January 12, 2015

5 Tips for Sticking to Your New Year's Resolutions

This post was sponsored by Progresso™ through their partnership POPSUGAR. While I was compensated by POPSUGAR to write a post about Progresso™, all opinions are my own.

When it comes to New Year's Resolutions, I try to keep them simple and balanced. I do not like drastic goals such as "I will exercise for 2 hours a day everyday" or "I will cut out all sugar" because I think that these are very hard to follow long term. When it comes to goals, I like for them to be measurable, not too hard to follow and something that can be followed long term. I think that aiming for a lifestyle change is the best way to meet your goals, not a short-term plan such as a super low-calorie diet.

This year, my goals are simple: take care of myself so that I can best take care of my family. This includes exercise, eating right, getting enough sleep and drinking lots of water. To make things more specific, I want to exercise 6-7 days per week, drink at least 3-32 oz water bottles per day, go to bed by 9:30 PM most work nights (later on the weekend) and eat lots of fruit, vegetables and whole grains. When I take care of myself, I feel my best and then can help out my family in the best way possible.

Here are some of my tips to stick with your New Year's Resolutions:
1. Write it down- When it comes to fitness, I find that an excellent tool is to write down the exercise that you do. I did this for 6 months last year and felt like I had to hold myself accountable since if I missed a day, I could not write down anything for that day. It doesn't have to be anything crazy. Even something like "went on a 20 minute walk" will work. I also felt proud of myself for completing X amount of exercise per week.

2. Prep your food- One of my favorite healthy eating tips is to prep your food ahead of time. On Saturday or Sunday each week, I prep my food for the week ahead to save time and ensure that I have healthy food ready to eat when I am busy. This often includes: roasted vegetables, chopped carrots and celery, breakfast items, casseroles, shredded meat, etc. I check my fridge, pantry and freezer to see what I have on hand and then cook these items to have food ready for the week ahead.

3. Put that phone away!- This is something that I am still working on. I usually get into bed at a decent time on the weeknights but sometimes waste a bunch of time browsing on my phone. I read blog posts, scroll Instagram, read emails, etc. The artificial light makes it harder to fall asleep and I end up getting to bed much later than I intended. Make a rule for yourself to put your phone away half an hour before bed for example to help.

4. Keep your water bottle nearby- Since I was in college, I have always drank a very large amount of water. This helps prevent me from getting dehydrated and helps me feel my best. I always have my water bottle next to me on the treadmill, on my desk at work, by my bedside, etc. When I feel thirsty, I just take a swig and seeing the water bottle constantly helps to remind me to drink up. Taking a bottle of water with you everywhere will help you meet your goals.

5. Stock up on healthy foods- I think that one of the easiest ways to make sure that you eat healthy is to keep healthy foods on hand. When you have a fridge full of fresh produce, you are less likely to reach for that candy bar than if you do not have any healthy foods on hand. Also, if you are in a pinch and low on time, having quick foods such as canned tuna, beans or soup can help you make a healthier meal choice.

I was sent these Progresso Light soups to try. I really like the savory beef barley vegetable soup which is filling and tasty. I like the texture of the little barley pieces. I remember a couple of months ago, I was taking care of Adalyn and was missing my normal lunchtime and was starving. My mom made me this soup and I never ate anything that fast! 

What are your tips for sticking to your New Year's resolutions?

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