Dan Watson
It’s that time of year again, New Year’s resolution time! Instead of making the same resolution to get healthier and then forgetting it by Valentine’s Day candy time, why not try it a different way? Try some of these tips and stay on track and get to where you want to be in 2006.
Tip No.1: Set a measurable goal. Do you want to lose weight? Well, how much do you want to lose? Decide what it is that you really want and create a time limit to achieve it. For example, don’t say you’ll “bring a lunch,” commit that you’ll “bring a bag lunch with you to school four days a week”.
Tip No. 2: Find out what your dietary needs are. Is there a goal that you need to achieve to improve your health? Do you have high cholesterol? If so, you may want to create a plan increase your intake of soluble fiber, like the fiber that is found in foods like oatmeal. Eating foods rich in fiber will make you feel fuller longer and will help to lower your cholesterol levels.
Tip No. 3: Go shopping! If you want to eat healthier, you’ll likely need to go to the grocery store and prepare to do some cooking. When you’re doing your weekly shopping at the market, try to steer your cart away from the processed snack food aisles and fill up on fresh foods, like fresh meat, vegetables and fruits, as the main items on your list.
Tip No. 4: Get cooking! Prepare meats in ways that reduce added fats and calories. For instance, saute or bake chicken (without the skin) instead of frying it. Steam your vegetables (you can even do this in the microwave!) instead of boiling them. Steaming will allow all the nutrients and vitamins to stay in your food, instead of leaking away into the water.
Tip No. 5: Go get some exercise. Eating healthy is just one part of a healthy lifestyle. You also need to get some exercise. It’s important to get your body moving and you can do this, by either walking, running, or swimming, doing aerobic exercise and also weight lifting. If your goal is to lose weight, it’s important to increase your aerobic activity. If you’re out of shape now, you may want to work your way up to your goal. Take a short walk for 30 minutes right now and build up your strength for exercise later.
Tip No. 6: Reduce stress in your life. This one is easier said than done, but reducing the amount of stress in your life can have a huge impact on your life and will aid you in maintaining your efforts to staying fit and healthy. Improve time management and stay on top of projects and classes so you know what’s coming up in the next week so your not sitting at your desk the night before.