After a seemingly endless stream of events that meant more over-indulgence than you would like to think, and at the end of the first month of the new year, it's time to breathe and ensure that you continue to put into practice the healthier practices you resolved to achieve.
Kayla Dean, 30, is one of those people who resolved to try to change her eating habits once again, especially as she feels she has packed on at least 10 pounds over the past two months of celebrating and eating.
"Every year I tell myself I won't overindulge, and every year I do it again and again. This time I am sure I did worse than usual."
Dean says she wants to stick to her resolution to adopt healthier eating habits to set an example for her primary school-age son.
She is among the masses of Bahamians who make elaborate plans to drop dress sizes at the end and beginning of a new year, but, unfortunately, according to experts, their plans are likely to fizzle out long before the summer months. Still, getting to a healthier you can become a reality sooner and much easier than you think.
Registered dietitian Julia Lee, coordinator of clinical nutrition at Doctors Hospital, told The Nassau Guardian in a previous interview that making a change is not about big steps or elaborate exercise or diet plans, but about the small things people do that will make all the difference.
"Instead of resolving to make a dramatic temporary change, aim to make a permanent lifestyle change," said Lee. "When it comes to creating a better you, the first thing

is to be realistic and make it happen with small steps and changes. This will not happen immediately, but working on it slowly and steadily will add up in the end."
Moderating food intake, she said, is the first thing people need to do if they really intend to be on top of their health. She said the key to eating right is not just avoiding overeating, but eating the right portions when you do make your food choices.

Learning to eat
and drink right
"It's essential to start by increasing the amount of vegetables you intake, because research shows that persons tend to be more satisfied with reasonable portions of the other food groups when they eat more vegetables," said Lee. "A good guide to getting the portion right is to allot a quarter of your plate for your protein, like turkey, ham or fish. The next quarter is your starches, like rice and potato, and the last half is to be filled with vegetables, whether they are cooked or raw."
A good trick to avoid overeating at any time entails deliberately using your non-dominant hand to eat. She said it will feel weird to eat that way, and you will be more conscious of what you are eating, so you don't mindlessly gorge.
To cut the calories, the dietitian said it is important to pay just as much attention to beverages as you do to foods. Even though they are liquid, calories from sweet drinks add up quickly.
Instead of drinking sodas or other sweet drinks, she said to stay hydrated with water and advised people to drink at least eight glasses of water daily, or as often as you are thirsty. If you must drink other fluids, she suggested filling glasses only part way and diluting juices or other drinks with water or with unsweetened tea, to stretch the drink without adding calories. Lee said keeping well hydrated throughout the day makes it easier for your body to not only digest food but break down calories as well.
As for alcoholic beverages, she said women should limit their intake to one unit per day, which equates to a one-and-a-half-ounce shot glass of hard liquor, one 12-ounce beer or a five-ounce glass of wine. The amount doubles for men. Anything more than that, she said, is beyond moderation and bad for a person's health.

Exercising your
way to health
Incorporating a good exercise routine into your daily life is another major thing most people need to change in their lives. The nutritionist said the most successful people are those who can commit themselves to a 30-minute exercise routine four to five times a week.
"It's not about doing the exercise for a long time, or changing your life so drastically to fit this new routine into it so that it becomes a burden. Persons unused to exercising who push themselves to exercise for longer periods of time than this are less likely to still be doing this come June and July. It is for this reason that it is best to do it slow and steadily."
Lee advises that you try something simple, like walking or jogging, to avoid straining your pocket.
Doing activities you like is also a good way to not bite off more than you chew. If you like basketball, soccer or even baseball, joining a team or gathering a few friends to participate with you a few times a week, she says, will break up the monotony of exercise as well.
If you are a really busy person, making small changes to your daily life is a good way to add activity to your life. Instead of using an elevator, take the stairs at work. Wash the dishes in the evening as an alternative to running the dishwasher. Rather than plop down on the couch in front of the television at the end of the day, take your dog out for a walk or just take a leisurely stroll around your home or the neighborhood.
"The idea is to be more active. If you have a sit-down job, ensure you get up and walk at least every 30 to 60 minutes. Sitting for too long is a health hazard, so get up and consciously walk, because a body in motion tends to stay in motion. If you are far from the garbage, instead of just throwing it in, take time to walk to it. The more you move and exercise your muscles, the better you will feel. In turn, feeling more active leads to making more healthy choices."
You've set the resolution and set out on the course so ensure that you keep them. The dietitian/nutritionist said a sweeping amount of weight loss is not what your aim should be. She advised against measuring your success by the scale, which many people become addicted to.
She encouraged focusing on things like decreasing inches around the body or how well you sleep, rather than how many pounds you lose. Lee says it is also good to gauge your improving energy level and even how your clothes feel as you make more healthy choices. At the end of the day, you should only look forward to losing one or two pounds a week. More than this, she said, is often too much; the weight loss will not be healthy and is often not kept off permanently when lost too quickly.
"At the end of the day, just make better choices, since it's not only for personal gain but also because all those you love will benefit from a healthier you," said Lee.

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