Whether it’s giving up chocolate and sweets, drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking, losing 10 lbs., visiting the gym at least 3 times a week, most people want to start a clean slate when the clocks strike midnight on the 31st December.
Whilst we’re absolutely convinced that your resolutions are being made with the best of intentions, the majority of us seldom reach the first couple of weeks of January before breaking one of our goals.
So what’s the secret to making a resolution that you might actually have a chance of keeping? Head-to-toe has assembled an assortment of experts to share their own resolutions and offer some easy, practical tips to help you stick to your individual goals.
Dr. Roshini Raj (http://www.drroshiniraj.com/)
Do not overwhelm yourself with lofty and difficult-to-achieve goals, such as going from size 12 to 4 in just a month or attending a demanding fitness class 7 days a week. Being unable to complete your overly ambitious goals can prove counterproductive and can only make you feel bad about yourself. Instead, aim at setting up goals that are easier to achieve and break them up into smaller steps, one step at a time. Pay attention to what you can easily improve: choose healthier foods at each meal, skip the elevator or control your posture. Learning from the mistakes of the last year is also a good way to start. Reflect on what went wrong and what you could have done better. Do not be too hard on yourself – just consider your weak points and decide what you can do about them this year. Lastly, find a buddy to share your New Year’s resolutions with – it can be both fun and motivational experience for both of you!
(https://www.facebook.com/DrRoshiniRaj) (https://twitter.com/DrRoshiniRaj)
Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN (http://www.joybauer.com)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoyLBauer Twitter: https://twitter.com/joybauer
Instagram: http://instagram.com/joybauer
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/joybauerhealth/
Come New Years, many of us tend to make broad, sweeping “big picture” resolutions, but don’t really think about the mini goals that lead us to the finish line. After working with so many people to lose weight and get healthy, I’ve found that short-term goals are a powerful tool. Setting (and conquering) weekly mini-goals helps to keep you focused and motivated for the long haul. Here’s a list of actionable items (feel free to improvise and make your own) to help you get started:
Step Up Incidental Activity: By increasing your number of steps, stairs, and lifts, you can significantly increase your calorie burn. Perhaps you’re familiar with some of the more common recommendations for increasing your daily activity: parking your car further from the building, taking the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator, and so forth. If you’re already doing that…great! Here a few fresh suggestions on how to work more movement into everyday life –
– Take the trash cans and recycling bins to the curb one at a time (instead of 2 or 3 at once). Bring your groceries into the house 1-2 bags at a time, instead of by the fistful. It may seem inefficient, but it’s a lot easier to squeeze in a few minutes of activity at times like this than set aside 30 minutes for planned exercise.
– I think we’re all guilty of using our kids and spouses for “free labor”, especially when we’re tired. We ask them to answer the phone, turn off the light, throw us the remote, get the mail, etc. Instead of asking someone else to do these mindless tasks for you, take them on yourself. The extra calories burned will really add up.
– Walk and talk. Thanks to cordless phones and cell phones, we now get to enjoy the freedom of movement while we chat. Use the time you spend talking on the phone at work or home as a chance to move around a bit—pace around the room, walk up and down the stairs, or go for a walk around the block while you catch up with loved ones or gossip about your favorite TV shows.
Strike Starch at Dinner (Whenever You Can) While it’s true many starches like whole grains and baked white/sweet potatoes are nutrient dense, so many of us tend to lose inhibitions after a long day and OVEREAT starch at dinner….. a slice of bread, plus two, three, or even five servings of pasta, rice, potatoes. So, why have the temptation at all? Omit it whenever you can for better control. Instead, fill up on lean protein and lots of plain (no fat added) non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, carrots, peppers, spinach, cauliflower, zucchini, and lettuce.
Eat Slooooooower Research shows that you eat about 60 fewer calories per meal when you slow down your pace. Use this strategy at all three meals, and you’ll save 180 calories per day. That’s about 20 pounds lost at the end of the year from this one simple change!
Research shows that Mondays are a good day for making changes. Each Monday, focus on one small thing about your diet that you can successfully address. Maybe you’ll eat more fruit this week, cook dinner twice, or give up sugary soft drinks. Once you achieve that goal, give yourself a mental check and come Monday, tackle another thing. Reminding yourself of all of your accomplishments help strengthen your willpower, allowing you to tackle harder goals, like passing up dessert.
