Healthy Habits That Can Help With Those New Year’s Resolutions

Many of us set weight loss or fitness goals for our new year’s resolution which we conveniently “forget” by February.

What follows next is common too: that initial determination, then a fading resolve, and finally you start telling yourself that starting next year could be a better idea. So how do you break the cycle?

Forget losing weight or that intense health diet. Here are a few things you should do ALL the time – daily habits that’ll push you towards a simple, healthy lifestyle.

We’re pretty sure you’ve heard this many times, but it’s true. The more water you drink, the more you flush your body of toxins. Set a target of three litres a day (bring a one-litre bottle to work – it helps!) and aim to drink one litre before every meal. Now that doesn’t seem so hard, right? You’ll also notice that doing this will prevent overeating.

Okay, maybe the phrase specified ‘apple’ but in actual fact, having a piece of fruit every day will do a lot of good for your body. Try to consume fruits before 4pm in the afternoon, as fructose is still a form of sugar you’ll want to burn off earlier in the day.

As much as we all hate getting up in the morning, set aside 20 minutes every morning for a hearty breakfast. Whip up a healthy combination of fruits, oats, and even some toast for energy. Save the roti and nasi lemak for cheat days only. To save time, you can prep your breakfast the night before.

Learn to love your veggies. We suggest eating one meal each day that is mainly greens. That way, you won’t have to feel guilty when you share an entire order of pizza with your best friends.

Some of us aren’t the kind of people who train for marathons, but a few minutes of exercise is better than none. After a day out, put aside some time to get your heart pumping. Run on the spot, jump rope, or star jump – these are just a few of the many kinds of workout you can do while catching up on your evening TV time.

You like to hang out with friends over dinner and grab lunch breaks with colleagues. It’s always too hard to say no, but the key is balance. Plan your meals a week ahead: bring healthier food from home or head home to cook healthier meals a few times a week.

Write down your goals and your plans for each week: what you’re planning to eat, when you’re planning to eat out, and of course, how many times you’re going to forgive yourself for “accidentally” snacking. Having it written down means that you have constant reminder of your goals, keeping you on track for a healthy lifestyle. If you’re not good with the pen and paper go digital! There are plenty of apps on your smartphone with note-taking and reminder features.

So, are you ready to kickstart your healthy lifestyle?