YOURSELF ~ Sticking To It—How To Keep A NewYear’s Wellness Plan In Place All Year Long (NAPSA)—Many Americans make promises at New Year’s. They emphatically state they'll drop 40 pounds, get to the gym daily and totally revamp their diets. But too often they find themselves a few weeks into the New Year going “off” their diet or missing their regular gym visits in favor of cocktail time. Is it hopeless? No. It’s easy to make a New Year’s wellness plan meaningful—notonly for your health but also as a routine that you can easily stick with. Dr. Liz Applegate, Director of Sports Nutrition at the University of California at Davis, offers these simple steps, along with some quick, must-do changes, to create a successful wellness routine: 1. Start smart. Set a goal that is doable—instead of telling yourself you need to lose 40-50 lbs., focus on trying to lose 10-15. Begin to exercise two to three days a week rather than lofty goals that may beout of reach, like exercising every day. This way, progress toward your resolution feels more successful and you’re morelikely to stick with the plan. 2. Take small steps. Rather than revamping your entire diet or going from zero to 60 with exercise, map out a gradual plan over several weeks. Studies show we are moreapt to stick with our resolutions when wetake on small changes slowly, rather than “charging it” hard all at once. 3. Pick up the pieces. Blowing your diet or skipping exercise doesn’t mean you're a failure. Two While snacking itself isn’t bad, what you choose as a snack can be. Try including tasty foods that boostyour health. steps forward and one step back is still progress. Just pick up the pieces, know you are human and move forward—slow and steady. When vowing a “makeover,” we oftentimes neglect the few quick changes that can set our wellness plan in motion and boost our health and sense of well-being within the first week. These four must-do changes offer a perfect way to kick off the New Year: Focus on simple fitness— Going to the gym or runningfive miles early each morning may never be your cup of tea. That doesn’t mean you can’t take small steps toward better fitness. Each day, find ways you can burn calories by the simple act of moving: Park your car and run your errands on foot; take your dog for regular walks; play with your kids in the park; or take family bike rides. Even taking the stairs rather than the elevator can make a big difference when you add up the calorie burning overtime. e Snack with savvy—For most folks, snacking on high-calorie drinks and foods can lead to slow weight gain over the year. While snacking itself isn’t bad, what you choose as a snack can be. Try including tasty foods that boost your health, such as these quick snacks that offer immune benefits: 4 cup dried fruit with a few tablespoons of dark chocolate pieces; 1 cup of warm vegetable soup with two whole grain crackers; one Attune wellness bar made with probiotics; or plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey and fresh berries. e Fill up with fiber—Adding more fiber to your diet is one of the biggest steps toward better health. Fiber from whole grains, beans and fresh fruits and veggies offers a slew of health benefits, including curbing your appetite, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels and trimming your waistline. At each meal and snack, make sure you include a fiber-rich food such as high-fiber cereal at breakfast, bean soup at lunch and steamed fresh veggies at dinner. e Savor your sleep—Getting adequate sleep is vital to total health. Studies show that people who fall below six hours of sleep nightly have trouble controlling weight and report increased levels of stress.
