Eat home cooked meals
• Cooking at home leads to an increased consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains in addition to a decreased consumption of carbohydrates, sugar, fat, sodium and total calories. Home-cooked meals also provide more fiber, calcium, and iron compared to food purchased or prepared away from home. Plus, you could save thousands, yes thousands of dollars each year by cooking rather than having someone else do it for you.
• Utilize slow cookers, rice cookers, instant pots and one-pan meals to save yourself some precious time. Some crockpot meals take 10 minutes or less - everyone has 10 minutes.
Track your weight
• Catch gains before they happen by tracking your weight or how your clothes fit. Research shows that individuals who weigh themselves on a consistent basis (daily or weekly) can avoid putting on weight and lose weight too! Though weighing-in cannot be directly linked to weight loss, it appears that frequently “checking in” motivates people to engage in healthier eating and exercise behaviors.
Get the ball rolling
• Don’t let winter keep you from reaching your goals. Start by making a list of what you want to accomplish and focus on just one thing at a time. Then, dissect tasks into tiny pieces to make them more achievable. For example, the hardest part about exercising is not the actual workout; it’s initiating the first step. It’s getting off the couch. It’s getting your workout clothes on. It’s driving to the gym. Once you get the ball rolling, it’s all downhill from there. Don’t think about the lengthy process. Just think about the very first thing you need to do, whether it’s
putting your socks on or taking out the cutting board.
Enjoy yourself
• The holidays can be crazy and stressful. Don’t
forget to take time to enjoy them. When you
find yourself running around, take a moment to
pause, breathe and appreciate the festive
decorations and Christmas spirit. Don’t forget to
take a minute for yourself and get your nails done
or take a bath or slowly savor your favorite cup of
coffee. When it comes to the abundance of delicious
food, find a balance between depriving yourself and
overdoing it. Have a Christmas cookie or two and enjoy
every bite, just don’t eat the entire batch.