How to Stick to a New Year's Resolution

Many people start the New Year with resolutions to lose weight, exercise more, or improve their overall health. Often times these resolutions fail just a couple weeks into the New Year. Here are several ways to stick to your resolutions and incorporate small changes into your daily life to add up to a healthier you.

Make exercise a commitment.

It is easy to just choose not to workout after a long day at work and come home and lay on the couch. However, I find I feel better about myself and am happy to workout once I get to the gym. Make working out a priority. Write it down in your planner, in the calendar on your phone, or even a note on the fridge. I find that if I write it down, like anything else I have to do that day, that I stick to it and make it to the gym. Chances are, once you get to the gym you will be happy that you are there and will feel ever better after your workout.

Slowly add in workouts and just move more.

Chances are, if you start the New Year vowing to hit the gym every single day for at least an hour a day, you are going to fail. Your body is going to get burnt out and you are going to start dreading or avoiding your workouts. Start out small and go every two days or every other day and see how you feel. Give your body some time to adjust to a new workout plan and add in more days when you feel ready.

Find small ways where you can fit in more movement. Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator, park your car further out at the grocery store, or even do some abdominal exercises or stretching while you’re watching TV at night. All of these things will add up to a healthier you.

Find moderation.

Vowing to cut out all higher calorie or “junk foods” at once is setting yourself up for failure. Enjoy these foods in moderation. Allow yourself to have one cookie, but not the entire package. Try to give yourself a reward. If you make it to the gym every day that you wanted to that week and stuck to your diet, reward yourself with one cookie after a tough workout on Friday. Still allowing yourself to have the foods you enjoy, but in moderation, will set you up for success with your goals.

Explore some Apps to help stay on track.

There are so many different apps out there that will help you stay on track with your fitness and dieting goals. Just type in “fitness”, “diet”, or “workout” in the ‘App Store’ on your phone and you will find hundreds. Try a few out to decide what works best for your goals. There are ones for tracking your food intake, keeping track of your workouts, and even apps that help you find workouts to do at the gym or at home. These will all help you stay on track in the New Year with your goals.

Finding a diet and exercise program that you love and want to stick to is tough, but once you start feeling stronger and seeing progress you will want to keep at it. Developing healthier habits with diet and exercise and overall wellness is hard, but once you make these habit’s a part of your daily routine you will feel better and start to look forward to going to the gym. You will also want to keep eating better to fuel your workouts. Whether you want to just lose a few pounds, improve your fitness level, or just become healthier overall, these tips should help you stick to your goals. Happy New Year!