In between all the party planning, picking out your New Year’s Eve outfit and reading all the best of 2016 lists, you may be thinking a bit about how you will improve yourself in 2017. It is indeed resolution time.
According to Statistic Brain, 45 percent of Americans usually make New Year’s resolutions—but only eight percent accomplish them—and most likely, they will have something to do with being a healthier you. Losing weight is the top resolution made by Americans, while staying fit and healthy is the fifth (which is why there will be lines at your gym for the first week of January.) Everyone aspires to wake up on January 1 and be a health guru. You know the one that is already a star at the chic new workout (which looks like it will be aqua cycling in 2017) and carries flax seeds in their purse.
But for those of us that aren’t Gwyneth Paltrow and can’t sleep 10 hours a night to reap the benefits of “clean sleeping” how can we make sure we keep our resolutions? Keri Glassman, a dietician who specializes in healthy cooking and unique techniques for living a “Nutritious Life” gave us some great tips that will keep those resolutions in check.
1. Be Realistic
You are not Jillian Michaels. You cannot get a six-pack overnight (even if you are “sleeping clean.”) Glassman says many times resolutions fail because they’re too far out of the realm of what is realistic. Research by private health company Bupa found that nearly half of Brits (43 percent) lasted less than a month with their resolutions.
2. Give Yourself a Year
One of the ways to be realistic is to give yourself a doable goal. “While it’s good to be somewhat of an idealist, make it obtainable within the year: You’re much more likely to stick to a promise if it seems doable. Don’t make a resolution to accomplish something that should be part of your five or 10 year plan. Those are long term goals for a reason!” Glassman told the Observer.
3. Make It Measurable
Is your resolution in the new year to ‘be successful’? How do you measure success? Choose something to accomplish that is measurable based on time, commitment, and accomplishment. ‘I will complete three 30 minute runs outside every week’ is something that is reasonable and measurable, and you’ll know clearly when you’ve completed that promise to yourself.
4. Tell People About Your Resolutions
The minute you put that resolution out into the world, it gets a lot harder to escape it. Tell your friends and family because they will keep asking you about it and it can be a great motivator.
5. Keep It Green
As for how to just make long-term health girls work past the month of January, Glassman says to eat those greens! “Yes, it’s been said before. But this year, we mean it. Even if you’re already a healthy eater, focusing on incorporating more greens into your diet is a crucial step towards exceptional health. It’s easy to veer off track when you’re sick of the same greens everyday. Work in something fresh and new, like adding broccoli rabe to your daily avocado toast.”
According to Glassman 2017 is the year of broccoli rabe. Get ready to see it all over your Instagram feed. She suggests roasting it with garlic and sea salt and blending into an easy veggie pesto, or saute to top a crostini. Take that, avocado toast!
6. Consistency is Key
Glassman emphasizes that the secret is consistency. “Working out in the first month of the new year is great…as a start! Don’t burn yourself out – commit to a workout regimen that is realistic for your lifestyle and schedule. And stick to it! After your workouts start becoming second nature, then it’s time to up your game.”
Good luck!
