Healthy Holidays Blog Series Week 9: Take on your New Year’s Health with a Step Up- Making your Changes Last!
https://youtu.be/WVqbQkDV69gWelcome to week 9 of our Healthy Holidays Blog series where we are helping you stay on track with your health while still enjoying your favorite holiday treats this holiday season!I hope you are enjoying the holiday season (whatever holidays you may celebrate) and for those of you who celebrate Christmas, I wish you a Merry Christmas for this upcoming weekend.In week 8 we discussed creative tips to stay active this holiday season and this week we are taking things a step forward!Now that we have finally reached the last couple holidays of the year, things are finally coming to a close and we are starting to get our minds set for 2018. For many of us this holiday season, staying on track is a big accomplishment. Whether you have stayed on track or are starting to get back on track, it is crucial to make these healthy changes last not just a couple weeks into the New Year, but long term! So this week we have some tips for you to make sure you are making goals that will last long term!
- Small, reasonable changes! Rather than cutting out all your favorite foods or starting to work out every day when you’ve been sedentary or your favorite foods are a large part of your day, make small changes such as adding a workout in a couple days a week and cutting the frequency or the portion sizes of your less healthy favorite foods. Don’t make every change at once, ease yourself in so it’s a lifestyle rather than an end goal with a time limit.
- Choose activities you enjoy and put them in your calendar! If you don’t like going to the gym, sign up for an active class you enjoy or something else physically active and put it on your schedule! This will keep you more accountable and excited for your workouts/physical activity!
- Make sure your meals/snacks are balanced throughout the day- Have a smaller meal and scheduled snacks every 3-4 hours to prevent feeling starving and giving up and boosting your metabolism
- Work with a Registered Dietitian- Dietitians can help you develop an individualized eating plan for you that will give you the right balance of nutrients without feeling deprived and can provide a source of accountability.
- Set a positive mindset! You can have every intention to make or maintain healthy changes, but if you don’t have a positive mindset it is almost impossible to succeed (more on this tip for our final blog post next week).
Do you have anything you do to maintain your holiday goals long term?Check back next week for our week 10 topic: New Year’s Resolutions- Promoting Healthy Mindset to Enhance your Healthy Lifestyle Changes!If you are looking for extra help with your nutrition and health this holiday season CONTACT US today and SCHEDULE your first appointment toward taking control of your health!Wishing you a happy, healthy holiday season!-Ricci-Lee Hotz, MS, RDNDenver’s Dancing DietitianA Taste of Health, LLC“Improving Quality of life one bite at a time”