Yahoo Lifestyle New Year's Resolutions: Think Long Term
Are you ready to be bombarded once again by quick weight-loss schemes and fad diets for the New Year? While many of the diets you'll hear about could be considered gimmicks, almost all will have one important message in common: any changes you make to your eating and overall lifestyle need to be long term.
How do you make this year's weight-loss resolution the one you'll actually follow? A good place to start is to mentally prepare yourself for the changes you want to make before you start dieting or exercising. If you only want a "quick fix," today may not be the best time to start making changes. You'll surely fail if you are not in the right frame of mind to make a long-term commitment.
Check out these tips to help you on your road to weight-loss success:
Slow and steady wins the race. Start with small changes you can live with, such as switching from whole milk to reduced fat milk instead of deciding to exercise five days a week when you've never exercised before. It's tempting to want to change everything at once with the New Year, but it's not the best approach to accomplish long-term, effective change. To ensure long-term success, make changes gradual and achievable.
Write it down. As discussed previously on this blog, starting a food record or food diary will help you keep track of your food and beverage intake. Many of us eat or drink throughout the day, not always realizing what we are consuming. All those snacks can add up to extra calories.
Don't go it alone. Identify a friend or family member to support you through the change process. Many diet experts believe that you can only be successful when you have an adequate support system. If you are trying to change your entire family's lifestyle, it is important to have adequate buy-in from all family members before making changes.
Banish the guilt. If you succumb to temptation and join the many other Americans who will abandon their New Year's resolutions within a few weeks, remember it is all right to make a mistake. Don't waste time feeling guilty. Just get back on the road to lasting lifestyle change tomorrow.