Dr. Ruth Westheimer (https://twitter.com/AskDrRuth)
For 2014 those in a relationship with a problem need to resolve to work on that problem and those not in relationships need to find a partner.
Dr. Gail Saltz (http://www.drgailsaltz.com/)
Important relationships are a huge source of overall life happiness and contentment, yet we rarely do enough to strengthen them. New Years is a great time to freshly assess and attend to the relationships that matter the most to you. Ask the ones you love to chat for 30 minutes about what you like about your relationship, what you appreciate about each other and what you both think you want to improve upon in the relationship in the coming year. Then plan a monthly 30-minute check in to amend and state what you like, appreciate, wish to improve. With small but purposeful attention, your relationship can be even more fulfilling and mutually satisfying.
Keri Glassman, MS, RD (http://www.nutritiouslife.com/) and judge of new show Cook Your Ass Off
I’ve never been a big fan of resolutions. I truly believe we should be working on improving ourselves daily, and that we don’t need a holiday date to begin self-improvement work. However, there is something to be said for taking a minute to reflect on the past year and take action moving forward. There are many “rules” to follow in life but looking ahead at a new year, there is one rule I would like to focus on: be responsible. It translates into your personal, professional and social life in a proactive and productive way. We don’t need a million guidelines. There shouldn’t be a hundred messages telling you how to govern yourself as you navigate the world. Moving through life with the mantra ‘be responsible’ should cover you in most situations. As we approach the New Year, it is a good time to revisit the simple message of being responsible.
Be responsible for your health — make choices that keep you accountable to your physical, mental and emotional health. Find a way to be responsible when you are indulging and enjoy yourself with a thoughtful recognition of your actions with food, exercise and well-being. Make and keep your doctors’ appointments, schedule regular dental check-ups and be proactive in eating empowered by keeping your refrigerator and pantry responsibly stocked.
Be responsible in your environment — take a New Year’s minute to look at the space you spend the most time in. Do you love your home? Is your bedroom a sanctuary? Are you proud of the desk you keep and spot where you relax? No? Then take some action and make the spaces you live in spaces you love. Take ownership of improving your world you live in so that you can feel good about your choices.
Be responsible in your love – release some oxytocin, the love hormone that is responsible for managing your stress and negative feelings. Cuddle more puppies, hold more children’s hands, hug your loved ones and accept and receive affections. You deserve to have a year that is full of feelings of being loved, so take responsibility for it by incorporating a little love into each day.
Nastia Liukin (http://nastialiukin.com/)
Set daily, weekly, and monthly goals — and then of course a yearly goal! Taking baby steps will ultimately help you achieve that long-term goal.
Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD (http://www.ffactor.com/)
A realistic resolution that will benefit your health in 2014 is to eat more fiber in your diet. Fiber is especially helpful for weight control because it has zero calories and foods high in fiber are naturally filling and lower in calories.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) recommends women get 25 to 35 grams of fiber in their diet daily, and men, 38 grams, yet most adults in the U.S. get less than half of the recommended amount. This is due to our overreliance on processed foods that have been stripped of fiber and lack of fiber in the diet is why people walk around hungry and prone to overeating.
Dietary fiber comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Good sources of soluble fiber include oatmeal, oat cereal, oat bran, apples, oranges, pears, lentils, strawberries, nuts, beans, dried peas, blueberries, cucumbers, celery, and carrots. Good sources of insoluble fiber include: whole wheat, whole grains, wheat bran, corn bran, barley, couscous, brown rice, bulgur, seeds, nuts, zucchini, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, dark leafy vegetables, and cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, as well as certain fruits, such as apples, as well as raisins, grapes, root vegetables eaten with skin. Most whole plant foods contain both types of fiber. Eating a variety of fiber-rich foods will provide you with beneficial amounts of both.
When Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD set out in private practice 15 years ago she developed individualized diets for her diabetic and cardiovascular patients and discovered an unexpected benefit: In addition to improving their medical conditions, everyone lost weight without feeling hungry. In reviewing all of the diets, Tanya discovered that dietary fiber was the common denominator. From that point forward fiber has been an integral part of her work – especially with patients seeking weight loss. In 2006, Tanya named her high-fiber approach The F-Factor Diet, and with publisher G.P. Putman’s Sons it became a bestselling weight loss book. The Miracle Carb Diet, published by Hyperion in December 2012, takes the principles of the F-Factor Diet to the next level as a highly motivational four-stage weight loss program.
