Health Resolutions 2018

Hey guys!

I'm sure you need no reminder, but the year is coming to an end. As we bid our farewell to 2017, we must welcome 2018. This therefore can only mean one thing: it's time to set some new year resolutions!

I always set myself few targets, each dedicated to a different part of my life, including academic, personal, tennis, other activities, and health. Although you may not have the same categories as I do, this year I really encourage you to have a 'health' target if you don't have one already.

Many people who make 'health resolutions' end up setting themselves goals like 'I want to lose weight'. While this CAN be a sort of health resolution, most times these are not beneficial for your health at all and unrealistic. The last thing you want to do is set yourself an unachievable target, and be frustrated the whole year for not being able to reach it. So today, I want to share with you some other ideas, that are purely concerned with your health (and not appearance)!

1. Eat less junkfood/sweets/processed food

To some of us, there are always some foods that we know are not good for us, yet we just can't seem to stop eating. If this applies to you, tell yourself to limit your intake of some of these foods. If you can set a precise target like 'I will only have a maximum of 1 burger per month' that's even better. By eating less of whatever food(s) you choose, you will miss it/them less.

2. Stick to whole foods

Honestly, sticking to whole foods as much as possible is one of the greatest health resolutions you can set yourself. If you know that you eat more processed foods than you probably should, this is your go-to resolution.

3. Track your diet

If you are really determined and motivated to get healthy this year, I encourage you to do a form of diet tracking. This can be through a written diet journal or (my recommendation) a nutrition/food tracking app.

Personally, I recommend you to use Lifesum or MyFitnessPal, but there are dozen other apps that will do the job. This way you can see your food consumption over time, and make sure you are on track with consuming the right amount of all necessary nutrients. Tracking your diet will also guide you through smaller goals such as losing a certain amount of weight, or bulking.

4. Exercising more

Although this is a slight deviation from 'nutrition', it is a great resolution to set yourself. But instead of a generic "I'm going to jog more", set yourself a more maintainable and balanced goal such as "I'm going to jog 2km every once in 2 days". To make this even better, set the goal with a food to eat before and/or after your exercise or a minimum amount you drink each time. To make your exercise more goal oriented and focused, you might want to try getting a personal trainer or enroll yourself in group sessions.

5. Drinking more water

So this is MY resolution for the year. If you don't know already, the biggest problem I have with my health is that I don't drink enough water. My coach calls me a 'camel' because of how infrequently I get thirsty during training. So this year, my resolution is going to be "To drink 1.5 litres of water everyday". Yes, this is still below what is recommended (2 litres), but to make a resolution, one must be realistic, and remember that the key is to show improvement (not becoming perfect). If I can achieve this, I can always increase it later on the year.

So that is all guys. I hope that gives you some ideas.

Happy New Year!

#Nutrition #Fitness #Holiday