Every year, January 1st arrives and causes us to evaluate the previous year. You may ask yourself questions like …
Did I achieve my goals?
What could I have done better?
What goals do I want to achieve in the new year?
Amongst those goals could be a new years resolution diet, and you may even write down your goals in a new year's resolution list. But what goes into making a good new years resolution, and where should you start?
In this blog post, we’re exploring how to take on a new diet in the new year and giving you actionable tips to achieve your wellness goals.
Learn your why
Starting out a new year, you may be fresh and ready to take on even the most ambitious of goals … aspirations that miiiight even be over-ambitious. (hey, we’ve been there!)
But where many people fall flat with achieving goals is that they don’t have a clear vision of the reason WHY they’re working so hard toward a goal in the first place. They haven’t done the internal soul searching to ask themselves about the motivation behind the goal.
When it comes to starting a new diet, before researching options or selecting a diet to follow, ask yourself why you want to start a new diet in the first place.
Are you low on energy and wanting more pep in your step on a daily basis? Have you let junk foods creep into your diet and want to eliminate the bad habit? Or perhaps you’re looking to achieve a fitness goal, like running a marathon, and need a new diet to help support that aspiration.
Whatever your reason is for starting a new diet, just keep in mind that having a long term vision behind your why can help motivate you on even the toughest of days. And no matter what diet you choose, Proper Good soups, chilis, and oatmeals are there to help you along the way. Using only clean and functional ingredients, Proper Good meals are made to accommodate multiple lifestyle and diet options.
Assess what you like and don’t like
Many variations of diets have rules associated with them. On Whole30, for example, there are restrictions against commonly-used ingredients, like grains, legumes, and sugar. The Mediterranean diet uses a lot of fish-based ingredients in its recipes.
But … if you simply HAVE to have creamer in your morning coffee, a dairy-free diet like Whole30 may not be for you. And if you hate fish, the Mediterranean diet is not going to be a suitable fit.
When selecting your new year’s diet, assess what restrictions or approved foods would be deal breakers for you. This will help you determine which diet you’ll get the most out of and enjoy!
Consider your calendar in the coming year
In addition to asking yourself about the “why” behind starting a diet, another tip is to take a look at any events or milestones you have coming up in the next year. If you’re struggling with finding your why, having a tangible date or milestone to look forward to might help bring clarity.
For instance, if you and your partner are going on a tropical beach vacation and you want to boost your stamina in order to try paddleboarding, that could be a reason why you’re interested in starting a new diet.
Giving yourself a deadline can be a great motivator, especially during times when you’re tempted to revert back to old habits that no longer serve you or bring you closer to those goals.
Eliminate Foods That Don’t Fit In Your New Diet
It’s a far more daunting prospect to add new foods to your existing diet. If you’re not used to eating fruits and vegetables for instance, it can feel expensive and overwhelming to add them into your current routine.
A way around this is to look at your grocery list and ask, “what can I eliminate from this?” For example, if you’re operating on autopilot and getting a bag of chips every week, ask yourself if you can remove them from the list.
This can help clear mental baggage and physical space for new grocery items more in line with your new diet.
Find an accountability partner
Trying a new diet by yourself can be awfully lonely!
For those Sundays where you simply can’t find the motivation to meal prep or stressful days when all you want is your old favorite comfort food, an accountability partner can provide encouragement. A buddy who’s doing the same diet alongside you does wonders to motivate you toward your goals.
Start a group text where you and your friend can send daily updates, challenges, and victories. This can serve as a safe space where no question is off limits.
Write it down
So you’ve found your why and perhaps a new accountability partner, and you’ve selected your new diet … hurray! Now what?!
It can be challenging to stay on track with a new diet that introduces new nutrition guidelines you’re not used to. A way to keep focused is to write down the needed daily food servings in a pocket calendar. Then, as the day goes by, write down what you’ve eaten and what food groups you still need to eat from.
For instance, if you need 6 servings of vegetables in your new diet, it can be hard to keep track and easy to lose count! So, writing down progress throughout the day allows you to focus more on enjoying your meals and less on keeping a mental tally of what you've eaten that day.
Pick a reward for achieving goals
Have you been eyeing a new purse or jacket? Or dying to go to a new concert or attraction in town?
Perks like these are great to work towards and provide motivation for achieving your diet goals! Think of what you’d like to do if (and WHEN! We’re positive thinkers. ;) ) you achieve your diet goals, then work toward it!
Set a date, like 3 months from now, and if you’ve stayed on track, treat yourself to a fun reward.
Get ready to take on the new year with a new diet–you can do it and we believe in you! Just follow the tips in this blog post and you’ll be ready to take on your new diet with ease.
Here’s a cheat sheet:
- Learn Your Why
- Assess What You Like and Don’t Like
- Consider Your Calendar in the Coming Year
- Eliminate Foods That Don’t Fit In Your New Diet
- Find an Accountability Partner
- Write It Down
- Pick a Reward for Achieving Goals
