How To Keep Your New Year Resolutions By Faisal Al Shawa

Let this year be the one you finally follow through with your new year’s resolutions, no matter what they may be. Did you know that 80% of new year’s resolutions fail and 10% fail within the first week? Nutrition expert Faisal Al Shawa is here to give you four of his best tips n how to succeed in making your resolutions come true even during uncertain times such as these.

1. Track your food.

You need to know if you're headed in the right direction. So it's important to find a way to track your progress. Use an app or a calendar to check off the days you work on your goal. Or create a chart, spreadsheet, or graph that helps you visualize your progress. When you're able to see how you're doing and the steps you're taking, it can remind you how far you've come. Reviewing your effort can also help you stay on course when it feels as though you're not making any headway (which is common). Keep in mind that progress doesn't always come in a straight line. Sometimes, things get a little worse before they get better--but this doesn't mean you should give up.

2. Work with someone.

In terms of accountability, why not work with someone? It can be a friend, a nutritionist, a dietitian, or a health coach. Working with someone will also hold you accountable and make you more likely to achieve your health goals and be successful in your health journey. 

3. Learn why you’re eating.

It’s important to understand what and how you eat, but also the why. To do that, you have to look inwards and be mindful of what is tricking you to eat. When you identify food triggers, be it environmental, emotional, situational, or cultural triggers, you can then work on the next step which is building a healthy behavior around those triggers. Once you repeat those healthy behaviors long enough, you will eventually develop new and positive eating habits.

4. Make small changes.

Setting a resolution that’s too big sets you up for failure. The first key to success is zeroing in on one goal, not three. Then do a quick reality check. Look at the level of commitment it will require to achieve, and consider if you’ll be able to match it. Are you really going to be able to completely cut sugar from your diet in a week? Unlikely. And that’s fine! But committing to putting one teaspoon of sugar in your afternoon tea instead of three could be a good place to start. So on and so forth.

What are your tips for staying on track with your new year’s resolutions? Let us know! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Mint Basil Market team.