Dr. David Perlmutter (http://www.drperlmutter.com/)
This is your year to transform your health. Adopting a low-carb, high “good” fat and gluten-free nutrition program will end your dieting confusion and lack of dedication. This is a revolutionary diet – only what humans have been eating for hundreds of thousands of years. Cutting the carbs and gluten will end the cravings and pave the way to success while finally adding back the desperately needed fat will reduce inflammation, aging of your skin, enhance immune function, and sharpen your brain.
Dr. David Perlmutter is a board-certified neurologist and Fellow of The American College of Nutrition. He lectures worldwide on the role of nutrition and brain health and is the author of the #1 New York TimesBestseller, “Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers.”
Dr. Frank Lipman (http://www.drfranklipman.com/)
– Laughing more – and not just relying on Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart to make me laugh, but laughing more in everyday life. Laughter has tremendous healing properties, so adding humor to our daily activities is an easy and pleasurable must-do.
– Eat more fat, yes you read correctly. I am talking about good fats from coconut oil, coconut cream, olive oil, butter from grass-fed cows, and nut butters. Fats are essential for proper nerve activity, fat-soluble vitamin absorption, immune-system function and healthy cells. I hope to help people let go of the myth that fat is bad for you!
Good Housekeeping Nutrition Director Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD
Research shows that Mondays are a good day for making changes. Each Monday, focus on one small thing about your diet that you can successfully address. Maybe you’ll eat more fruit this week, cook dinner twice, or give up sugary soft drinks. Once you achieve that goal, give yourself a mental check and come Monday, tackle another thing. Reminding yourself of all of your accomplishments help strengthen your willpower, allowing you to tackle harder goals, like passing up dessert.
*7 Years Younger The Anti-Aging Breakthrough Diet: Lose 20 Pounds (Or More!) authored by the Editors of Good Housekeeping is released on December 31, 2013 – http://www.amazon.com/Years-Younger-Anti-Aging-Breakthrough-Diet/dp/1936297108
Dr. Robi Ludwig (http://drrobiludwig.com/)
Set your intention for the New Year, and then follow your plan not your feeling. Feelings change. Motivation is not a feeling that lasts long enough to achieve long-term lasting results.
Ellie Krieger, MS, RD (http://www.elliekrieger.com/)
To keep your New Year’s resolutions make sure you make the right resolutions in the first place. Be sure to keep them specific and attainable. So instead of saying “I am going to eat better” or “I am going to lose weight.” Zero in on exactly what you are going to do to get there such as “I will have a fruit or vegetable at every meal or snack,” or ” I will make a home-cooked dinner at least 5 nights a week.” Once you zero in on what you will do, then nail down how you will do it. For example, make sure you have plenty of easy to eat fruits and vegetables on hand each week and pantry staples for quick dinners.”http://www.amazon.com/Weeknight-Wonders-Delicious-Healthy-Dinners/dp/1118409493
Liz Earle, MBE (www.lizearlewellbeing.com)
Bestselling British beauty author, food campaigner and founder of www.lizearlewellbeing.com resolution for 2014 is to spend her time in a more productive and worthwhile way. “Life too quickly becomes jam-packed with inconsequentials, leaving less time than I’d like to share with friends and family, or supporting my local community. This year will be different. I’m going to schedule in everything from family holidays to local events in my diary straightaway – and then reserve plenty of free gaps so there’s always a bit of space for people, or time to enjoy a last-minute opportunity – or simply a moment to rest and exhale.”
Candice Kumai (http://www.candicekumai.com/)
New Year’s Resolutions are a fantastic starting point to “refresh”, “cleanse” and re-generate. Not just the body, but the mind and the soul as well. Let’s not forget that pure happiness is also a healthy choice for the new year.
