3. Eat three balanced meals a day
Step up your nutrition in the new year—rather than cutting out foods or food groups in the name of losing weight—and aim to eat three balanced meals a day as a more sustainable lifestyle change. The healthy eating plate from Harvard University’s School of Public Health recommends filling half your plate with vegetables and fruit (the more variety, the better), a quarter with protein (like from fish, poultry, beans, or nuts), and a quarter with whole grains (from bread, pasta, oats, quinoa, and corn). The plate also includes a water glass for proper hydration and a spot to include healthy fats, such as olive oil.
A free food tracking app like Cronometer can help you learn more about portion sizing to fill your plate with adequate servings of fats, proteins, and carbs. (Note: You should steer clear of calorie-counting apps if you have a history of disordered eating and instead seek professional guidance for nutritional needs.)
4. Try a new exercise every week (or month)
To shake things up and feel excited for exercise, consider the goal of adding one new workout every week (or month, if weekly feels like too much). This could mean you try a new modality —maybe by picking up a weighted hula hoop—or checking out a new class with your workout buddy at the gym or a studio in your area. If you’re not sure what you want to try, consider checking out ClassPass, which offers access to fitness studios in many cities via a month-to-month membership. The variety can keep you from getting bored and you may find a few new ways to move that you love.
Those who enjoy exercising at home may want to consider virtual fitness programs. For an app that offers a multitude of workout classes all in one place, check out Nike Training Club. As the best workout app we’ve tested, users can follow along with fun videos of high quality yoga, HIIT, pilates, and more—for free.
Don’t like feeling tethered to a screen? Check out Aaptiv, which offers up hundreds of audio-based workouts to coach you along via your wireless workout headphones.
