Struggling with New Year Resolutions?

Are you struggling with your New Year Resolutions?

Here are my tips on making long lasting positive lifestyle changes.

1. Review your resolutions and ask yourself some searching questions. The most important question to ask yourself is “Are they realistic?” I have seen plenty of facebook statuses along the lines of “New Year, New Me!” and while I applaud the positivity, I have been known to raise an eyebrow.
2. Avoid faddy diets. I have a major problem with faddy diets. Although I know some people find they lose a lot of weight in the short term, I don’t believe they are sustainable. If the diet that you are following is not one that you can happily follow for the rest of your life, I would advise against it. The key with dietary change for me is to make positive healthy choices that you can follow for the rest of your life.
3. Make one change at a time. I was talking to a friend of mine who is a naturopath, and she made a point which I whole-heartedly agree with. “People can only handle one change at a time.” The difficulty about starting any kind of lifestyle revolution is that it can quickly become overwhelming. Instead, try one small thing at a time, like not having sugary drinks and give it a few weeks. When you feel that you have conquered that, try adding to it with another change.
4. Make small, achievable changes. This is really an extension of point 1. By making small changes one at a time you give yourself more chance of succeeding. And after a few months you can look back and see all the small changes added up to a big difference.
5. Look at how well you can integrate the changes into your everyday life. This could be the most important thing. If going to the gym every day after work is going to be a logistical nightmare, think about going for a run when you walk the dog. Or if going on a detox diet Is going to mean that in practise you have to cook two lots of food, one for you, and one that the rest of your family are prepared to eat, then you might need to take another approach.

I hope this helps. Good luck with the changes.