6 Tips to Stick to Your Weight Loss New Year’s Resolution

The New Year is approaching once again, which means time for both reflection and looking forward. However this past year went for you, the New Year is symbolic of a new beginning. It’s the one time of year that we get to really think about what we want in life and how to get there – hence the New Year’s Resolutions. A common one is weight loss, for many different reasons. Whether it’s about health, comfort, or even looks, it’s nevertheless an important (and attainable!) goal for many of us. But how many times do we make such a resolution only to give up a few weeks after? Weight loss is hard and it does require hard work, but remember – anything worth having requires hard work. And seriously, if you set your mind to it and really commit, you CAN do it!

So how can you stick to your weight loss resolution this year? We have some tips for you.

Make goals

This might sound obvious at first but it’s more complicated than just setting the weight loss goal. Your goals need to be realistic and incremental. If you go too hard too fast, you’ll likely burn out before you have the chance to really thrive. Get a calendar and write down goals you’d like to accomplish by certain dates. The goals can be small and simple, such as vowing to choose the apple instead of the chips or baguette. If you have several small attainable goals, they will add up over time and you will feel accomplished and even more motivated to continue your journey.

Track your progress

There are several tracking apps (such as MyFitnessPal), so you can try out a few and see what works best for you. Keeping track of what you’re eating is important. It’s very common to underestimate how many calories we’re consuming, especially when eating out. For example, you might think you’re making a healthy choice by ordering a salad in a restaurant, but it’s not uncommon for salads to have more than 1,000 calories! If you get into the habit of tracking your eating habits with apps, it can help you identify some areas in your diet you didn’t even realize were the culprit of some serious over indulgences.

Meal prep

This one’s important! It can be really hard sometimes to make healthy choices when eating out. So give yourself the best chance to succeed by setting yourself up for success! Planning and prepping your meals ahead of time will save you time, money, and calories during the week.

Get support

Accountability and support go a long way when it comes to weight loss. Since it’s such a common New Year’s Resolution, buddy up with a friend or friends to reach your goals together! If you can’t find support with your loved ones, there are a lot of online communities you can turn to, including our own Facebook Group: Healthy, Clean, and Green.

Treat yo’ self

Remember all those little goals you set? Plan little rewards for yourself for when you meet them. This will help keep you motivated and feeling good about all your progress. Just try to make the rewards things that won’t make you backtrack on all your hard work. 

Commit to Cooking

“Eat anything you want, just cook it yourself.” When I say commit to cooking, I’m not talking about taking a frozen meal out of the box and putting it in the oven. I’m talking homemade from scratch type of cooking (check out our blog on this topic here). Want a chocolate cake? Fine, but make it yourself from scratch (not from a box!). Due the amount of time it takes to prepare traditionally unhealthy foods, the average person isn’t going to be making them with any frequency that would be alarming to your health. The problem is that these foods are easily and conveniently available. Make a commitment to yourself to stop buying these things and make them yourself, and I promise your waistline will thank you (and the food will probably taste better!). But what if you can’t cook? Well, you can so stop telling yourself you can’t. There are an abundance of food blogs, YouTube channels, cookbooks and TV shows to help you out. You’ll make some mistakes along the way and there will be some disasters, but you’ll get better at it! Just like any skill it takes a little time, but as with anything if you put in the effort you will see results. I promise, it’s not as bad as it looks. Also, a lot of healthy meals don’t take the time and dedication that making fried chicken or a chocolate cake from scratch does.  

Remember that weight loss is a journey, and as such will have its ups and downs. No one reaches a goal without some failures along the way. But you can learn from those failures and rise above them. If you get discouraged, reach out for support. We’re here to help you, because your success is also our success. So get started planning and making your New Year’s Resolution, because there’s no better time than now to start working towards your goals! The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll reach your goal. Now is the time.