Ok, Christmas and new Years are just around the corner. First we celebrate Christmas with lots of gifts, getting together with family. We enjoy that traditional Christmas dinner with all of the special foods we all love and enjoy. We don’t take a second to think about the calories we may be eating or drinking.
In fact this is the one meal next to thanksgiving that we actually indulge way over our calorie limits and not give it a seconds thought!. There are other events during the year as well were we over indulge, but you get the picture. Whatever holiday period we are celebrating, it is time to think about how much we enjoy the food and drinks and what it does to our weight loss plans! Diet and Losing Weight is far from our thoughts in these situations.
Diet and Losing Weight – New Years Resolutions
After that it is New Years and it is another party time, with lots to drink for some and more fabulous meals. There are lots of calories in those drinks and we only start thinking about New years resolutions on the day of New Years, knowing full well that we will blow it that evening, and then start the year adhering to all of the rules we put in place for ourselves. Really as if that is going to happen. The vast majority of us make these resolutions in good faith, however within a week or less, they are forgotten and have fallen by the wayside. We are quickly back to our old habits. So what can we do to make sure we stick to our resolutions, especially if it involves diet and losing weight?
- Make your resolutions public
- Make them with someone so that you have a team mate
- Use each other to help you stick to the plan
- Make realistic resolutions, those that you have a reasonable chance of keeping
- If you need to lose a large amount of weight, set goals for each month that re achievable
- Remove the enablers of weight gain
- Place things or people around you that will help you
- Write your resolutions and goals down
- Stick them on a wall were you see them everyday
- Read them everyday
- Make a conscious effort to work at them every day
- Focus on a few rather than a lot. Too many and you are overwhelmed
It Can be a Struggle
These are easy words to write, but the real struggle is in making them happen. Find out what works for you and do you very best! Save yourself some effort as well over Christmas and New Years by reducing the amount that you eat and drink. We are not saying do not enjoy the holidays. We are suggesting that instead of that second plate at Christmas dinner, you limit yourself to one plate and the same thing with the drinks that you have.
There are a lot of calories in all of the alcohol that is consumed and you can have an effect on this as well. If you avoid gaining five or 10 pounds over Christmas, then that is five or 10 pounds you do not need to lose afterwords. Your focus at all times needs to be on diet and losing weight if that is really your objective.
More than half of Canadians (58 per cent) say resolution success or failure depends on what the resolution is and many are easier to keep than others. People who resolved to travel someplace special, save money and spend more time with loved ones in 2011 will have the most success keeping resolutions. People who’ve resolved to drink less and quit smoking are the least likely to succeed. Don’t be discouraged by these statements, but do be realistic in setting your objectives so that you can achieve them early in the year.
Good luck and Happy New Years! For information about diet and losing weight, click here.