At least half of Americans making New Year’s resolutions will make one concerning diet. Some want to lose weight, others to eat healthier. We all know what happens to New Year’s resolutions – we forget about them by Valentine’s Day. Maybe it will be different this year, but typically, the gym will be packed the first two weeks of January. By the time February rolls around, it is back to normal.
If you are thinking about making a New Year’s resolution regarding diet, then don’t! Let me show you a way to make long-lasting results that are less painful than admitting you did not follow through on another resolution.
Our eating habits are mostly subconscious. Therefore, we need to have diet habits so you don’t have to think or make a conscious decision about what to eat. I want you to change one habit and keep that change for 90 days. At the end of the year, you will have changed four diet habits, and those four habits will make a long-term effect on your diet and health.
It looks like this:
Choose a Habit
Choose one diet habit you want to change; let’s say you choose to stop drinking sugary drinks. The statement is: I will not drink any sugary drinks, such as soda, Gatorade, Red Bulls, etc., nor will I drink anything that contains artificial sweeteners for the next 90 days. Drinks with artificial sweeteners keep your body addicted to the sweet taste of sugar. We are looking to change that addiction to sweetness.
Now the Plan
Decide what you are going to drink instead of your current sugary drink. Don’t just say you are going to drink water. Going from sugar to straight water is a recipe for failure. You will end up not drinking water and possibly becoming dehydrated. You can add lemon or lime to your water. If buying and cutting fruit is too much, then opt for a squeeze bottle of lemon juice. You can add a few drops of B-12 with a cherry taste. Whatever you decide to add, read the label. Do not put back into water the sugar or artificial sweeteners you are trying to cut out.
Also think about the environment you are in when you reach for the drink. Is it on the way to work, or late at night? Have a plan for those times when you are most vulnerable.
The Benefits
In 90 days, you will not even think about soda. You will have also cut 200 to 300 calories a day, which is 18,000 to 27,000 calories after 90 days! With just one simple change, you can affect your weight and health.
Don’t try to do more than one habit every 90 days. The one habit you change needs to be imbedded in your subconscious so you never go back to that again. You will be amazed that you will not even think about reaching for the sugary drink again.
You can change a habit at any time. There is nothing magical about New Year’s. Just decide, make a plan, and mark off 90 days on your calendar.
Here’s to new diet habits, no matter when they occur!
