Happy New Year! Who has made their New Year’s resolutions? Or better yet, who dislikes making New Year’s resolutions, because they know deep down, these self-promises will not be kept. Especially when it comes to making healthy lifestyle changes. It’s hard to change habits, whether they are good habits or bad habits.
“I plan to lose ___ pounds” – fill in the blank
“I plan to quit smoking”
“I plan to start eating better”
“I’m plan to join the gym and work out everyday”
Who has paid for a monthly gym membership, went a few times, got bored and stopped going. BUT has continued to pay for the membership every month with the thought of returning one day.
Who has a treadmill, stairmaster or rowing machine at home that has become an expensive clothes hanger?
Who had all the gadgets….juicers, air fryers, herb infuser, food processor…. That are exciting to use at first but then takes up space in the pantry?
If this sounds like you, you are not alone. Most of us have really great intentions to make healthy changes, but after about 2 weeks ……or some might make it 2 months…..we get disenchanted or bored and return to our old habits. Old ruts, old habits, years of “doing it the same way” slowing work their way back into our daily life. We know that we need to make healthy changes, but making those changes can be hard. Start by making simple changes, then build upon those changes as they become part of your daily new routine.
They say it takes two weeks for something to become a habit, good or bad. Two weeks is not a long time to give a new action time to become routine.
Here are some dietary suggestions, simple changes, that can be incorporated into your daily life.
- Eat meals on dessert plates, not dinner plates. Our bodies do not need that much food at one meal. And do not pile on the food. A serving should be an average first size amount. Do not go back for seconds.
- Drink a glass of water before each meal. This helps with digestion and fill up space in your stomach, so you will feel full quicker.
- Eat more plant based foods. Think of the meat as the “side dish” not the main part of the meal.
- Try to minimize the foods cooked with oils such as fried foods.
- If you use canned vegetables, drain all the liquid out and rinse the contents with fresh water.
- When grocery shopping, focus on the foods that are on the periphery of the store..the fresh produce, meats, frozen foods, dairy products. Try to minimize the products in the center isles, the canned and boxed products and processed food. Of course there are exceptions…. The healthier cereals for example.
- Consider purchasing a book on nutrition; back to basics if you will. A Lot of us, including myself, did not receive much education with regards to what it means to eat healthy. I personally did not know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat until I took a nutrition class in nursing school. Knowing why we need to eat certain foods and avoid others makes all the difference in our attitude towards making these choices. Just search “Nutrition 101” in your search engine and you will find many choices to pick from.
As for exercise, again, start with simple changes and build upon them. We need to be active for multiple health benefits for every system that makes up the human body, the very least being for our cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems. You do not need to make it hard and/or expensive on yourself. Just start with one of the best forms of exercise there is …..walk! It’s one of the healthiest forms of activity most of us can do, and it’s cheap! The only expense would be to consider investing in a decent pair of walking shoes. Just 30 minutes a day can boost your mood and improve your health. We live in one of the best places on earth to take walks! Walking on the beach is so beneficial for our physical as well as our mental health. Fort Pulaski also has some awesome walking trails as well. Check them out!
Find activities you like to do and have fun! Biking, pickleball, frisbee golf…. All these activities are exercise. Find buddies who like the same activities and make plans to meet each week.
Finally, do not forget to aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Make sleep a priority. Avoid caffeine at night, stop bedtime TV, social media scrolling and other brain-stimulating activities. Try reading, journaling and taking a relaxing shower. Keep the room dark and cool.
There are plenty more ways to make simple life changes to become a healthier you in 2025. The key is just to start! Start with one or two of these tips and build upon them. Once they become a healthy life change, then add another, then another. That way you are most likely to stick with them for the rest of your life.