I have found myself without a clear and healthy mind, one cannot live the life they have always imagined. Your relationship with who you are is important as well. You have to love yourself enough to WANT to NOURISH. Not DIET. Dieting is so 1980’s, totally out of style. Your body wants proper nourishment, not chemicals. Your body wants real food, not processed crazy-ingredient-labeled non-sense. Your mind wants peace and calm, not chaos and stress. Your heart wants to love and be loved, not be deprived. Feed thy mind, body and soul this year. Stop talking about it and DO something about it. There are two kinds of people in this world, people who talk and people that do. Do the cleanse. Find those ABS. Clear that MIND. Search for your SOUL. Work HARDER to accomplish your goals. GO to the gym, GRAB a friend or your mate and share the fun of living the life you have always imagined. Stop talking and just start DOING. You can ask me 250 questions on how to change and be hot, healthy and happy, but even I don’t have all the answers. You’ll have to go down your own path and do all the searching. Enjoy the journey that a fulfilled life has to offer.
Author of the upcoming “Clean Green Drinks“, NY Times Bestselling author, (Cook Yourself Thin), food writer (Shape & Men’s Fitness) & Top Chef alumnus.
Sarma Melnagailis (http://oneluckyduck.com/)
My recommendation for New Year’s resolutions is not to make them! I think everyone has an innate tendency to rebel against anything that’s imposed upon us, even if we’re doing it ourselves. (I know I do!). I therefore like the idea of framing goals as a shift. Rather than fixating on losing that last ten pounds, try framing it as simply a shift to eating healthier, and then perhaps try shifting the overall perspective to something larger. For example, if weight loss is the goal, instead of making the goal only about what the scale reads, think about the larger context of the environment, conservation, supporting the right businesses, and animal welfare. If you buy only what you need, and from a farmer’s market, your eating choices become part of something good and larger than just yourself. And, read more! Supporting your goals with knowledge is the best kind of motivation.
One of my least favorite expressions is “getting back on track” … ugh, who wants to live “on track” all the time? And then berate ourselves for getting “off track”? It implies we’ve messed up, and there is something wrong that we need to fix. How about just shifting our perspective to what’s good for us, what makes us feel good? If I started eating doughnuts every day for breakfast, I could think of it as having messed up, a “bad” habit that I need to correct, or I could just think about it as something that doesn’t feel good and isn’t aligned with my larger goals so maybe I’ll shift that and eat fresh organic fruit in the morning and green juice because that makes me feel better, and that’s my motivation for doing it right there.
Ian Marber, MBANT, Dip ION (http://www.ianmarber.com/)
Rather perversely, most people know how to diet but not how to eat. You don’t have to be very overweight or lose 100lb, even if you are someone who gains and loses the same 8lbs throughout the year the misery and stress of having to diet followed by theme less eating is fruitless. Educate yourself about how the body lays down fat and how to lose it through eating, not starvation, rather than carry on with the cycle. My personal resolution is to get back to meditating. I used to manage ten minutes daily, sometimes twice, but I have let it slip, stupidly, and I miss it and the benefits.
Gretchen Rubin (http://gretchenrubin.com/)
This resolution sounds trivial, but many people do report that it does, indeed, help make them happier—the resolution to “Make your bed.” There’s something about taking this little step, first thing in the morning that helps to boost happiness. It’s quick, it’s manageable, and it makes a bigger difference than you might think.
Sara Haley (http://sarahaley.com/)
– Make sure to distinguish between short-term & long-term goals – it will help you be more realistic. It’s also helpful if your short-term goals can help you lead to your long-term goals. For instance, if your long term goal is to lose X amount of weight. A great short-term goal might be: “I’m going to workout two days in a row, with one day off.” (which can eventually lead to 3 days in a row with one day off, etc.) or “I’m going to work out for 20 minutes a day.” (which can eventually lead to 30 and then 45 minutes a day)
– Be specific with your goals: For instance, “I’m going to try to eat clean 6 days out of the week, with one cheat day.” You then need to define what “eating clean” is. Does that mean no alcohol, sugar (if so, what kinds of sugar – does this include fruit?)
– If you “fall off the wagon,” don’t give up. It happens to everyone. Brush yourself off, and try again . . . and again . . . and again.
Danny Young and Chloe Madeley (www.fitnessfondue.com)
Danny – My New Years resolution is to gain more lean muscle in 2014 and reduce my body fat percentage. I’d like to gain 4 pounds of muscle mass and introduce more cardio to my workouts to drop fat.
