It’s a brand new year, and if you’re like most people, you have at least one or two resolutions you’d desperately like to make happen in 2020. But before you start committing yourself to your healthy resolutions – such as starting a new year’s diet and exercise plan – take a step back and analyze your true values and your “why” when it comes to your goals. Because the truth is that only when you know your “why” can you start to put in place your “how”.
Of all the new year’s resolutions that people typically make, the majority are health-related, such as trying to lose weight, eat cleaner, start a regular exercise program, or stop eating sugar. But the problem is that many people start chasing these healthy resolutions by taking steps that are way too large. Therefore, the goal looks incredibly far away and difficult, and the path unmanageable, so they eventually quit.
The secret to how to keep new year’s resolutions, especially when it comes to a new year’s diet and exercise plan, is to break it up into smaller, more doable steps. Then, the end goal won’t seem as intimidating, and becoming a healthier version of yourself can unfold more naturally, in a less forced manner.
Ready to make some healthy resolutions in 2020 that actually amount to a changed, better version of yourself?! Read on to learn how…
How to Keep Healthy New Year’s Resolutions in 2020
The key to success when it comes to how to keep new year’s resolutions is to break up your goal into steps – and focus on one step per week. Before you know it, you’ll be drenched in healthy habits! When it comes to a new year’s diet and exercise plan, you don’t want to make drastic changes overnight.
Instead, you want to break it down into action steps. Each week you’ll have a new action step, and since it’s only 7 days, you’ll feel empowered to actually accomplish it. The hope is that after doing the action for a week, it will become something you like enough to continue, therefore assisting towards your overarching health goals.
Here are 5 ways to inch yourself towards your healthy resolutions in 2020…
5 Action Steps To A Healthier New Year’s Diet And Exercise Plan
1) Add in more colors
Simply saying “I need to eat more vegetables” isn’t enough. You have to make fruits and veggies more exciting, so eating them seems less like a chore, and more like an adventure.
For one week, vow to whip up the tastiest recipes you can find using a variety of fresh, colorful fruits, veggies, and herbs. What you may discover is that you love them so much, you no longer need to force yourself to eat them at all!
2) Eat more plant proteins
Unless you’re already a vegetarian or vegan, you most likely lean on animal-based sources of protein far too often. You probably don’t realize that plants are also an incredible source of protein – and can give your body a break from the saturated fats that come with heavy meats and fatty poultry.
In addition, switching up your source of protein to plant-based such as peas, hemp, chia, legumes, brown rice and more, offers your body more nutritional variety. With plant proteins, you get an abundance of essential micronutrients to help fight deficiencies, including vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, and antioxidants. Plus, plant-based proteins are typically lower in fat and calories than animal-based sources, while being high in beneficial fiber.
For a fast, easy, yummy way to get more plant proteins into your diet, try plant-based meal replacement shakes. In particular, our #1 rated shake right now, 310 Shake, offers 15g of proven plant proteins per serving from pea, brown rice and hemp.
3) Replace sugar with healthy fats
Next, a typical healthy resolution for many people is to cut down on or give up sugar – but you can’t just quit cold turkey without a plan! If you simply cut out sugar or refined carbs from your diet without giving yourself something else to satisfy the cravings, you’ll be left with quite the sugar hangover for 1-2 weeks.
A much better idea is to simultaneously increase your intake of healthy fats, making sure you get a good amount at each meal. Fats such as avocado, healthy oils (coconut, MCT, olive), nuts and nut butters, eggs and other full-fat dairy can fulfill your appetite and keep blood sugar levels stable. Therefore, your brain will be satisfied and reaching for sugar simply won’t be necessary.
4) “Spike” your water
Staying hydrated is incredibly important to any new year’s diet and exercise plan, but many people find it difficult because they consider regular water to be boring. Instead, make drinking more exciting by spicing up your H2O…
You can easily add fresh fruits, veggies and herbs into your water to give it great flavor, along with energy-boosting nutrients. In addition, you can add in healthy, sugar-free options like green superfood juice powder, low-calorie lemonades, or herbal teas.
5) Add in 5-10 minutes of fitness
Finally, last but not least, let’s discuss your new year’s exercise efforts. The most important thing to realize is, you want to devise a workout schedule that works best for you, not someone else. The secret to how to keep fitness-related new year’s resolutions is to first analyze your situation realistically, and decide what will and won’t work with your lifestyle.
If you have a very busy schedule, vow to add quick 5-15 minute workouts daily. Though this may not seem like a lot, studies show that quick, intense bursts of energy can positively impact your health and fitness goals. Not to mention that it gets your body up and moving, which can boost metabolism and energy.
Plus, this shorter time period is much more manageable, so you’ll likely be able to keep it up, even with a tight schedule. This can increase your confidence towards your end goal, and motivate you to squeeze in even more bursts of physical activity whenever possible!
Remember that the secret to keeping your healthy resolutions starts with determining your values and breaking your goals down into manageable steps. Ready to begin?! Get more tips and advice on living a healthy lifestyle in 2020 on the MRS Health Blog.
Sources:
https://www.ted.com/talks/emily_balcetis_why_some_people_find_exercise_harder_than_others?referrer=playlist-talks_to_inspire_new_year_s_re
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241324
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/01/02/new-year-diet-how-pick-right-one-and-stick/2457597002/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/5-diet-resolutions-new-year#1
https://blog.ted.com/the-science-of-willpower-kelly-mcgonigal-on-why-its-so-dang-hard-to-stick-to-a-resolution/
