10 New Year’s Resolutions For Real Life

Making nutrition and fitness New Year’s resolutions is not something health experts normally encourage. Things like juice cleanses, cutting out everything except celery, and striving for unrealistic levels of leanness are fleeting. Even though your intentions may be good (hello January gym-goers), the fallout is bad (hello mid-March ghost town), because...well, real life. Real human lives are messy, complicated, and unpredictable.

Scrap The All-Or-Nothing Approach With 10 Real-Life Resolutions

This year, scrap the all-or-nothing resolution(s) and instead, choose to prioritize your health with flexibility and honesty in the context of your real human life.

Here are a few suggestions for starters:

1. Check in with you every morning: Spend 10 minutes each day in reflection/meditation/quiet time to "plug" yourself in before the daily demands start rolling in.
2. Eat protein with breakfast: It's those mornings when you grab just a muffin, that later in the day you dive into the not-so-good-stuff. Choose to start your day with belly-filling eggs, turkey sausage, or a protein shake.
3. Pack lunches you're excited to eat: Don't let yourself be tempted by break-room treats. Pack a delicious lunch the night before—one that excites you so you're ready to go!
4. Pre-prep weeknight dinners: Isn't it the best to come home from work to the smell of something yummy already in the crockpot, knowing you don't have to cook? Give yourself a hand by preparing some easy recipes in advance.
5. Eat at the table...not standing up, not in the car, not on the go. Eat slowly and mindfully, at a table.
6. Choose exercise whenever, wherever possible: Park in the back of the lot. Take the stairs. Turn your living room into a gym when the weather's crummy.
7. Aim for "a little better" instead of perfect: That all or nothing thinking gets you nowhere. Had a really indulgent meal AND dessert? AND a drink? Don't beat yourself up about it. Success is about gradual and continuous improvement.
8. Get support: Find like-minded friends who can support you in your goals. Find a gym buddy who can meet you for class. Find a neighbor who will walk the block with you on a weekly basis.
9. Find accountability: Find a coach who encourages you to move often and claim each day for yourself. This is YOUR life and every decision you make can be life-affirming.
10. Show up the next day: This isn't a race, or a diet. It's your life. Do the best you can today and aim to do a little better the next day.