How To Stick To A Healthful Diet In The New Year

New Year’s resolutions are a time-honored tradition: More than a third of Americans made them last year, mostly around eating and exercise, one poll found.

But breaking them is almost as popular a tradition. While your holiday fruitcake might last a year, barely half of diet-and-exercise resolutions do, according to that same Wall Street Journal-Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll.

Too many resolutions require drastic changes that set high expectations and take great willpower, says Jenny Bair, a behavior-change specialist, life coach and co-owner of Living Well Dallas.

“We get too hard on ourselves,” she says. “People start off with a bang, especially with exercise, and they hurt or injure themselves. That will either prevent you from doing that activity again or set up a cycle of avoidance or procrastination. And then you feel like a failure. Instead, let’s start out small, so we can be successful.”

But keeping a resolution to live a healthier lifestyle doesn’t have to make you miserable. To prove the point, here’s a list of things that sound decadent but that you don’t actually have to give up, if you take the right approach.

Snacks

If you’ve felt guilty about snacking, realize that nutritionally, you’re on the right track, according to Amy Goodson, registered dietitian at the Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Forth Worth.

“Eating small meals actually boosts your metabolism and keeps you from being as hungry at the next meal,” Goodson says. Pair a carbohydrate with a protein or with a healthy fat at every snack. For instance, eat cheese, peanut butter or nuts with fruit.

Caffeine

If caffeine gives you headaches, interrupts sleep or upsets your digestion, it may be time to ease up. You may suffer such side effects if you have more than two cups a day.

Otherwise, the antioxidants in coffee and tea are healthy, as is low-fat milk in your latte. Caffeine helps you focus and is not as dehydrating as once thought, Goodson says.

Mexican food

Salsa, that fat-free crush of fresh tomatoes, is “the best invention ever,” says Lisa F. Harper Mallonee, registered dietitian at Texas A&M Health Science Center and the Baylor College of Dentistry. Mexican food, with its abundance of beans and other vegetables, is a great option for eating out, according to Goodson and Mallonee. Because fajitas are grilled, they are the best fat-free option, but shredded chicken and cheese are excellent sources of protein, too.

Red meat

“Red meat is what we all feel guilty about,” says Mallonee. “But you can get lean cuts of all meats, and it’s actually packed with protein and lots of wonderful vitamins and minerals like iron and zinc.”

Do watch your portion size, Goodson says. “Keep it to three to six ounces, depending on the size of the palm of your hand, she said. Lean cuts include sirloin, tenderloin, flank and round steaks.

Chocolate

Cocoa and chocolate are vegetarian foods from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao fruit tree, rich with phytonutrients and antioxidants that, studies show, help reduce blood pressure and protect arteries, Goodson says. Milk chocolate has more sugar, and the milk dilutes the health benefits somewhat, though.

Dessert

If you fill up on good food at meals and slow down when you eat, smaller portions will satisfy. You may not even want dessert, say the nutritionists we consulted. “But allow yourself to have dessert,” Mallonee says. “Split it, share it with friends. That makes it fun.” If you want to make desserts with fewer calories, use light whipped cream as a topping instead of icing, and use skim milk and egg whites in recipes, Goodson says.

Thinking of yourself

Selfishness hardly sounds like an ideal resolution. But taking care of yourself and thinking about what you want helps you meet your goals. “It’s OK having an internal focus,” says Michele Wahlder, owner of Life Possibilities coaching of Dallas and author of Alphatudes, the Alphabet of Gratitude: 26 Solutions for Life’s Little Challenges, which has a March release date. “It’s saying, ‘I have some influence on what I say, what I do and how I act.’ “

Wahlder suggests making a list of what you can control in your life and what you can’t. ” ‘Winter’s here, it’s long’ is what you can’t control,” she said. ” ‘What can I do to make it fun?’ is what you can do.”

After clients do this type of soul-searching, they pick a theme for the year ahead instead of listing resolutions. Examples include having fun, working harder, spending more time with family or making healthy choices.

“Then, you’re always looking for opportunities,” Wahlder says. “You’ll realize that exercising or not exercising, for example, is a choice you make based on what you want. There’s no need for shame.”

“Just put your shoes on – it’s OK if you don’t go for that first walk. Take baby steps.” By Daphne Howland, The Dallas Morning News