The holiday season, although filled with family and friends, is also filled with lots of high calorie meals and undesired extra pounds. A New Year means new fun family resolutions to jump start the transition from holiday to healthy. Here you will find 3 simple yet effective tips to get you and your family on your way to a healthy and happy year.
Family Meal Planning: Pick one day a week to sit down as a family to plan the meals for the week. Each family member gets to choose one aspect of each meal from 4 different categories. Make a list of fruit, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and dairy. Make it fun by playing a matching game to create each meal. Allow for two free meals a week so you can enjoy a not so healthy option. This will give you something to look forward to after all of your hard work sticking to your plan.
Family Activity Time: Family fitness activities are a great way to strengthen your heart and stay motivated. A great family activity to stay on task is what I call Calendar Call-Its. Each family member picks a day and picks a 20 minute activity to do for their daily exercise requirement. Some great examples are duck, duck goose day, sit down stand up run run run, and a family neighborhood walking scavenger hunt. As simple as these activities may seem you will definitely get your heart rate up and will have a great time in the process. get creative, have fun, and check off all the days you accomplish your goals. At the end of the month go out and treat yourselves for all your hard work.
Family Night: A great way to tie everything together is through a weekly Family Night. This gives everyone an opportunity to go over some of the reasons why it is so important to stay motivated and eat healthy. This can be done through a family game night where there is open dialogue and laughter. There is something to be said about learning through laughter. You will be learning, laughing, and making your way to a healthier future.
Overall, the holidays are filled with many wonderful treats that can potential lead to a many extra pounds gained throughout the year. Use these tips to start this New Year off right. This is just the beginning of many positive change for many years to come. Many positive thoughts as you set out on such a wonderful journey!
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