5 Ways to Actually Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Thank you Jenny Craig for sponsoring this post. — Get serious about losing weight with Jenny Craig!

New Years Resolutions are super tough to keep. I think one of the reasons is because they are typically pretty vague and there are no goals associated with the resolution to help you stay on track the whole year and make progress. So many people say they want to lose weight or eat healthier. They do it for a time and then they stop and go back to their old habits.

So I thought today I’d share with you 5 Ways to Actually Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions.

1 | Set Short-Term Goals for Long-Term Results.

Like so many people my resolution for 2017 is to get healthy and lose weight. But this year I’m serious. My kids are in school full-time. I’ve scaled back here on the bog a bit so I definitely have time to focus on myself. So instead of having my resolution just be the generic “Get Healthy,” I have some very specific plans. I have a goal to exercise three times a week and lose 5lbs per month.

To help me reach these goals I knew I needed help. In this season of life with busy sports schedules and a husband who often works late, I needed something that made healthy eating easy. So I teamed up with Jenny Craig to help me achieve my goals. Jenny Craig is a clinically proven and recommended weight-loss program designed to provide structure and support to help members lose weight and learn how to keep it off. The program takes a holistic approach to weight loss and weight management, focusing on food, body and mind.

Jenny Craig has been wonderful for me so far. Their pre-portioned meals are perfect for my schedule and help me stay on track. With more than 100 premium menu items to love, created by 40 professional chefs I know I’m going to be eating something delicious every day.

Jenny Craig takes the guesswork out and lets you eat delicious healthy meals. Pictured above you’ll see breakfast one morning. Greek Yogurt with strawberries and Cinnamon Swirl French Toast with a few more strawberries on top. It’s been eye opening to see what real serving sizes are. All the strawberries you see picture above are just 1/2 a cup which is 1/2 a serving. Then just above I had a Turkey Burger one day for lunch. It was juicy and delicious. I had a HUGE salad on the size. In just a short timeJenny Craig has really changed my perspective on fruits and veggies and portion sizes.

2 | Schedule Time for Your Resolutions

Most people fail to keep their resolutions because they try to work them into their life instead of the other way around. I know, it’s hard to squeeze in time to cook a healthy dinner and time at the gym. On Sundays when I am planning out my week, I have started putting gym time on my calendar. Knowing it’s there and getting the calendar alert has been so helpful for me. I can focus on my workout and know I haven’t planned anything else during this time. Plus planning my week in advance means that if I have a conflict one morning, I can look ahead and block off time on a different morning.

3 | Have an Accountability Partner

Having someone keep you accountable to your goals is a major key to success. Knowing someone else is watching you and cheering you on is such a motivator!

That’s why I love that Jenny Craig gives me my own consultant that is available to answer all my questions. Every member is paired with a dedicated consultant who provides them with one-on-one support to identify their challenges and goals, and helps them to create unique weekly meal and activity plans. My consultant, Marcy, is so positive and upbeat she really keeps me stay motivated. She check in with me throughout the week to see how I’m doing and I really look forward to our weekly in-person meetings each week. For members who don’t live near a center, Jenny Craig Anywhere offers one-on-one support through consultations over the phone or via video chat. This one-on-one support is the accountability you need to meet your goals and keep your resolution.

4 | Keep a Record

We all use charts and tracking systems for our kids. Why not do that for yourself!? Set up a system so you can track your success. I love how Jenny Craig gives you a menu plan for the week. You check off things you ate, circle things you didn’t and write down challenges, cheats and exercise as they happen. I keep mine on my refrigerator as a constant visual of my plan for the day and how I’ve done all week.

5 | Celebrate Little Victories

Losing weight and getting healthy is hard work! It takes time for the pounds to come off. It’s not an overnight charge. Jenny Craig members can expect to lose an average of 1-2 pounds per week, which is a healthy range of weight loss. Because of the slow progress, it’s easy to get discouraged and go back to your unhealthy ways. This is why it’s so important to celebrate little victories. When you meet micro-goals, give yourself a little treat!

Each time I lose 5lbs I buy myself a pretty bouquet of flowers. Then in the mornings when I’m packing my kids’ lunches I see them and remind myself that I’m doing great and to keep pushing forward. One of my other goals was to give Diet Coke. Frankly I drink too much and trying to trying to drink it in moderation just doesn’t work. So I cut it out cold turkey. The first week was rough. So when I was DC Free for 2 weeks, I treated myself to a new pair of workout leggings.

Slow and steady is the best way to make a lifestyle change. And I’m loving my journey so far this year! If one of your resolutions is to Get Healthy, set some specific goals and see if Jenny Craig can help you meet them!