If your goals for the new year include a healthier new you, then the best approach is to retool lifestyle habits for the long haul, not just a two-week crash diet. One of the most common New Year’s diet resolution mistakes is to promise too much too soon. Swearing off fast food and decadent desserts might sound virtuous, but chances are you won’t be able to live with the ban for too long. So this year, make gradual dietary changes you can live with.
Order dessert first
That’s right. Life is short, so order dessert first. This strategy helps you plan the rest of your meal around that sinfully rich treat you really crave. If you know you’ve just got to have the chocolate cheesecake, then you won’t start with the fried calamari appetizer.
Keep score
A food diary can help you keep track of your intake. Research shows the most successful dieters do it and do it daily. Just jot down the types of foods you eat, estimate the amounts and write where you were and maybe even your mood.
Cope creatively with cravings
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You may crave the crunch of potato chips and dip or nacho chips piled high with refried beans and sour cream, but give your cravings a healthy makeover. Tear up a corn tortilla and enjoy it with black beans and salsa. Crunch on fresh veggies dipped in flavorful hummus.
Savor every flavor
If you’re going to indulge, then relax and enjoy it. Choose really fine chocolates so you only need a few bites. It’s quality, not quantity that counts. Sure, being satisfied is about feeling full and getting enough food, but psychological effects are powerful forces. So slow down, and let your body and soul appreciate small portions of big tastes.
Know the beauties and the beasts
Steer clear of sources of artery clogging trans-fats made with hydrogenated vegetable shortening and limit your intake of saturated fat found in meats and full-fat dairy products. Instead, choose the healthy fats found in olive oil, canola oil, nuts and avocados.
Straighten up and fry right
Just because the chicken is fried doesn’t mean it’s off-limits. You just don’t want to order fried all the time. A fried version of a food typically adds about 100 calories per ounce. However, food fried at a higher temperature cooks faster and absorbs less fat. Cooking oils with a high smoke point, such as peanut oil or safflower oil, allow for such frying.
Think about what you drink
Don’t forget about the liquid portion of “portion control.” You guzzle more calories than you chew when you fill up with sugary soft drinks or coffee creations. Instead, think about beverage choices as opportunities to add nutrition to your day, such as calcium-rich nonfat or low-fat milk. Or quench your thirst with orange juice mixed with sparkling water.