As the holiday season comes to a close and we welcome a new year, it can seem like the perfect time to try something new. Many people choose to begin a new diet in the new year. The bottom line is that diets don’t work. It has been proven that all, if not more, of the weight lost during adiet will be regained at some point. Diets can also cause an obsession around eating, food and not “failing”.

While it can seem tempting to cut out carbohydrates, exercise like crazy and try all the latest diet fads when a new year comes around, it’s best to save ourselves the aggravation and stress and try something else.

Instead of starting a diet, here are some goals that are much more realistic and better for our health: Try drinking 1 gallon of water per day, going meatless one day of the week, walking for 30 minutes every day, and getting at least eight hours of sleep each night.

By meeting these goals, we will feel healthier, happier and won’t have the stress of a new diet looming over our head.

For more tips and recipes, follow Mary Weiss on Instagram @SprinklingOfHealth and visit her website, SprinklingOfHealth.com.