It’s almost the end of the year, meaning it’s time to start drafting up your New Year’s resolutions. Â Every year we partake in the tradition of creating a list of goals that we want to accomplish. And every time about three months into the year, these resolutions drop by the wayside. Here are some tips on how to stay on track and reach the goals you set for 2012.
1. Be realistic and set specific goals. Popular resolutions include: reducing debt, losing weight, and quitting smoking. Although admirable, these goals are vague and can appear daunting. Â Start small, then go big to make your goals real and attainable. For exampe, if you are trying to lose weight, set the goal of “lose 10 pounds in 90 days.” Setting a specific target weight loss within a certain time frame makes it more likely that you will reach your objective.Â
2. Limit your goals. It can be tempting to have the mindset that “you can do everything.” But resolutions are hard and will require a lot of will power. Â You have to remember that by having a few or even just one goal that you can put all your efforts into is better than having multiple goals that you commit to half-heartedly.Â
3. Have a friend join you. If you can get a friend to commit to the same resolutions as you, you’re more likely to succeed. You can use each other for motivation and to keep each other honest.Â
4. Have fun. If you don’t end up getting to where you wanted to be by the end of 2012, don’t beat yourself up about it. Assess your situation and where you went wrong in order to improve for next year. Was your goal too big and maybe you needed to make a smaller more realistic goal? Or perhaps you lost motivation halfway through the year and should’ve enlisted in more support from friends and family. Resolutions are for self-improvement and to make you feel better about yourself. Don’t let resolutions get you down.Â
If your New Year’s resolution includes losing weight, here are some tips:Â
- Eat slower:Â If you eat too quickly, you’re not giving your body enough time to signal that you’re full. This will lead you to overeat. Slow down in between bites and you’ll find yourself eating less.Â
- Pay attention: In a recent study, it was shown that distracted eaters were more likely to overeat. Â Stop the mindless eating in front of the TV or your desktop and take 30 minutes to fully enjoy your meal.
- Drink a Glass of Water Before Eating: Drinking water before your meal will fill up your stomach and make you feel full faster. Thus, you’ll find yourself eating less during meal times. Â Â
- Eat multiple small meals: Some studies have shown that eating multiple small meals will help keep your metabolism up. By stretching out your calories throughout the day, it will also give you better self-control and prevent you from overeating at your next meal.
- Exercise: the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in.Â
Some apps to help keep you on a healthy lifestyle:
Nike Training Club
The Nike Training Club app turns your smart phone into your very own personal trainer. This app comes with free video tutorials and work-outs by Nike trainers. Select your type of workout, drills, and very own playlist to help you stay fit.Â
Runkeeper
RunKeeper works with the GPS on your smartphone to track your workout. RunKeeper updates you on stats such as your pace, distance, and elevation. This is a great way to keep a record of your fitness progress.Â
Calorie Counter and Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal
Calorie Counter lets you input your food intake and calculates the amount of calories you’ve consumed in a given day. Use Calorie Counter to set dietary goals and keep track of your progress.Â
The Eatery
The Eatery: Massive Health Experiment #01 from Massive Health on Vimeo.
Often times when we eat, we are unaware of the amount of calories we consume. The Eatery makes keeping a food diary fun and interactive and helps keep you on a stable and healthy diet. Snap photos of your food so The Eatery can track your eating habits and locate where your strongest and weakest points are. You can also connect to an online community to help motivate and keep you honest with your diet.Â
Sources:Â
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201012/why-new-years-r…
http://lifehacker.com/5724520/how-can-i-get-my-appetite-under-control-af…
Image Sources:
http://io9.com/5722158/new-years-resolutions-might-not-be-a-waste-of-tim…
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/runkeeper/id300235330?mt=8
http://itunes.apple.com/app/nikewomen-training-club/id301521403
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/calorie-counter-diet-tracker/id341232718?…