10 New Year’s Resolutions For Real Life

Normally, making nutrition and fitness New Year’s resolutions is not something I encourage. Things like juice cleanses, cutting out everything except celery, and striving for unrealistic levels of leanness...it's all fleeting and usually ends with someone face-down in a pint of ice cream.

Even though your intentions may be good (hello January gym-goers), the fallout is bad (hello mid-March ghost town), because...well, real life. Real human lives are messy, complicated, and unpredictable.

Scrap The All-Or-Nothing Approach With 10 Real-Life Resolutions

This year, scrap the all-or-nothing resolution(s) and instead, choose to prioritize your health with flexibility and honesty in the context of your real human life.

Here are a few suggestions for starters:

1. Check in with you every morning: Spend 10 minutes each day in reflection/meditation/quiet time to "plug" yourself in before the daily demands start rolling in.
2. Eat protein with breakfast: It's those mornings when you grab just a muffin, that later in the day you dive into the not-so-good-stuff. Choose to start your day with belly-filling eggs, turkey sausage, or a protein shake.
3. Pack lunches you're excited to eat: Don't let yourself be tempted by break-room treats. Pack a delicious lunch the night before—one that excites you so you're ready to go!
4. Pre-prep weeknight dinners: Isn't it the best to come home from work to the smell of something yummy already in the crockpot, knowing you don't have to cook? Give yourself a hand by preparing some easy recipes in advance.
5. Eat at the table...not standing up, not in the car, not on the go. Eat slowly and mindfully, at a table.
6. Choose exercise whenever, wherever possible: Park in the back of the lot. Take the stairs. Turn your living room into a gym when the weather's crummy.
7. Aim for "a little better" instead of "perfect": That all or nothing thinking gets you nowhere. Had a really indulgent meal AND dessert? AND a drink? Don't beat yourself up about it. Success is about gradual and continuous improvement.
8. Get support: Find like-minded friends who can support you in your goals. Find a gym buddy who can meet you for class. Find a neighbor who will walk the block with you on a weekly basis.
9. Find accountability: Find a coach who encourages you to move often and claim each day for yourself. This is YOUR life and every decision you make can be life-affirming.
10. Show up the next day: This isn't a race, or a diet. It's your life. Do the best you can today and aim to do a little better the next day.