It's really easy to list off a bunch of health goals at the beginning of the year, but it's a lot harder to actually meet those goals. Here are some tips from a registered dietitian who has helped hundreds of women stay accountable and meet their goals.
1. Start with specific, realistic goals - Just getting healthier is not a goal. Instead, pick a specific aspect of your health and make a realistic goal around it. That might be building enough muscle to do 5 pull-ups or getting your cholesterol down 10 points.
2. Learn the science behind your health goals - Let's say you want to lower your cholesterol. You need to learn a little about cholesterol - what it is, what foods increase it, what foods lower it, whether exercise matters. Look at trusted sources like healthcare practitioners, major hospitals and health organizations like the NIH and CDC and PubMed.
3. Break it down into steps - Break down your goals into specific time bound steps. For our heart health example - maybe for the first 3 months of the year you'll focus on adding cardio and lowering saturated fat intake. Maybe the next 3 months you'll focus on adding strength training and adding 25 grams of fiber per day.
4. Ignore shortcuts and gimmicks - If you look online there are a bunch of people claiming that one trick will get you to your health goals. The vast majority of these are just plain lies. No, eating one super food or taking one special supplement probably won't fix all your health problems.
5. Find the right science-backed supplements - That said, supplements can help. For instance with cholesterol, studies show that NAC and Berberine might be helpful for some folks, but it doesn't mean they're perfect for everyone. For others, just taking Psylium husk might be a better choice. Work with a healthcare professional to make sure you're taking the best, most science-backed supplements for your goals and your body.