints and regulates our body temperature. YOU NEED IT! Start with a simple goal of adding one more glass a day than you are having now.
2. Cut excess/added sugars – While sugar gives you energy, it also leaves you with a bad crash, causing mood swings and depression. Added sugars increase your risk of heart attack and stroke from high blood pressure. An excess of added sugar increases fat buildup around the liver, causing insulin resistance that weakens the pancreas, which can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Start with small cuts to get added sugars out of your diet, like quitting soda.
3. Eat more protein – We cannot tell you enough how important protein is! A diet high in lean protein will help feel satisfied while you lose fat and maintain your muscle. Aim for 90 grams of protein, or more, each day.
4. Exercise more – Start from where you are. Are you not exercising at all? That’s okay! Set a goal to exercise 30 minutes a day, for 3 days a week. After a month, make it 5 days a week. Are you already exercising 30 minutes a day? Maybe increase the intensity or workout for an hour. There is always room for improvement when it comes to taking care of our bodies! Aim to be strong, NOT skinny.
5. Quit a bad habit – Do a self-evaluation. What is holding you back? Are you drinking too much alcohol, or energy drinks? Do you smoke? Check yourself for bad habits and make necessary changes to begin quitting.

Again, remember that even small changes make a big difference in the long run. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Changes require determination and perseverance. You can do it!