If you're struggling to stick to your healthy New Year resolutions, the Heart Foundation has 5 top tips for helping you stick to your guns throughout the year, and be ready to build further on that in 2012:
- Pick one. Just one. There may be a few changes you'd like to make and they may well be worthwhile, but you'll have more chance of success if you concentrate your efforts on just one goal.
- Health by stealth. Be specific about what you want to achieve and if you can, break it down into smaller milestone goals. For example, to eat more healthily is very broad. Try first switching to low or no fat dairy foods, then increase your daily fruit and vegie intake by one serve every two weeks until you're getting your 2 and 5 each day, then restrict eating takeaway to once a week.
- Seal the deal. Tell friends and family about the resolution you've made or post it on Facebook or twitter. The written commitment helps you to stay on track.
- Don't do it alone. If you can t rope someone into taking up a challenge with you, drop a few friends a one line email each day about the journey or post your progress, good and bad, regularly on Facebook. It helps keep you committed and friends will provide plenty of encouragement.
- Keep your lapses in perspective. A weak moment is exactly that and doesn't undo all your weeks of commitment. So don't punish yourself - accept the lapse for what it was and get back with the program.