Chloe – My New Years resolution is to promote weight lifting among women and to dismiss the idea that carb depletion is a long term, healthy dietary option. I hope to do this through my website FitnessFondue.com and in the media.
Mario Godiva (http://mariogodiva.com/)
People tend to self-sabotage themselves by making New Year’s resolutions general, vague, and not really attainable due to an unrealistic time frame. This is why so many people start really strong and motivated and then give up because the realization of how hard it is, coupled with the frustration of not getting instant gratification via immediate results sets in. Getting and staying fit is not a “one and done” process and improving your mind and body is a never ending journey. I tell clients to create 30 day goals instead of stereotypical New Year’s resolutions. I ask them to think about what their top three fitness goals are, and then write a specific list in first person and under each goal I have them write exactly how and what they are going to do to reach that goal. Every 30 days they check in with themselves and me and we create another 30 day plan of attack based on what happened the past 30 days. It keeps them consistent, accountable, and motivated because 30 days is enough time to notice the “little wins” like more energy, fitting in jeans or a shirt better, or seeing your excess fat get smaller.
Jennifer Iserloh (http://skinnychef.com/)
– Eat a whole foods diets, and knock out most packaged foods. Instead of frozen dinners make a simply chicken and veggie stir fry.
– Kick your soda habit for good that includes diet soda. If you love the fizz- try drinking sodium free sparkling water with a twist of lime or lemon.
– Want to kick off 5 pounds the easy way? Figure out what your repeat offender is, that’s the little “treat” you have more than 4 times a week. Cut out just that one food and watch the pounds melt away.
– Eat more veggies, just grate, chop and blend your way to better health by adding more veggies to meal you already know and love. For example add 1/2 cup baby spinach to your blueberry smoothie – you won’t taste it but your body will feel the benefits. Or add 1 cup chopped mushrooms to your burger or meatloaf meat.
Brett Hoebel (http://bretthoebel.com/)
– Know your “Why”. The more emotionally connected to Why you want to accomplish your goal, the faster you’ll get there and the longer it will last. Did a little deeper than just “skinny jeans” and things can change permanently.
– Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals:
– Specific: be specific with your goal e.g., instead of saying you want to “lose weight”, be specific, like “I want to lose 4 pounds”
– Measurable: the goal needs to be measurable e.g., if you want to get in “better shape”, make sure you can measure it like “drop a dress size” or “run a 5k in less time”
– Attainable: don’t do lofty goals that are not attainable, you will only set yourself up for failure e.g., instead of saying “I’m going to quit smoking, go on a diet and hit the gym 5x week”, start with one thing you can attain, in smaller steps that can lead to a big result.
– Realistic: set goals that are realistic in where are you are starting from e.g., if you are just getting off the couch to workout from being sedentary, jumping into an extreme form of training, would not be wise…you run the risk of injury and quitting b/c it will be too painful. Maybe walking or a new class with other people at your fitness level would be more realistic.
– Timebound: Having a “deadline” on your goal is very important, it creates incentive and boundaries to work from. Rather than say “I’m going to get fit in the New Year”, you could rephrase that as “I’m going to make it to the gym 3x week for January”. A month is good amount of time for people to focus on…not too short and not too long.
Fernanda Capobianco (http://vegandivasnyc.com/)
My New Year Resolution for 2014 is that as I started the Transcendental Meditation Practice this year and I really want to focus on taking time twice a day and do my 20 meditation. You can meditate everywhere you are, even in the office. It’s a work in progress for me but it’s really important to rest the brain those 20 minutes. We rest our body for hours when we sleep but still we don’t rest our mind. This is a meditation for those who live in the big city and work a lot like I do. It really relieves the stress and makes a lot of difference in day and ultimately my life.
Ani Phyo, author “Ani’s Raw Food Detox”, (www.AniPhyo.com)
Keep moving daily! Whether it’s by taking the stairs, parking at the far end of the parking lot and walking, stretching between meetings in your office, and walking to run errands instead of driving.
Jonathan Bailor (http://thecaloriemythbook.com/)
Resolve to eat at least eight servings of non-starchy vegetables (veggies you *could* eat raw) per day. This is simple when you get three servings at lunch and dinner and two in a snack.
