New Years resolutions can be exciting & overwhelming. Whether it's lose 50 lbs, eat better, go to the gym more, less this, stop that, go here... Breaking things down into smaller easier things can often be a more ideal way for people to stick with their goals long term.
Here are 50 small things you can do, one per week, to help better your health and life. Some things may be easier than other, so I'm breaking them down into groups of 5 that you can choose which one you want to do first - just be sure to do them all before going to the next group.
Step 1: Make room for good things to come
1. Clean your bedroom. You'll be surprised how much more clearer & organized you'll feel to start.
2. Go through your pantry and remove any expired foods.
3. Check your closet. Be honest and get rid of anything you haven't worn in a year or not planning to wear in the next year. Saving one special occasion outfit outside of these parameters is okay.
4. Pick that one corner, room, other closet or huge box you've been dreading to tackle, and then tackle it. Get it over with!
5. We all have one more place that needs a cleaning: bathroom, car, other closet. Pick one and be done!
Step 2: Trim the Fat
6. Donate everything you have left from Step 1. There are many MANY other people out there that can put to use the things you are not.
7. Check your food labels & get rid of the things no one should have: trans fats & aspartame.
8. Get a large water bottle for daily use: 32oz is great, 64oz is what you'll need in a day, and 20oz should be the minimum smallest size.
9. Find or make a playlist (iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, cassette tapes, whatever) that will help you relax after a stressful day.
10. Take just 1 minute each day this week to remind yourself of all the things you've accomplished so far, and all the things you will continue to accomplish this year.
Step 3: Add some eats
11. Add or eat 1 piece of fruit each morning during your work week. Apples and bananas are convenient. Berries are yummy & full of antioxidants. Melons & cantaloupes have a very high water content and usually the least calories.
12. Find a vegetable you would like to add or eat more consistently in your diet, and figure out a couple ways to prepare it that you like (raw, grilled, slow cooked, baked, with pepper? olive oil?)
13. Think of an easy, healthy, go-to snack (less than 150 cals) that you can keep in your car or desk at work whenever hunger strikes that can save you from making poor drive-thru or vending machine choices. This could be a handful of nuts, trail mix, dried fruit or a fiber bar.
14. Remember that water bottle you got in Step 2? Use it daily. I like to freeze half of it overnight & fill the rest up in the morning to have cold water all day. Add some fruit or lemon juice if you like.
15. If you choose to have dessert on occasion, find a healthy alternative option. My favorites are frozen Greek Yogurt bars, Soy or coconut milk desserts, and sorbets. Enjoy most of these guilt-free desserts at less than 100 calories.
Step 4: Get Connected
16. Sign up for MyFitnessPal:
www.myfitnesspal.com
17. Talk with a friend or family member that has had success in reaching their health or fitness goals.
18. Find a health or fitness website that interests you.
19. Sign up for daily emails for tips and ideas from an online magazine that interests you.
20. Download a free exercise app for your phone.
Step 5: Put Your Connections to Use
21. Try logging your food every day for a week in MyFitnessPal
22. Find a friend, family member, coworker or classmate to engage in some form of exercise with. This can be as simple as a single 30 minute walk.
23. Find a healthy recipe online that you'd like to create this week.
24. Think of an inspirational quote for your week.
25. Do an exercise from one of the apps you downloaded on your phone.
Step 6: Review & Reinforce
26. Look what you did in Step 1. Redo anything that needs to be reinforced.
27. Look what you did in Step 2. Redo anything that needs to be reinforced.
28. Look what you did in Step 3. Redo anything that needs to be reinforced.
29. Look what you did in Step 4. Redo anything that needs to be reinforced.
30. Look what you did in Step 5. Redo anything that needs to be reinforced.
Step 7: Substitute
31. Replace 1 non-water drink during your day with water or unsweetened tea.
32. Replace cow's milk with almond, rice, or organic soy milk.
33. If you drink alcohol, have a glass of red wine this week instead.
34. Replace all white sugar in your house with stevia.
35. Replace all processed white pasta in your house with whole wheat, organic rice, quinoa, or vegetable pasta.
Step 8: Move
36. Walk 10 minutes 5 days this week.
37. Do 20 squats or 20 lunges once a day for 5 days this week.
38. Find a 10 minute YouTube video of Pilates or Yoga to end your day with.
39. Try a 20 second plank. Try to increase your hold time by 5 seconds each day for 5 days.
40. Find a 5 minute arm workout online and do it.
Step 9: Daily Life
41. Get a planner (paper or online.)
42. Make a grocery list for the week. Only purchase and eat things from that list.
43. Schedule a 30 minute time, 5 days this week in your planner where you will do some form of exercise.
44. Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water per day.
45. Eat a fruit of vegetable with every meal.
Step 10: Last steps
46: Designate 1 cheat day a week for your meals. Follow your healthy habits the other 6 days of the week.
47: Pledge to not put knowingly harmful ingredients into your body (aspartame, BHT, trans-fat, etc.)
48: Get a minimum of 60 minutes of strength training per week.
49. Find a workout buddy or consistent fitness motivatior.
50. Do something nice for yourself this week. You earned it!
