As the year winds down, it is a great time for reflection and looking forward to making positive life changes in the new year. Unfortunately, most good intentions are derailed within a few weeks. U.S. polls reveal that the top New Year’s resolutions include quitting smoking, exercising more, eating better, spending more time with family, and decreasing stress.
After a season of overindulgence in food and/or alcohol, resolutions to get fit, lose weight, and increase energy are very apt. During the month of January, the gyms are indeed packed—but by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around, the “newbies” dwindle and only the tried-and-true regulars remain. This year, why not try a new approach and turn those resolutions into reality?
LOSE WEIGHT
The simplistic approach to weight loss is that you need to expend more calories than you consume. Start by tracking your food intake in a food diary. A notebook, simple-to-use websites, and smart phone applications, such as Lose It or My Fitness Pal, make tracking your food intake easier than ever. Seeing what you are actually consuming every day can be an eye-opening experience.
If your goal is to lose more than ten pounds, break your goal down into smaller increments of five pounds. Be realistic about your goal and lose no more than one to two pounds per week. By creating shorter benchmarks, goals are more attainable and the positive feelings of success are more consistent. Avoid quick weight loss fads. For long-term weight loss, losing about one pound per week has been shown to be the most successful.
Food nourishes our entire bodies, including our brains. The feeling of deprivation can be an enormous obstacle for long-term weight loss. Whenever you are changing a habit that you’ve considered enjoyable, it is best to find an enjoyable replacement. Create a go-to list of other things beside food that make you happy, such as going for a walk, playing with your dog, preparing a bath, working out, or watching a favorite movie or TV show.
Designate a preparation day to get started on the right foot. Use this time to think about what you will eat, which foods you will replace, and how you will initiate these dietary changes. Spend the time discarding unhealthy food from your kitchen, grocery shopping (taking extra time to read the labels), and preparing foods ahead of time. With these strategies, you are already set up to succeed. Consider setting aside part of one day (often a Sunday) to prepare for a successful dietary week by washing and cutting up vegetables and other prep work for the week’s menu (before your busy schedule makes time more limited).
Get out and start moving. Exercise helps you expend more calories, optimize your metabolism, improve your mood, and melt away stress and fat. Schedule exercise into your calendar, setting up important meetings with your workout clothes. Start slowly and be realistic about what you can commit to.
Before starting a new exercise routine, see your doctor to determine any physical limitations.
STOP SMOKING
This year, are you ready to kiss your cigarette habit goodbye? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than half of all adult smokers are successful at quitting for good. Most make several attempts to quit before they are able to kick the habit. So what will make this year successful compared to previous years for swearing off nicotine?
Similar to weight loss, it is a great idea to keep a journal to explore your motives for smoking. Record when you smoke, where you smoke, why, and with whom. After five days of “journaling,” you can start to identify the circumstances that trigger your cravings for nicotine.
To start weaning yourself off the habit, reduce the pleasurable sensation associated with smoking by choosing less appealing varieties of cigarettes about a week prior to quitting. For example, try other brands or light versions.
It is never too soon to starting thinking about and planning a quit date. Choose a date after the holidays and New Year’s parties are over, so alcohol won’t dampen your will power. Be realistic about your quit date, even if it is within a few days of the new year.
Once you have chosen a date, go cold turkey instead of slowly cutting back. Though quitting outright may sound more difficult, it is more successful in the long run than gradually decreasing. By slowly cutting back, nicotine continues to stimulate the release of dopamine, a brain chemical associated with addiction and cravings.
Nurture yourself to minimize withdrawal symptoms such as headaches. Increase hydration by drinking plenty of water, herbal tea, and fresh-squeezed juices, while decreasing dehydrating beverages such as soda, coffee, and alcohol. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, low intensity exercise can help control headaches and minimize the number of withdrawal headaches you might experience. Taking naps can also decrease cravings and headaches.
Dr. Thalia Farshchian is a naturopathic doctor at CurrentHealth. Go to CurrentHealth.com for more information about her services.
