Another New Year...

Who hasn't made New Year's resolutions every year that you hardly ever keep?  I know I do EVERY YEAR!  My one resolution I make every year is to give up sugar, but having cultivated a sweet tooth from a very early age, and even knowing how damaging sugar is for health, I find that, at best, I can reduce it.

You see, that's the thing about New Year resolutions - we tend to be too ambitious.

"This year I am going to go to the gym every day and eat only salad and grilled chicken!"

"I'm quitting all sweets FOREVER as of the 1st January!"

"I am going to run every day!"

To name but a few...  I even remember the time my husband went running with his best friend on the 1st of January as the first day of his get fit resolution.  That was 2012...

Making changes to our lives that will benefit our health are, in lots of cases, essential.  But, they need to be well thought out.  Here are some ideas that might help you on your way:

1.  It doesn't have to be New Year's to change your life for the better.

The only right time to make life changes is when you are convinced it is the right time.  There is no point in doing something just because your friend, sister, brother, mother, etc., has decided to do it.  You have to be in the right mindset and convinced of what you are doing and why for any major change in your life to work.

2.  What do you want to achieve?

Think carefully about what you want to achieve.  Do you want to lose weight?  Improve your fitness level?  Incorporate a sport into your life so that you can lose weight, get fit and/or meet other likeminded people?  Give up smoking?  Give up alcohol?

3.  How are you going to do it?  

Once you have decided what you want to achieve you will need to work out HOW to do it.  For example; you want to lose weight... what diet is right for you?  Let's face it, there are sooooo many to choose from!  Would a slimming club or the help of a nutritionist be right for you?  Or do you think you can go it alone?

4.  Be good to yourself.

Don't be too ambitious.  Lots of us take on new challenges with lots of energy and hope only to find that the new diet isn't giving the good results we'd hoped for, or the new exercise regime is too difficult to fit into our busy lives... and after a month at most, they give up.

Take it slow, ease into new regimes.  Find someone to do it with you, a "buddy" can often help when your willpower is lagging and you can help them too.

5.  How to change your diet for the better:

If you change your diet radically and restrict a lot of the types of foods you usually eat, you will probably find that your body goes into starvation mode and starts hitting back at you with unbearable cravings!

If you are changing your diet, don't limit yourself too much.

The worst foods for putting on weight are refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice, pasta, and all things sweet (except fruit) including soft drinks.  So, when you overhaul your diet swap these out for healthier options; wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta, no dessert.

Eat the whole fruit.  Fruit has lots of sugar in the form of fructose, but fruit is also full of fibre which helps to keep the sugar spike at bay and prolongs its release.  Forget fancy juices, they really aren't necessary - eat their ingredients as whole foods and you'll do much better from the fibre, juices are just sugary water where the fibre has been stripped away or blended into oblivion.

Don't mix foods that fight.  Separate your carbs from your proteins, and depending on how much weight you NEED to lose, limit your carb intake to TWICE a week.

Don't go fat free.  The majority of foods with a "fat free" label generally have had all the fat replaced with sugar and/or salt to compensate for the lack of flavor.  There is nothing wrong with a moderate fat intake.  So remember, it is better to be sugar free than fat free.

Think fresh.  Don't go for preprepared meals, junk food, etc...  Think fresh and cook from scratch.  If you eat at the office, make double the amount of dinner and take the leftovers into work for lunch the next day.

Make snacking healthy.  You can snack on fruit, or nuts - just one apple or a handful of nuts - you don't need to eat the whole bag!  If, like me, you can't stop once you've started, then don't take the whole bag with you!  Prepare a handful of nuts at home and take just that amount with you to work.

Don't eat unless you are hungry and sip water at regular intervals during the day, eat slowly and preferably in good company - not in front of your computer or watching TV.

STAND UP FOR HEALTH.  If you have a sedentary job, stand up for a couple of minutes every hour.  Go for a walk at lunch time, even if it is just a brisk walk round the block a couple of times.  Incorporate as much movement as you can into your day.

Good luck!

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com