During Healthy Weight Week, Start Tiny For Big Results

Seven Steps to Healthy Habits From Dairy Council of California, Beginning With Breakfast

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Over 65 percent of New Year's resolutions are about getting in shape or losing weight, according to research by YouGov. But by now, most of these lofty or over-generalized resolutions have fizzled. During Healthy Weight Week, January 19-25, Dairy Council of California recommends refocusing on creating healthy behaviors, like eating breakfast, with seven tips based on behavior change science from BJ Fogg.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140121/DC49374-INFO)

The National Weight Control Registry, which chronicles volunteers who have maintained weight loss of at least 30 pounds for more than a year, has found time and again that eating breakfast is one habit common to people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off.

"When setting healthier lifestyle goals or resolutions, get off to a good start with breakfast because it's one habit that can set the tone for a healthier day," said Trina Robertson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with Dairy Council of California. "Including milk, cheese or yogurt at breakfast can help you balance your protein throughout the day, keeping you full longer, which may help you maintain a healthy weight. Scientific research further confirms the many health benefits that milk and milk products provide at breakfast and throughout the day."

Seven steps outlined in a new infographic from Dairy Council of California instruct resolution-makers to:

• Be focused and specific.
• Think tiny. Break down complex goals into simple steps.
• Start with the morning, when most people already have a set routine.
• Add a new food, activity or healthy habit rather than attempting to subtract one.
• Anchor a new behavior to the end of an existing habit.
• Create environmental cues to keep on track.
• Find a tribe online or in person for support.

The new infographic is available at HealthyEating.org/NewYear along with a number of online tools, articles and recipes to make eating a healthy breakfast easier. Together, these resources will help you make breakfast the first in a long line of healthy habits.

About Dairy Council of California
Dairy Council of California serves as the dairy industry's contribution to community health by providing a science-based nutrition education curriculum and resources that help children and families improve their eating habits and make nutrient-rich choices from all the food groups. For nearly a century, Dairy Council of California has partnered with schools, health professionals and community leaders to offer families simple steps for making balanced food choices while communicating the irreplaceable role that milk and milk products play in a balanced diet. Funded by California's dairy farmers and milk processors, Dairy Council of California's nutrition resources reach millions in California and throughout the United States. Find us at HealthyEating.org.

Related Links:

YouGov Research, 2013: http://today.yougov.com/news/2013/01/14/resolutions-gone-bad/ 
BJ Fogg, Tiny Habits: http://tinyhabits.com/ 
National Weight Control Registry: http://nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm

SOURCE Dairy Council of California