The New Year has officially started and millions of people everywhere are beginning their New Year’s diet. While many people will succeed and reach their goals, it is unfortunately more common that people will fail.
This happens for a multitude of reasons – some outside of your control, others are things you can control.
However, is this going to be the year that you finally make the decision to clean up your diet and live a healthier life? Whether you want to lose weight or gain muscle and look better, sticking to a good diet plan is so helpful for many aspects of life. While this is no easy task there are a few things you can do that will help you stick to your New Year’s diet.
Whether you want to play with your kids, have the body of your dreams, or just feel better, a good diet is the first step in the right direction. When you fuel your body with healthy food you are giving it the nutrients that it truly needs. You will have more energy, feel better about yourself, and perform at your best.
However, sticking to a new diet can be hard. Time and time again, we fail at our diets because we don’t have the right structure and guardrails in place.
With a little bit of help, and a bit of guidance, you can stick to your New Year’s diet. It isn’t as complicated as what you would think. A small amount of discipline and a structured routine can ensure you stick to your diet this year.
New Year’s Diet – The Meal Plan
When structuring any diet plan, the first question most people ask is, “What do I eat”? Well, there are many different diets and you need to choose the one that suits your needs.
Whether you want to do Paleo, Keto, Vegan, or Whole 30, you need to pick foods that help you reach your goals. Each person is different and no body is the same, so pick what suits your needs.
A good rule of thumb is to try to stick to foods that have one ingredient. Apple. Asparagus. Chicken. Rice. When we feed our body with natural foods, it thanks us!
Getting the right nutrients to our body is so important. So make a list of 20 or so food items that spread a variety of food groups, and stick to those. You want a nice mixture of protein, carbs, and fats in your New Year’s diet.
Going to the grocery can be difficult if you don’t have a plan. Now that you have made a list of foods, you are going to go to the grocery and ONLY get the food that are on your list.
While it may be tempting to grab that extra loaf of bread, or a tub of ice cream, you have to stick to the list. If it’s NOT on the list, you do NOT buy it.
The Clean Up
Now that you have a good repertoire of healthy food, it is time to get rid of the junk. Take out everything that is in your cupboards and refrigerator. One by one I want you to go through everything that you have, and if it is not on that list throw it away.
It is time to get rid of it. If the unhealthy food is in the house you will eat it. This is not going to be easy, but neither is losing the weight that you’ve always wanted. In order to get results with your New Year’s diet, changes have to be made.
If you have children in the house, it may not be feasible to only eat these certain foods. However, one helpful trick is to separate your food and their food.
Keep your healthy food in a specific shelf in the cupboard. Put your fruits and vegetables in one drawer separated from the pre-packaged food for the children. This is a simple way for you to separate the healthy food from the snacks that children sometimes require.
On the other hand, if you really want to take this New Year’s diet to the next step, start making your children’s meals a little bit healthier. Now that doesn’t mean getting rid of their favorite sandwich or snack, but what it could mean is adding in an extra piece of nutritious food every now and then.
You can be the example for how your children should eat. You can be the one who teaches them healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
How to Stick to the Diet
Alright, now you have made a list of healthy foods and cleaned out all of the junk in your house. It is time for you to now create a habit that will set you up for success. This small trick has helped millions of people be successful with their New Year’s diet. This secret is used by health enthusiast everywhere and is available to you as well.
In order to constantly eat healthy food, you need to be prepared. If your food is not made, you will gravitate towards unhealthy food.
Your diet needs to consist of foods that you can prepare one day of the week and eat later. We call this meal prepping.
Set out one day a week, typically Sunday, that you will cook in bulk your food for the entire week. This way all you have to do is heat up the food that you have already cooked. This simple tactic will allow you to eat healthy and not even think about going towards the junk.
First, you need to pick up some containers to meal prep. By cooking your lunches and dinners for the week, you will be guaranteed to eat healthy food for at least two meals a day. This should only take an hour or two out of your Sunday, and you will not have to cook the rest of the week.
Using tools such as the Instant Pot or an air fryer are simple ways to cook your food in bulk. These methods of cooking allow you to make delicious food at home that is both healthy and convenient. You need to find a few healthy recipes that you like and stick to them.
Small Habits, Big Wins
Starting a new diet can be hard. However, if you were able to build up a set of habits you can be successful.
It is not going to be easy, but the payoffs are worth it. Living a healthy life is one of the most gratifying feelings in the world.
You will be amazed by how your body feels when you feed it the food it needs. By making a list of healthy foods, getting rid of the junk in your house, and meal prepping once a week you will be astonished by the results.
This is the year that you make a difference in your lifestyle. This is the year you finally stick to your New Year’s diet!
Live Simple Now is a lifestyle website dedicated to helping those looking to Live Their Best Life! Feel free to email us at livesimple@livesimplenow.com with comments, questions, article topics or submissions. We publish two articles each week, 52 weeks a year. Sign up today to follow via email, or follow along on Facebook.