Top 5 Ways to Stick to a Diet Plan and Keep Your New Year’s Resolution

It’s a New Year and time to start on a new path! It’s a tradition to start the New Year with a resolution. One of the most popular themes of a New Year’s resolution is health. However, keeping your health goals or sticking to a diet plan can be easier said than done.

At Essential Balance, our New Year’s resolution is to help more people achieve their health goals with a realistic nutrition and diet plan. We know that’s it not just about knowing which healthy foods to eat, but also, how to make healthy eating a habit for life.

Here are top 5 ways to achieve your health goals by sticking to a diet plan that works for you:

1. Start Slow: It’s a Marathon not a Sprint

A healthy diet is for life.

When embarking on a health journey, it’s important to think long term. As nutritionists, we would not expect a client to go from eating a steady diet of hamburgers to kale salad overnight. Diving headfirst into a completely new lifestyle is not practical for most.

Trying too many changes too soon will often leave you frustrated and ready to give up by mid-February. You need to plan the journey carefully so you don’t run out of fuel part way. So, start by having a kale salad with your burger and work your way up from there.

2. Map it Out

Having a clear map is required for any journey. The key to sticking to a healthy diet is planning. You need to plan your shopping and meals beforehand.

With a proper diet plan in place, it’s a lot easier to reach for something healthy when it is right at your fingertips.

3. Prepare For Roadblocks & Detours

Don’t just plan for your typical ideal day. Plan for when you are tired and stressed. Plan for that sugar craving midday, or that outing with friends.Also, plan to cheat every once in a while.  It’s about what you do most of the time that counts. It’s the salad every day that makes the difference, not the sweet treat once in a while.

4. Have a Support System

It’s important to be surrounded by people who are supportive of your health journey.

Don’t be afraid to make your health goals known to your friends and family. As long as you do not try to push changes on them, they should be happy to help you along your path.

Lead by example. Once they start to see the positive results, they will want to make a change too.

5. Get Informed

Everyone loves to talk about the latest fad diet. However, the truth is there are over 7 billion people in the world. So, there should be over 7 billion different diets.

While learning about others’ successes can be great for inspiration, this does not necessarily mean that you will achieve the same results with the same diet. You need to do your research and find what works for you.

Listen to your body and do what feels right.

Whatever your  goals are for 2018, let us guide you on your health journey. For a comprehensive, individual diet plan feel free to contact us.

We look forward to helping you (ask about our $30 discount)!