HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Every year, millions of people make New Year's resolutions. But how many people actually stick to them, and how can you increase your odds of success?
"If you want to kind of get back on track in 2024, maybe not necessarily think of resolutions, but think of rhythms." Oakwood University Nutrition & Dietetics Chair Dr. Sherine Brown-Fraser says to ask yourself the question, "'How do you want to live your life?' And kind of focus and prioritize on what areas you would really like to laser in on."
And if proper diet and nutrition is your focus, "Seeing what are maybe the top two things. You don't want to overload yourself with too many list of things to do, " but maybe just starting out with one or two things that you truly want to focus on as far as nutrition is concerned.
And don't forget the benefits of a professional. Brown-Fraser advises, "Even consult with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, who are the food and nutrition experts, consult with one and say, 'Hey, do you have any other recommendations or tips that could help me as O achieve or i'm looking to achieve certain goals with my diet and nutrition in 2024?'"
Having a plan is key. "So having a plan, not being too stressed about that plan, but thinking about a plan, limiting it possibly to one or two goals that you'd like to achieve maybe in the first quarter of 2024 and then taking it from from there."
And if you're wondering what foods you can try first to help you properly jumpstart that plan, Brown-Fraser advises, "Well, just from a caloric standpoint, fats typically, and fats and oils, you know, give us nine calories per gram, proteins and carbs give us for four calories per gram, which basically means that fats give us more energy per gram of food. It gives more bang for the buck. and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It just means we need to consume less of it, so maybe consuming less of fried foods, going for things that are more baked or broiled."
And the most important thing to remember is...
"Small steps, small wins make big victories."