How To Make Promise, Keep it

Do you find yourself tearing up your resolutions one week into the new year? Experts offer tips on how to keep them

Anonna Dutt & Prakruti Maniar

It that time again, when you step into a new year, moti-vated, empowered, resolute that this one is going to be a roaring start to a better, healthier you. Chan-ces are, you felt like this before.Chan-ces are, you 've lost all motivation before Janu-ary ended.

Why does this happen?

Health experts say it 's because most resolu-tions are too overwhelming to feel feasible once the euphoria of the first few weeks has faded. The trick, they add, is to break your life-changing target down into many smaller more doable ones. Want to get more exercise? Start with two-minute breathing exercise done while you re brushing your teeth. Want to eat healthier? Start by cleaning out your fridge and committing to one home-cooked meal a day."We recommend that people start with a maximum of three small changes,"says nutritionist Carlyne Remedios."Let small efforts up to big benefits. That way you be motivated to keep going, rather than feeling bogged down by the weight of the goals you have set yourself."

TAKE TO YOUR FEET

Gym memberships usually jump in January. One of the most common new year resolutions is the one about getting more exercise. By the middle of the month, you re already inventing excuses and avoiding your trainer.Instead, be realistic and start the day with a doable worout in your own bathroom.As you brush your teeth every morning, lify one leg off the floor and place it on your inner thigh (as in vrikshasan). Count to 60 and then switch legs. This will ensure that you brush your teeth for a full two minutes-and get an asanathrown in too. "Vriskshasan trains the brain to bal-ance better, "says Delhi based yige instructor Zubin Atre."It also helps strengthen the lower leg muscles. While doing the pose, work towards focusing on your breathing rather than your balancing." Also,resolve to always chose the stairs instead of the elevator."For a person with an average weght of 65kg to 75kg, two flights of stairs help burn 10 calories. Coupled with a controlled diet,you should start felling fitter and health-ier in about two months. Your stamina will increase too,"says dietician Vriti Srivastav.
'STOCK' UP
The easiest way to start snacking healthier.Scrub your fride and your work desk of all junk food such as biscuits and roasted makhana, sprouts bhel, chickpea chaat," says nutritionist Remedios. "A lot of your hunger is just thirst, so stay hydrated too." Another healthy-eating hack is to always have vegetable or chicken stock around at home. That way, if you re feeling nibblish, you can just heat the stock, add vegetables and treat yourself to a bowl of hearty soup.

CHOP UP THE CHORES

Want to eat out less? Commit to one home-cooked meal a day."If you prepare your meals on the weekend and freeze them, they will lose some of their nutrient than outside food,"says nutritionist Luke Coutinho."Another way is to use the weekend to wash,peel,chop and boil or steam your meat or veggies, then cook it right before you eat."With help from Coutinho,Mumbai homemaker Simran Satnani,41,was able to stick her January 2017 resolution to eat healthier."I began a diet of home-cooked food in Februery, and I sought help because my resolve was already flagging. Because I was obese, I really wanted to do it. And I discovered that as your body gets used to home-cooked meals, it craves junk less and less,"she says.

TRY MICRO-MEDITATION

If your busy schedule has you stressing about when to meditate, try meditaling wherever you are,three to five times a day. "You can meditate almost any where, while doing anything You need not lock yourself in a room,"says Atre." Allyou need is three seconds of calm and you can do what is called micro-meditation."Focus on the muscles in your body which ones are tensed, which are relaxed, which are the ones you are consciously engaging Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths and focus on the sounds and smells around you."What this does is relxes you,helps calm your nerves and ease stress," says Atre."You can even try it amid stressful situations such as a traffic jam, or just do it at your desk."

TURN IN 10 MINUTES EARLY

Early to bed and early to rise is another common resolution.To make this more feasible, start with a 10 minute advance on your bedtime. Advance by another 10 minutes when you feel ready, and so on Umtil you are sleeping an hour or two earlier or hit your target. "If a working adult gets less than 6 houes of sleep every night, they are likely to be sleep-deprived and could suffer from impaired function,"says Dr Vikas Maurya, head of the department of Fortis hospital, Shalimar Bagh in new Delhi. "In such cases, even an extra hour of sleep could make all the difference."