Jumpstart Your Way into the New Year

Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone, but the holiday parties and family gatherings aren’t over yet. You may be looking ahead to the New Year, and you might be vowing to give up sweets, to cook more meals at home, and commit to daily exercise when the ball drops at midnight on January 1st.

But a cold turkey approach (no pun intended) to resolutions, isn’t always the best way to go about it. Tackling the problem too aggressively with overly restrictive ‘fad diets’ and exercise regimes you can’t commit to will often times leave you feeling deflated. But, it’s never too early or too late to start making lifestyle changes.  For example, during the holiday season, starting a consistent exercise routine, practicing portion control, and activating your social networks to help you stay on track can make a big difference in getting a jumpstart on your New Year’s resolutions. Listed below are some ways to improve even the most common of bad habits.

Skipping meals

This is a bad habit that rarely helps with weight loss. If you’re too busy, meal replacement shakes are a great way to get the balanced nutrition you need with built in calories and portion control. Keeping a nutritionally balanced protein or granola bar is also wise to stave off hunger!

Portion control

If you need help with portion control, start by simply serving yourself less. Using smaller plates or bowls also helps. And keep serving dishes off the table to avoid the temptation to take another helping.

Be a smart snacker

When it’s done right, snacking can help you control your overall caloric intake by keeping your hunger in check. A healthy snack combines some carbohydrates with enough protein to satisfy hunger.

Staying hydrated

When you don’t drink enough liquids, it can make you tired and irritable which could lead you to unhealthy snacking. Try adding a bit of flavor to your water which will encourage you to drink, and keep a water bottle nearby.

Add more fruits and veggies

If you need to add more fruits and veggies to your day, plan to have one at each meal and snack. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh, and you can add fruits to meal replacement shakes, yogurt or cereal, and add veggies to soups, stews, curries, omelets and stir-fries.

Written by CSSD, CSOWM for The Healthy Moms Magazine and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.