Year after year January 1 rolls around and we make promises to ourselves to workout more, eat healthy, and lose weight and then come to find that by January 3, we have one more family party to go to and those chips and french onion dip start calling out your name.
It is hard keeping resolutions, but this year we want to give you ten healthy and fun ways to get yourself into a regular habit of exercise and good nutrition and thirty days to break the bad habit of tossing your resolution out the window.
*These may not be easy, but keeping even just a couple will help you towards your overall goal of a healthy new year.
1. Eat protein within one hour of waking up.
Most of us HATE protein in the morning. Who wouldn't want to give up their cereal, bagels, doughnuts, and coffee cake? But if you just eat one serving of protein in the morning, you will feel fuller longer, and give a healthy boost to starting your day.
2. Talk about feeling fuller with … ch, ch, ch, chia seeds?
Yes, we're talking about those seeds you plant in Bob, Fred, or whoever's clay pot head to make the green "hair" grow. These seeds are actually good for you and will expand (not grow) in your stomach making you feel fuller longer. Don't believe us? Try it and tell us what you think!
3. Don't drink during the week.
This is a hard one, but keep that bottle (or box) of wine hidden away during the week and substitute with water, tea, and coffee instead. This doesn't mean on the weekends you can binge on that age-old wine, but it does limit your drinking habits to only two days a week rather than seven.
4. Drink six to eight glasses of water a day.
Regardless of what you do or what you like to drink, our bodies are mainly composed of water and drinking water cannot only replenish your bodily levels to where they need to be, it helps your skin become clearer and less dry, and hydrate you unlike the sugary counterparts such as any kind of pop.
5. Take your vitamins.
It's not enough to make your kids take their vitamins everyday, you need to do it too! Although you now have an adult version of a pill that you need to swallow, vitamins are a great way to get the nutrients your body needs. Make sure to take one good multivitamin a day with a meal.
6. Eat six small meals a day.
Six?! Yes six. This includes a good breakfast (above), a smaller lunch and dinner, and two to three small healthy snacks in between. Having a good breakfast and smaller lunch, dinner, and snacks in between will help you cut back on empty calories and larger portions giving you needed energy all day long.
7. Take the plank challenge.
Now time for exercise. One of the new fads going around is called the plank challenge. Here is how it goes: Day 1 - 20 seconds, Day 2 - 20 seconds, Day 3 - 30 seconds, Day 4 - 30 seconds, Day 5 - 40 seconds, Day 6 - REST… You will go up to 270 seconds on Day 29 and on Day 30 you will plank as long as possible. Click here to see the rest of the schedule http://on.fb.me/1gkQlLg
8. Do the 30-day workout challenge.
Doing these two challenges will definitely get your body in shape and kick your resolution into gear. This specific challenge will have you doing lunges, squats, pushups, and sit-ups all of which will make you feel those muscles you didn't think existed anymore. Click here to start your 30-day challenge http://bit.ly/1gkSk28.
9. Bring a homemade lunch (and snacks) to work.
It's easy to join the rest of the office and order out for lunch or even go by yourself to a fast food restaurant or Panera to get away from work for an hour. However, bringing your lunch to work will not only save you money but give you a good excuse to eat healthy. The most important part of it is to pack a lunch (and snacks) that are balanced such as protein, fruits, veges, and very few carbs.
10. Unplug for thirty minutes a day.
Although this doesn't exactly fall into the workout category, unplugging yourself from technology will reap great benefits for your overall mental and emotional health. Not only should you put this resolution into action for yourself, but even your family would enjoy some quiet time together playing a game not in front of the TV or cell phones.
If you do any of these healthy resolutions comment below and tell us how it goes, or comment on Facebook and share your thoughts!
