We're now three months into 2023, and statistics suggest that if you made any new year's resolutions for this year, you've already given up on them. If you're feeling bad about abandoning your resolutions, you shouldn't - people's new year's resolutions typically fail because the goals are simply too enormous. People want to make major changes in their lives - losing weight, quitting smoking, being smarter with money - but they don't have actionable plans for reaching those goals. If you want to achieve a major goal but don't know how to get started, it's understandable that you'll quickly feel overwhelmed and give up.
If you want to achieve an important goal, the way to succeed is by choosing the right first step - something that's not difficult and is likely to produce quick and measurable progress. That's exactly what we're going to help you do in this article. We're going to discuss some of the most likely health goals that you might have, and we'll suggest some first steps that can help you make progress toward those goals. You'll see fast results, and those results will inspire you to stay on track and continue making the right decisions.
Quit Smoking by Switching to Vaping
You might not know it yet, but quitting smoking is actually one of the easiest changes that you can make if you want to start living a healthier life. That's because the perfect alternative to smoking already exists. That alternative is vaping - and vaping is so easy, enjoyable, and satisfying that there's really no reason for any smoker to still be buying cigarettes in 2023. All that you need to do is buy a vape pen and some e juice, and you're ready to go. Puff on your vaping device whenever you need the nicotine, and within a few days, you'll wonder why you ever smoked.
Why is vaping the perfect alternative to smoking? Here are the three biggest reasons.
- Vaping costs significantly less than smoking. That's partial because e-liquid is significantly cheaper than tobacco, and it's also because the taxes that make cigarettes so expensive don't apply to vaping products in most cases.
- Vaping is an absolutely incredible experience from a flavor standpoint. Since vape juice can be made with any combination of food flavors, it can taste like almost anything, such as fruit, candy or your favorite dessert. A cigarette, on the other hand, can only taste like a cigarette.
- Vaping is just as satisfying as smoking. Modern vaping devices deliver nicotine so efficiently that you won't miss cigarettes at all.
Reduce Alcohol Consumption by Choosing More Satisfying Drinks
If tobacco isn't the vice that you're trying to quit, perhaps your goal is to reduce your alcohol consumption. Alcohol is certainly a fun way to experience a wide variety of delicious flavors, but it's also essentially empty calories - and overconsumption can be incredibly unhealthy. So, how can you cut back? The easiest way is to imbibe in a way that's more satisfying. Instead of bringing a six-pack of cheap beer home from work on Friday night, choose a better beer and buy just one bottle.
You can also substitute traditional beer for a different beverage. Try alcohol-free beer if you want to consume less alcohol or hard seltzer if you want to reduce your caloric intake.
Alternatively, you might consider learning how to make your own cocktails. It's entirely possible that you've never had a properly made cocktail before, since it's so common for bars and restaurants to water down their drinks or use heavily sweetened quick mixes. A properly made drink can be infinitely more satisfying than any mass-produced beverage.
Increase Your Daily Exercise by Finding Ways to Keep Your Body Moving
Everyone would like to find more opportunities to exercise, but some people go about it in ways that are less than ideal. Maybe you've tried paying for a gym membership only to find that you feel too exhausted to go back out after coming home from work. So, you tried buying an expensive piece of fitness equipment to use at home, but doing the same activity for hours on end didn't hold your interest. If you've found it difficult to stick with an exercise program, it's time to start thinking about it differently.
To get yourself on the path toward increasing your fitness level, don't worry about committing yourself to a major exercise program - just look for ways to move your body a little more every day. For example, you could go outside and toss a ball around with your spouse and children or play fetch with your dog after work. You can park at the far end of the lot when you do the shopping. You can take the stairs instead of using the elevator. If you combine many small things, they'll add up to a big change in your fitness level - and that might provide sufficient inspiration to hit the treadmill again or go back to the gym.
Lose Weight by Making Smart but Satisfying Substitutions
If there's any major change that you'd like to make in your life, there's a good chance that weight loss is one of your goals. Crash dieting isn't the answer. If you don't consume enough calories to keep your body nourished, you'll be miserable - and the weight loss will stall very quickly.
Instead of looking for fast ways to lose weight, focus on making small and simple changes that reduce your caloric intake without leaving you feeling unsatisfied and unhappy. If you eat meat, for instance, try replacing a few of your entrees each week with veggie protein. If you're already a vegetarian, look for opportunities to reduce your reliance on processed foods and replace them with whole foods in their natural state.
Once you've made a few lower-calorie substitutions in your diet, you'll quickly find that there are plenty of other opportunities for further caloric reductions. Here are just a few ideas to help you get started.
- Stop using fatty half-and-half or sugary creamer to improve the flavor of low-quality coffee. Instead, buy better coffee and lighten it with skim milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk.
- Instead of eating candy, try freezing some grapes or blueberries. Frozen fruit tastes much like hard candy, but it's significantly lower in sugar and calories.
- Instead of eating pasta, try making noodles or sheets out of zucchini, eggplant, or heart of palm.
- Instead of eating white rice, try brown rice, quinoa, or farro. Because whole grains are higher in fiber than white grains, you'll naturally eat less because you'll feel full more quickly.