It's been more than 6 weeks since January 1, and many of you are already off your resolutions, whatever they may be. Then there are also some of you who are still sticking with them. What makes the difference between those who can't or don't keep their resolutions, and those that do?
I think the answer lies in a few tips I'll describe in the context of eating healthier Indian food. I developed them after reading quite a bit in the social sciences lately. So without further ado...
1. Focus on Changing your Environment, Not your Behavior.
It's hard to stop eating Indian junk food or sweets when they are sitting right in front of you on the dining table or countertop. Move this processed unnatural food to places you can't see them like the pantry closet. Which leads me to...
2. Don't Stop Snacking, Just Go with a Good Snack instead of a Bad One.
If you're used to snacking at work or upon return home or whenever, stopping this habit will be tough. Your body, hungering for that daytime dose of food, will rebel against your brain and you'll go back to your habits. So instead, replace what you snack on (if it's junk food) with something good for you (nuts and fruits).
3. Aim for Near-Perfection, Not Perfection.
People punish themselves or feel bad if they aren't perfect with their resolutions. But this is counter-productive. Strangely, the bad feelings from not being perfect transfer over to the thing we're trying to get perfect at. This prevents us from following that thing. Aim instead to be "almost perfect." Give yourself a day to not be perfect with your diet.
4. Enlist your Spouse, Family or Friends to Join You, not just Support You.
This goes back to the environment thing. If people around you eat crap food, then it's easy for you to eat crap food, too. If they eat well, you're more likely to eat well, too. Now if you you live with your parents (or you live with your children) or you are married and live with a spouse, tell them to help you out by being a food cop (to tell you don't buy unnatural food at the grocery store) or a coach (to encourage you to make positive changes to what you eat). But even more powerful would be if you told them to join you in improving the food you eat every day.
5. Act Now.
We tend to put things off until some special day. But it never comes. It's our mechanism to postpone something that appears painful. And eating better may be painful at first. But once you eat well daily, you feel good with what you eat. It becomes painful to eat crap food. So the best way to make a change like this, to not postpone your new food habits, is to start now. This minute. This second. Today. Pack something healthy for lunch, or when you're in the line at your cafe check out the salad or lean meats and pick something up there. Skip the carby stuff like cookies and chips, and eat nuts or a fruit. Whatever you decide on to eat as part of the new healthier you, start eating it today.
Image Source: The Gloss. URL: http://www.thegloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/calvin-and-hobbes.jpg.
I think the answer lies in a few tips I'll describe in the context of eating healthier Indian food. I developed them after reading quite a bit in the social sciences lately. So without further ado...
1. Focus on Changing your Environment, Not your Behavior.
It's hard to stop eating Indian junk food or sweets when they are sitting right in front of you on the dining table or countertop. Move this processed unnatural food to places you can't see them like the pantry closet. Which leads me to...
2. Don't Stop Snacking, Just Go with a Good Snack instead of a Bad One.
If you're used to snacking at work or upon return home or whenever, stopping this habit will be tough. Your body, hungering for that daytime dose of food, will rebel against your brain and you'll go back to your habits. So instead, replace what you snack on (if it's junk food) with something good for you (nuts and fruits).
3. Aim for Near-Perfection, Not Perfection.
People punish themselves or feel bad if they aren't perfect with their resolutions. But this is counter-productive. Strangely, the bad feelings from not being perfect transfer over to the thing we're trying to get perfect at. This prevents us from following that thing. Aim instead to be "almost perfect." Give yourself a day to not be perfect with your diet.
4. Enlist your Spouse, Family or Friends to Join You, not just Support You.
This goes back to the environment thing. If people around you eat crap food, then it's easy for you to eat crap food, too. If they eat well, you're more likely to eat well, too. Now if you you live with your parents (or you live with your children) or you are married and live with a spouse, tell them to help you out by being a food cop (to tell you don't buy unnatural food at the grocery store) or a coach (to encourage you to make positive changes to what you eat). But even more powerful would be if you told them to join you in improving the food you eat every day.
5. Act Now.
We tend to put things off until some special day. But it never comes. It's our mechanism to postpone something that appears painful. And eating better may be painful at first. But once you eat well daily, you feel good with what you eat. It becomes painful to eat crap food. So the best way to make a change like this, to not postpone your new food habits, is to start now. This minute. This second. Today. Pack something healthy for lunch, or when you're in the line at your cafe check out the salad or lean meats and pick something up there. Skip the carby stuff like cookies and chips, and eat nuts or a fruit. Whatever you decide on to eat as part of the new healthier you, start eating it today.
Image Source: The Gloss. URL: http://www.thegloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/calvin-and-hobbes.jpg.
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