Losing weight and eating healthier are two of the most popular New Year’s resolutions that people make, but research suggests that only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions. If you want to be part of the successful 8%, it’s time to change your mindset. Try the following strategies, which should last you all year long and beyond, instead of failure by February.
Do your research. Just saying you want to lose weight or eat healthy without knowing exactly how you will do it is a surefire way to ruin a resolution. You can start by answering a few simple questions to find the Atkins plan that will work best for you. For even more information (and delicious low carb recipes) on how to start living a low carb lifestyle, I’d suggest picking up a copy of my new book, Eat Right, Not Less: Your Guidebook for Living a Low-Carb and Low-Sugar Lifestyle.
- Get real. An all-or-nothing approach is unrealistic to maintain. When you try to change too many things at once, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and give up because the goal you set for yourself seems unattainable. For example, instead of resolving to lose 50 pounds, start with a realistic goal of losing 10 pounds. After that first 10 pounds, revisit set your sights on another 10 pounds, and so on.
- Plan ahead for success. So you think you’re going to go cold turkey on carbs on January 1? This may be a challenge if your fridge and pantry are still stuffed with leftover holiday goodies. A new year signifies a new beginning, and the opportunity for a fresh start, and what better way to do that than by organizing your kitchen (check out my book for an entire chapter on this). Next, plan out your first week’s worth of low carb snacks and meals, and stock up on Atkins-friendly food, like cheese, eggs, tofu, rotisserie chicken, sliced roast beef, ham or turkey, hard salami and other cold cuts, salad fixings and cut-up vegetables, plus frozen hamburger patties, lamb chops or pork chops, shrimp and chicken breasts or thighs. Don’t forget to pack your pantry with tuna or salmon in cans or portable vacuum bags, sardines, crabmeat or clams, plus marinated artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers and jars of olives.
You’ll be ready to ring in the New Year with these tips, plus check out 7 Tips for Keeping to Your New Year’s Resolution Diet