To be honest, I don’t really believe in New Year’s resolutions. I much prefer setting and achieving goals as soon as they come across my mind, rather than postponing them until January 1^st. Resolutions seem counter-productive, if you ask me, especially when they're health and fitness related.

However, if you have set a fitness resolution for the New Year, I want to you think about this. Instead of saying, “I resolve to make it the gym more often” or “I resolve to pick healthier food options during the week” or “I resolve to lose 20 lbs. this year,” I’d like to suggest something else - something much more obtainable and tangible.

Resolve to be a HEALTH PLANNER instead. Planning in advance is key to a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few things I plan every single week to help keep me on track.

FOOD PREP. I spend about 2 hours every Sunday doing my grocery shopping (1
hour) and then chopping up veggies, cooking brown rice and quinoa, grilling chicken and pork. I prepare my food in advance so that it’s all ready for me to heat up or throw into a skillet, and then consume. As an incredibly busy person, this is essential. If I don’t plan ahead and have it ready by the time Monday rolls around, I will usually find a quicker, easier way to eat my meals…which normally involves calling for delivery (wa wa).

PLAN WORKOUTS THE NIGHT BEFORE. Life gets busy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make time for a workout. My recommendation is to plan your workout the night before. Each night before bed, I map out my schedule for the following day and I set aside 30-60 minutes for my workout. If I try to plan even 2-3 days in advance, this sometimes backfires, as meetings creep up and fill my schedule. (Insider tip: try to get your workout in first thing in the morning, even if that means getting out of bed by 5 AM!)

BE SMART ABOUT SOCIAL EVENTS. I am a social person, no doubt. I like to go out to eat, I like to drink a glass or two of wine (SOCIAL Enjoyments!), and I really like to have fun. My advice is to “be the social planner” with your friends. Invite them to do healthier things that don’t involve eating and drinking too much. Suggestions: invite them over for dinner (so you are in control of what’s on the menu), plan a weekend ski trip or hike, or check out daily deal sites to see other fun activities that are available in your area for a discount. Socializing doesn’t always have to involve unhealthy food!

Have an incredible 2016, friends. Make this your year of healthy planning! Your future self will thank you!