July marks the midway point of the year. How are you doing with your health resolutions six months in?
Did you lose the weight you said you were going to lose? What about that fitness routine you started up in January? Has your diet changed considerably in a better direction?
Even if your New Year resolutions only lasted a couple of weeks into the year, July is actually a better month for creating a couple new health goals. Here’s why…
With half a year behind you, you can more clearly see the roadblocks and obstacles that prevented you from achieving your goals. Plus, SMART goals are timebound. This means that now you get the time pressure of reaching your goals in 6 months versus a year. With 2019 less than half a year away, you can use the time urgency to help motivate and push you forward.
Wondering which broken resolution to pick up, dust off, and work toward?
Try starting with any of the following 3:
- Get your teeth cleaned already.
Your dentist misses you. And your teeth are feeling it.
According to Total Dentistry of Cincinnati, a dental office in Cincinnati, OH, “Think of your teeth like a car, they need periodic maintenance to keep them in working order. The average person should be seen by a dentist every 6 months for a cleaning and exam.”
Can’t remember when was the last time you went in for a dental cleaning? Then it’s pretty clear it’s about that time when you need to go.
If the idea of going in for a teeth cleaning makes you drag your feet, give yourself a reward for doing it. Promise yourself an afternoon of indulging in the activity of your choice. However, once you get that appointment done and over with, you will be filled with such a sense of accomplishment that you might not need the treat.
- Eat in instead of out.
Eating out is raising your cholesterol, your blood pressure, and your credit card bills.
In recent news, CNN reported that there is yet another reason we should be eating in more and eating out less. Phthalates, synthetic chemicals that disrupt the body’s hormone balance, are 35 percent higher in those who had eaten out the day before.
So set aside all the sugar, fat, and salt that restaurant meals are loaded up with, go home and make yourself a meal that you know will be better for your health.
Need some tips to help you establish this habit? Draw up a chart so that you can visualize your progress. Read up on pitfalls and detriments to eating out to scare yourself into staying at home. Turn it into a game to see if you can last a whole week without buying takeout or eating out. If you go a whole week without eating out, see what records you can set in this area.
- Evict, exile, exterminate all the occupiers of your snack cupboard.
It is not enough just to commit to eating in if what is in your house amounts to junk food. So go through your kitchen and toss out those bags of chips and sugar-laden treats.
The first step to a healthier diet is eliminating the sources of bad foods in your house. If you can’t stand the thought of throwing out foods that you paid hard-earned money for, call up your friends and give it to them. You will earn some brownie points and your cupboards will be clear.
Other helpful tips for getting back on track with cleaner, healthier eating habits? Research healthy snack ideas, print out a list, and place a copy of this list on your fridge and put a copy in your wallet. When you feel hungry but do not know what to eat, pull out that list and take your pick.
Unsubscribe from all those foodie social media feeds that show pictures of parfaits and pastries that are the size of little children. You do not need that kind of temptation bombarding you 24/7. Instead, follow social media accounts that focus on clean eating. Their pictures might inspire you with unique but healthy snack ideas that you have not tried yet.
New habits are difficult to get off the ground, so they must be protected at all costs. It’s okay to go a little overboard at first so that you give them the best chance of staying alive.
