5 tips for a fail-proof New year resolution

Talk about Newyear and one of the first few things that come to mind are the goals and resolutions for the year ahead. New-year and New-year resolutions have become synonymous with one another. Improving health or losing some weight is always at the top of the agenda for many of us. Yet, this goal evades many, only to top the list for the next year’s resolution! According to various studies, more than 75% of the people who join a gym drops out after 7 - 10 days!

That takes us to the question - Why do new year's resolutions on health & fitness fail for many people? And how can we make it fail-proof? Here are 5 tips for a fail-proof new year resolution -

Tip 1 - Make it Realistic

A realistic goal has a higher chance of being achieved. If your goal is weight loss, do not expect to lose more than 3-4 kgs in a month. Not only is it very difficult to achieve, but it is also extremely unhealthy! Redefine your goals to meet a larger objective of long-term health and wellness. Instead of losing weight, focus on losing fat. Instead of thinning down, focus on gaining strength. Instead of losing a specific amount of weight, focus on reducing your blood sugar or cholesterol levels. Remember - weight loss is a by-product of improved metabolism & health, and not the other way around. It is possible to lose weight and worsen your health at the same time!

Tip 2 - Take Small Steps

Rome was not built in a day! All good things in life take time; health & fitness is not any different.

The famous 80 - 20 rule applies to our lifestyle and health too. 20% of the changes in your lifestyle will bring forth 80% of the results. Take small steps towards a healthy life; include one large bowl of vegetables as a sabzi or salad in all the main 3 meals of the day. Make sure these vegetables are mostly those grown above the ground - such vegetables are more in fibre and lesser in calories as compared to the ones grown below the ground (tubers). Reduce fried & junk food and increase water intake. Exercise for 20 mins daily. This alone might give you nearly 80% of the intended results unless you have any specific metabolic diseases like thyroid disorders, diabetes etc.

Also, do not measure your weight or the centimetres around your belly every single day. Weight loss is not a linear function. You do not lose a specific ‘X’ gram of weight every day/week. There will be days when you lose more than X grams, and there will be days when you lose lesser. Worse - there will days when you may even end up gaining a few grams, let alone lose it!

Tip 3 - Make it Sustainable

The definition of eating healthy is not eating bland, tasteless food or fancy meals. You do not need an avocado salad or guacamole dip to become healthy. One can very well include most of their local cuisines and still become healthy. Always resort to a balanced approach that involves your regular food items in the diet menu. If you cannot practise a diet for the rest of your life, then it is not going to get you long-term results. You are better off taking the sustainable and enjoyable route. It is important to build a healthy relationship with food; what is the point if you cannot have a small piece of cake on your loved ones' birthday just because you are on a diet? There is no point living every day for a tomorrow and never ever living a today.

Avoid analysis paralysis with calorie planning. Learn to group food in terms of swaps and substitutions. For example, one whole egg (hen) and 25 grams of panner have roughly the same protein-fat ratio, as well as the total calories. This means you can have either an egg sandwich or a paneer sandwich and make it less boring while staying within your calorie limit at the same time. Similarly, you may interchange 200 grams of cooked rice (1 and a half bowl) with 3 medium-sized chapatis. Grouping food in terms of its closest approximations will allow you to track and manage calories without too much analysis paralysis. After all, slow and steady wins the race!

Tip 4 - Make it Sensible?

Most of what we hear about what is healthy and not healthy becomes very complex when it comes to our food plate! For example - while brown rice is a healthier option than white rice, between brown rice with curd & pickle, and white rice with a good portion of green leafy vegetables and lean protein (fish, egg whites or pulses) - the latter is a healthier choice than the former. White bread with panner-burji and vegetables as a paneer sandwich is healthier than brown bread with jam or maple syrup!

Make sure you are not penny-wise and pound-foolish when it comes to food choices

Tip 5 - Make it Scientific

There is a well-defined methodology behind health & wellness rooted in the science of nutrition, exercise and medical sciences. There is no panacea to your health challenges; there is no single vegetable, juice, fruit or supplement that will solve your health problem. It is your total lifestyle change which is a combination of your nutrition, physical activity, sleep & stress management that decides how healthy you become.

Also, the diet & exercise that suits one person may not suit another. It depends on many factors, viz. Age, gender, medical condition, physical conditions and current lifestyle. For example - A high-fat diet such as keto will not suit a person with a high-grade fatty liver and gall bladder stones. A high-protein diet will not suit a person with high uric acid or high creatinine levels. Such a scientific approach is required in exercises too - a person with hernia or haemorrhoids should avoid deadlifts or weighted squats in a gym. Jogging, skipping and jumping jacks will not suit a person with arthritis. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is best avoided by a person with congenital heart disease.

I repeat - All good things in life take time, effort and discipline. Improving one's health and fitness is not any different.? I hope you ace not just your health goals, but all your new year resolutions this year!

Wishing you the best of health, happiness & prosperity in 2023!

About NuvoVivo

Nuvovivo is an online health & fitness company that helps their clients from across the globe to manage lifestyle diseases, viz. diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, PCOS, thyroid disorders etc through scientific, sensible and sustainable lifestyle changes.

Learn more about NuvoVivo @?https://linktr.ee/nuvovivo

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