How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? Have you taken some of the steps necessary to meet your diet and nutrition goals? My specific goals included switching to water instead of soft drinks with meals, going for a walk several mornings per week, and incorporating more fresh fruits and veggies into my diet. Well… I’m not doing as well as I’d hoped, but I have made some positive changes.
Switching to Water
Since an 8-oz glass of cola adds about 120 calories to one’s consumption, I thought this would be a quick and easy way to cut about 240 calories from my diet each day. While I’m okay about drinking water with dinner, I do often find that I need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. If it’s too late in the afternoon, I don’t want to rely on coffee, so I do tend to turn to a caffeine-containing cola beverage. (I try to avoid artificial sweeteners, making diet drinks no-nos for me.) The good news is that I’ve cut my consumption in half most days; the not-as-good news is that I’m still drinking about five cups of Coke, or 1,100 calories, per week. Verdict: I’m doing better, but there is still room for improvement!
Walk Most Mornings
We live about 7/10ths of a mile from a produce store, so my goal was to walk to the store two or three times per week to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, and to take the kids for a walk another time or two each week. How am I doing? Ummm… I have only walked twice since the start of the year. Oops! I really need to fit that in somewhere. If I walked fairly briskly, I’d burn about 200 calories per walk (more than enough to burn off that Coke). Verdict: I must do better!
Eat More Fruits and Veggies
This one I saved for last because I’m actually doing well! We’ve been buying all sorts of fresh produce, including salad fixings, and have been serving one or two with dinner every night. I’m also making the effort to eat an apple, orange or nectarine as a snack at some point. I don’t hit the recommended five servings per day, but I’m eating more vitamin-filled produce than I was a month ago. Verdict: success (for now)!
So, how are you doing? Did you remember to make specific, simple goals? If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late; you can make a resolution any time of year, not just on January 1. If you have a particular struggle or something that you’re stuck on, let me know and we can talk about it!