It’s the first week of January, so it’s not too late to start, or even to make, a New Year’s Resolution. I’m trying to make ones that are realistic and that I can stick to. I recommend built in checks over time to make sure you’re sticking to it.

My first resolution is to restart an exercise regime. I’d rather not go to a gym that’s costly and takes up extra time getting there and back. So I’m giving myself one month to get a home work-out routine going with DVD’s. If by February 1st I’m not sticking to the schedule, then I’ll have to join a gym. This way there’s a built in check and motivation – I’d rather not go to a gym!

My second resolution is to cook healthier meals for my family. An important part of parenting is to make sure your kids eat right. The idea is to really change the way we eat. I’d like to consistently choose multigrain products over processed foods. A good step to improve our diets would be eliminating the high-sugared cereals that my kids con me into buying every other week. Cutting red meat consumption down to small portions only once or twice a week is also important. Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is key. Finding ways to make these changes part of the family menu will improve our health as a group.

My third resolution is to lose some weight. With this goal in mind, I’ve been reading a book that my doctor recommended that’s called The Glycemic Index Diet by Rick Gallop. He lays out in simple terms issues like what types of fats are good for you (which is also helping me with my 2nd resolution). Gallop discusses the virtues of choosing foods that your body takes a longer time to break down – like multigrains. He recommends, for weight-loss, that half of each meal be vegetables or fruits, a quarter be protein like meat or fish (though I’ll focus on beans in that category) and the other quarter be grains. This is what I’m going to try to follow for myself to lose some weight.

If you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution, you may want to consider how you can put it into effect in practical ways to be able to achieve it. Build in a check system to make sure you’re following through. Checking back on February 1st is a good start.

Good luck with your Resolution! If you have other ideas for sticking to your plans, feel free to let us know about it in the comments below.

Lisa

UPDATE: Come read about what’s happening 1 month later – some tips to sticking with your New Year’s Resolution – I’m happy to report that I lost 5 pounds in a month!