The start of the New Year often prompts people to make resolutions – but research suggests only a few actually keep them. If you want to shift the pounds and make healthy lifestyle changes that last then forget the faddy, quick fix diets. Instead, follow this 30-day plan devised by a medical expert which involves adopting a new, easy habit each day to help make those good intentions a reality. Making a permanent lifestyle change is challenging, especially when you want to transform many things at once – psychologists have long advocated setting small goals and taking things one step at a time. In the simplest of definitions, habits are thoughts or activities that we repeat again and again. Dr Lee Goldman, executive vice president and dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, shared with Health.com the way you can make 2018 the year you make those resolutions stick. Day 1: Write down your personal mission:
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Writing a personal wellness mission statement gives you the opportunity to establish what's important to you and make a decision to stick to it. Make it specific and focus on the short-term, so the upcoming weeks. An example is: 'I will eat two clean meals per day for two weeks. Remember that this is the beginning of your journey, so it's acceptable to start small.
Day 2: Purge your pantry:

Now is the time to do a thorough spring cleaning of your kitchen cupboards. Read food labels, ditch the junk food and chuck out items that you know are your downfall. Get rid of products that are overly high in sodium..
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