Andrea Metcalf (http://www.andreametcalf.com/)
When I think of realistic fitness goals I like to help people put three things together something realistic measurable and understanding the reason behind it. With that in mind, If someone is planning a New Year’s resolution look for one small thing you can do each day to commit to your goal, track that thing for the measurement and rate it and how it feels when it’s completed.
Diamond Dallas Page (http://www.ddpyoga.com/)
Rather than focusing on one big, daunting New Year’s Resolution, I prefer people set themselves up for success with small goals that they can shoot for each week; for example – “this week, I challenge myself to getting in 5 DDPYoga Workouts,” or “this week, I commit to a 100% GMO-free diet.”
Certified fitness expert Jessica Smith (http://www.jessicasmithtv.com/)
I don’t usually recommend making them because most of us don’t keep them.. here’s what I like to do instead – make a vision board for 2014! Let pictures tell your resolution story for this year. Get creative with magazines, cut out pictures, quotes, and numbers – anything that inspires you and gets you excited about the year ahead. Hang it up some place in your home where you will see it every day, and update it throughout the year.
Shiva Rea (http://shivarea.com/)
Global yoga teacher and author of “Tending the Heart Fire -Tending the Heart Fire: Living in Flow with the Pulse of Life (Sounds True, January 2014), Shiva Rea has one simple new year’s simple resolution that can change everything. “I can commit everyday to keep my “heart fire” alive – that is to keep your connection to love, life and breath and your energetic hearts capacity to radiate to every cell of your body, to others and beyond. Let us all commit to love everyday. Love is the best natural immune and mood booster, longevity “exercise” you could offer to your health and happiness. 365 days of keeping love alive in any and every authentic form.”
Shay Kostabi (http://new-york.flywheelsports.com/instructors/shay-kostabi)
Shay is making waves in the New York fitness world as The East Coast Master Trainer for Flybarre at Flywheel and as a Master Trainer for Rexist 360 Resistance Bands. Her goal with ReXist 360 is to help clients reach their fitness goals quickly and safely with short, challenging and fun workouts.
“A few years ago, tired of writing out a laundry list of all my resolutions and feeling like I failed myself when I didn’t fulfill them or totally forgot about them, I instead decided to pick a theme for the New Year. It’s now become a tradition and I encourage my clients to do the same. Choosing just one word that describes how you want to feel instead of what you want to look like, or what you think you should do is incredibly powerful. Plus it’s just easier to remember. Once you’ve discovered your theme or your one word, say it out loud, write it down and make sure you really connect to it on a personal level. Throughout the year your theme will guide you in aligning actions, behavior, goals and even playtime with whatever you chose.
Example: in 2010, I chose Glamour, 2011 was about Authenticity, 2012 was Clarity and in 2013 I chose Ascension. The definition of ascension is: an upward movement; to rise; in astrology the rising of a star above the horizon.
In 2014, I am going inward. I chose a Sanskrit word this year. Maitri – which means: Gentle loving kindness towards oneself that then extends toward others. OR love without attachment. I imagine I’ll chose healthy foods that are kinder on my system and to the planet, meditation, setting aside time to reconnect with friends and important people in my life, as I spent much of 2013 away from home. In terms of fitness I’m looking forward to some Ariel yoga (I STILL like to fly), Pilates, exploring ethnic dance classes and creating more of my own workouts that combine creative movement with functional training. “
Yuri Elkaim BPHE, RHN (http://www.yurielkaim.com/)
To stick to your new year’s resolutions, willpower is going to come into play. However, our willpower has a limited battery life, which must be renewed each day (hence, the importance of sleep, taking breaks, and doing meditation, etc.…)
One study had students memorize either a 2-digit or 7-digit number. When the students were ready, the would go to another room where they would recall the number. Along the way, they were offered a snack for participating in the study – either a piece of chocolate cake or a healthy fruit bowl.
Guess what happened? Students asked to memorize the 7-digit number were 2x as likely to choose the chocolate cake, thus showing that the more we use our mind, the less “mind power” we have left for other things (like choosing healthier foods).
Considering this, you are best off doing the MOST important thing you want to get done first thing in the morning, while your willpower is still high. That’s why I STRONGLY recommend making a green juice or working out or preparing your healthy meals FIRST THING in the morning. That way, it’s done and you don’t have to worry about it later in the day.
