Getting Healthy in the New Year- Practice These 5 Tips

Are you thinking of getting healthy in the New Year? Practice these 5 tips.

New Year, New Thoughts….time to take stock, think back on last year, and make plans for the coming year.

For many of us, that means focusing on getting healthy or losing weight, in the New Year.  Is that one of your goals?  It is for me too.

Practice these 5 tips for getting healthy in the new year and all year long.

My mother died a few months ago and was very frail at the end of her life and needed a lot of assistance.  My siblings and I spent a great deal of time in the last year caring for her.

We all loved Mum dearly and were more than happy to care for her, but her care was difficult. 

After my last trip to see her, I made a vow to myself to take better care of myself, mainly so that I would not be a burden to my loved ones as I aged.

I thought it would be helpful to me, and perhaps to my readers, to put together a list of some tips for getting healthy this year.

For me, it’s not just about diet, although I would like to lose some weight.  It is about my general overall health.

So my question really is this – what can I do to make it easier to live and maintain a more healthy life?   For me it is all about what I practice, friends.

1. Practice moderation

I want to walk a little more, eat a little less, be moderate in all things, and spend a bit more time playing instead of working my life away.  Four little things that make such a bit difference in the whole scheme of things!

Also, I try to spend more time outdoors, instead of inside in front of electronics. This will help me get much more balance in my life.

2. Practice Portion Control

Trying to lose a few pounds does not mean that you cannot have your favorite treats.  Just practice portion control.

To do this, either purchase individual-sized bags of your favorite snacks, or buy larger bags and package them in portion-controlled sizes yourself.

I regularly buy almonds and portion them into small baggies.  Since I ADORE almonds, it makes sure that I don’t overindulge~

Fresh fruit is already portion-controlled! There is very little of it that is more than about 100 calories.  

3. Practice healthy snacking

For me, getting healthy means that I’ve tried to cut my intake of sugar way down, and have substituted more healthy snacks in its place. 

Fruits, nuts, dark chocolate, and homemade energy bars and snacks now give me the extra bit of snacking that I crave and all contain fiber that keeps me full.

Some of my personal favorites are dark chocolate almonds and chocolate raisin nut trail mix.

4. Practice preparation

When it is time to head to the gym are you ready to go, or do you have to scramble to find the things you need for your exercise? 

If you have a gym bag already prepared, with your fitness clothes, a sports bra, sneakers, some toiletries, and your favorite after-work-out snack.

This will ensure that you won’t have an excuse not to exercise today because you unprepared.

5. Practice Healthy Swaps

 For me, a big part of getting healthy and fit is not cutting things out, but swapping unhealthy food choices for more healthy ones.

There are so many ways to do this.   One of my most tasty ones is to use an avocado instead of mayonnaise on a sandwich.  Doing this swap means that you add healthy fats, and cut out unhealthy ones.

You save a few calories and add a ton of flavor to your sandwich.  For more ideas like this one, see my healthy kitchen swaps post.

How about you?  What is your family doing differently in 2016 to find ways to get healthy?  I’d love to hear about your ideas in the comment section below.  I will include some of my favorites as reader tips in this article too!

Here are some of my reader’s tips for getting healthy:

Jess says:  One thing I always try to do to keep myself on track is writing down what I eat. I find if I make myself write everything down, I’m less likely to cheat and eat lots of bad stuff. I also try to stock my fridge with only healthy things to start.

Cathy suggests that we should “drink more water and eat more fresh veggies and fresh fruit and walk more every day”

Lori says “Get plenty of sleep!”  This really is a very good tip!  Thanks for sharing it, Lori!

Julie says that her favorite tip is to “drink plenty of water!”

Natalie says that her favorite tip is to work out first thing in the morning. That way you will always get a workout in and you won’t be tempted to skip it at the end of the day.

Cindy says “Keep moving, be active. Do something every day. Don’t miss a day even a little is better than none.”

Julie W says I make sure to exercise 5 days a week, and I have added weight training to help me be stronger.

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