Stay on Track for a Healthy Heart

Sticking to your new year’s resolution

It’s officially the second week of 2018 and you’re probably well into working towards those new year’s resolutions. If your goals this year are to live a healthier lifestyle, lose weight or watch what you eat, your diet is something that can make or break your progress. The type of diet you choose is important to your success, but we want to give you a few tips to help you achieve your diet goals with consistency and efficiency.

Most people give up on their New Year’s resolutions within two weeks into the new year. Why is this? For starters, the biggest factor that plays into a diet’s success is adherence to the plan. It would make sense to assume that people give up on their resolution goals because they find it difficult to adhere to their plan or they don’t have a plan to begin with. What can you do to set yourself up for the most successful year yet?

1. Have a plan – Such a simple concept, right? Seems like common sense to have a plan when you embark on a dieting journey; but, the plan you choose can make or break your progress. How closely does the diet fit into your lifestyle? We aren’t saying that you won’t have to make changes to your lifestyle, but if it throws you off your lifestyle completely then you probably are more likely to struggle succeeding. So, pick a plan that you know you can adhere to.

2. Start off conservatively – Jumping in head first can be a bad thing when the pool is only two feet deep. Take a step back and think of a couple food items you can give up then get yourself into a routine with that change. With this, you may not start off by losing an astronomical amount of weight, but it does do is set up your mind to succeed. Staying mentally tough when giving something up is hard, starting small makes the transition a little smoother.

3. Progress Slowly – Having the expectation of fast progress can often lead to the demise of your plan. You may find yourself frustrated because the scale isn’t moving fast enough and want to throw it all in the air. Sometimes, at that point you feel like its easier to give up and try again next year. Don’t do that! Just come to terms with the fact that progress should be slow. Why? Slow progress will lead to longer lasting results.

Having a plan, starting off conservatively and progressing slowly will ultimately lead to the best results. These small tips can lead to the best mindset in a diet and not be so restrictive. Incorporate these three approaches into your routine and achieve the best results in this new year!

Author

Dr Stephen Hussey