Tips to Help you Achieve Your New Years Resolutions!

We're almost one full month into 2017,  which means many of us have some big resolutions to live up to.

Compten Management Inc. wants to help you achieve your goals, so we've put together a list of the top 3 most common resolutions and tips to achieve your goals!
 

Eat Healthier:

Cutting out less healthy meals and snacks altogether and suddenly, often leads to cheating and binge eating, followed by guilt. Success is met by removing the unhealthy options from your diet gradually. Make an effort to choose healthier take-out options and find locations within walking distance of your apartment, so you have to burn calories for your 'cheat' meal!

Be neighbourly! Chances are, some of your apartment building neighbours have the same food resolutions as you. Post a notice (where applicable) to gather some neighbours together for a healthy "Pot-Luck" group. Setup a once a week healthy pot-luck, where everyone brings a healthy option or organize a smaller group for a food exchange once a week. Sharing achievements and obstacles amongst your group could lead to new meal ideas for you and encouragement!

We all know that homemade meals are much healthier than take-out or prepared frozen items from the grocery store. Making your own food allows you to control salt and sugar content, reduce preservatives and additives and monitor portion control. Finding the time to make homemade meals everyday can be challenging, however. Put some time aside once per week to make several meals that you can prep, portion and freeze ahead of time. Don't forget that spending time on your feet and being active in the kitchen also burns calories!
 

Lose Weight:

Skip the elevator and take the stairs to your apartment. For a heartier cardio workout without going to the gym, use the stairs as your tool. Run or walk the stairs up and down in sets of 3, gradually increasing the number of flights you tackle, as your stamina increases. 

If your apartment building has a fitness facility in it, use it! Gym memberships offer many benefits, but can be costly. By using your apartment gym, you won't have the excuse of avoiding it due to cost, bad weather or traffic. If your apartment has an indoor pool, pick a time each week to head down and accomplish some laps or join any water fitness classes that are offered. Water activities are easier on your joints and utilize your core muscles. 

Join a walking group and explore your community. There might be one already active in your building- if not, create one! Walking groups are great options for those who have a hard time getting motivated or can't handle vigorous exercise. You'll have a group to encourage you, let you walk at your own pace and you'll be committed to a certain day & time each week. For everyday tracking of your steps, invest in a wearable fitness tracker, so you can set manageable goals for yourself. 
 

Quitting a Bad Habit:

No matter the habit you want to break, it can be tough to stop. To help manage your own expectations and set yourself up for success,create a timeline of realistic goals that you can meet and reward yourself when you achieve them. If you want to up the ante, designate a family member or friend to check in with you at each milestone point, to help keep you on track, remind you of the benefits of quitting and offer positive encouragement. 

There are many support groups available both in person and online, for like-minded people who are working toward a similar goal. If you're finding it hard to stay true to your resolution or find yourself encountering many obstacles, you might find it helpful to discuss with a licensed professional or support group. 

Don't give up! Setbacks will happen and that's okay. Often once the resolution is broken, the bad habit restarts and the momentum is gone. Even if you slip up, keep pushing yourself towards your goals. Keep in mind, there is no perfect process and at the end of the day, you'll feel much more accomplished if you overcame your obstacles. 

Compten Management Inc. wishes all our residents a Happy New Year and good luck on achieving your goals for 2017!