Happy New Year! I hope you’re all rested and ready for a fresh start to 2017! I had an amazing holiday filled with good food, nice wine and the most incredible time with my family. I’ll admit, I used to snub New Years Resolutions. But for some reason I’ve had a change of heart and now can’t wait to clink my glass at midnight and setting a new intention for a new year.
And I’m not the only one: approximately 80% of us make resolutions in the New Year, BUT apparently a mere 8% of us actually KEEP them! Ouch.
With such a high failure rate, why do we keep torturing ourselves with this process year after year? Of course we do it because we all have things we sincerely want to change in our lives. But we seem to have a knack for over promising and under delivering when it comes to New Years Resolutions. How many times have you made a resolution to lose weight? Or give up smoking? Or just eat healthier?
Let 2017 be the year that you beat the odds and stick to your resolution! If you’re really wanting to make a promise that you actually keep this year, here’s what to do:
- Be reasonable. Seriously. Don’t try to resolve to do something that is nearly impossible: make it achievable!
- Set milestones. Most of us quit on our resolutions half way through (from the start to finish, assuming you’ve set this type of timeline, which brings me to my next point). Set a goal but create mini milestones to give yourself a pat on the back an the feeling of accomplishment along the way. And plan for setbacks. If you stumble on the way, accept it and remember that every breath is a new beginning and an opportunity to make a different choice.
- Change one thing at a time. As tempting as it may be to want to go from couch potato to a vegan marathon runner, do it in small steps that let you feel a sense of accomplishment without setting you up for failure. Small changes will add up to big results.
- Be specific. Define your goal (see last year’s post about creating a SMART goal), know exactly what it is that you are trying to achieve and create a road map for how you will get there.
- Give it meaning. Write it down and figure out why the resolution is important to you. Ask yourself what will happen if you don’t make the change? Attaching meaning to the resolution will help it stick.
There are a MILLION resolutions that you can make, here are my five favourite nutrition ones for 2017:
- Eat more plant-based protein (and fewer animal products). Eating more plants is good for everyone. You, the environment and of course the animals. Beans, tofu, nuts, lentils, quinoa and freekeh are all good sources of plant protein or you can use a good quality plant-based protein powder to help you out.
- Be present at mealtimes. Put down the phone, turn off the TV and sit down and have a conversation that doesn’t include emojis. This is a resolution that everyone will need to be on-board with, but it will pay you back a million times over. You’ll enjoy your food more, eat less, and spend quality time with your loved ones. You’re welcome.
- Stop drinking your calories. That Starbucks mocha isn’t doing your waistline any favours. And don’t even get me started on soda.
- Up your meal planning game. This doesn’t mean that you need to cook a gourmet dinner every night, it simply means that you have the basics on-hand at the very least for a few healthy quick meals and a plan of attack for the week. I use Wunderlist for our grocery list (share it with my hubby, if you use it you’ll see why I love it), have my kitchen stocked with Tuperware for keeping prepped fruit and veggies on hand, and use a meal planning template (or you can use an app or a simple calendar) to plan my meals ahead to avoid the last minute poor choices.
- Don’t diet. That’s right. Change the way you eat if you need to, but don’t make changes that you can’t maintain. Not only will it lead to failure (soooo discouraging), but many diets cut out healthy foods and are impossible to stick to. The first question I ask someone when they bring me a diet for my opinion is ‘can you eat like this for the rest of your life’? If the answer is no, I suggest they make a different choice.
Good luck and Happy New Year my friends YOU’VE GOT THIS!
xx Tori
SHOP COOKBOOKS
SHOP ACTIVEWEAR
SHOP THE CLEAN KITCHEN
Great ideas to get started on a great New Year. I use wunderlist its been a great app for list making. Everything in moderation is my way of thinking. Love your posts. ?❤
Thank you so much Susan and Happy New Year!
Love your ideas! What meal planning template do you use? I’m trying to pack for lunches ahead of time… any freezer friendly or make ahead meal suggestions that I could heat up or eat cold at work?! Thanks!
Hi Alli! I use a Victoria Senges paper template that I put on my fridge, but I should look into some apps to post on the site! I make shepherd’s pie I (mostly veggies), garden veggie meat sauce, lasagne and lentil soup for make ahead meals that can freeze well. Hope this helps!