4 Ways to Achieve Your Health Goals for the New Year

It’s time to usher in another year with celebrations and good intentions. After six weeks of overeating and minimal exercise, the pounds have crept on, and walking through a supermarket is a strain. It’s time to take action.

Like many others, you may set new health goals concerning exercise and nutrition and launch them after the New Year. That’s the time when people are most determined to change their lifestyles. Sadly, many people set these goals and falter after a few weeks or months when they do not see fast results. Changing your health takes time and endurance. This year, you can stick to your goals by using some common sense strategies.

1- Set Reasonable Goals

Too often, people hope to remake their lives in a few months. If you want to lose weight, consult your medical professional to ensure you are healthy and ready to begin your fitness journey. Then follow a sensible diet and exercise plan, one that your doctor endorses.

Your exercise regimen does not need to be extreme. The U.S. government recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. You should not do more extreme workouts until you have gradually improved your fitness level.

If you are cutting calories, do not go overboard and potentially harm your body. Cut out high-calorie, low-nutrition items so that you are taking in around 500 calories less per day. That should lead to about a pound of weight loss per week. This gradual approach is easier to maintain and makes it more likely you’ll keep the weight off. Slow and steady really is the way to go.

2- Make Overdue Health Appointments

Check on your physical health. You may have put off your regular check-ups and age-related testing such as mammograms and colonoscopies. Reaching your health goals means making sure you are currently healthy. If you have certain conditions such as high blood pressure, now is the time to get it under control.

3- Find a Health Buddy

It’s easier to make lifestyle changes if you have a health buddy to keep you on track. You can work out together, plan low-calorie menus together, and even share your mutual frustrations and victories. You can even share health products with one another. Some people can go it alone and be successful, but your journey is more likely to be successful if you have someone with you striving for the same goals. It will be less lonely, too.

4- Embrace Your Health

You may have set new health goals in the past and failed to meet them. Those failures should not stop you from trying again. You could have been too ambitious in the past, such as trying to lose 20 lbs in a month or starting with a 5K run. Also, life has a way of throwing obstacles in your path that makes sticking to your goals more difficult.

Start fresh with a clean bill of health, medical advice, and reasonable goals. Find someone who will support your efforts. Then go forth and make the progress that you deserve.