Visions of Christmas cookies and candies loom in people’s heads after the holidays, crushing anyone’s hope to stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

Though people eat more unhealthy foods around the holidays, getting back on track is not as hard as one may think. Gradually changing eating habits and starting an exercise regimen are simple ways to lose holiday weight and get healthy.

There are not any holidays in January that include as much food as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve, which makes beginning a New Year’s resolution easier. Staying on track after the first month is what can be the challenge.

By gradually adding good carbs to your daily routine, such as whole grains, fruit, and oats, the body becomes more accustomed to them, and it’s easier to weed out the fattening foods your body consumed during the holidays.

Apples and raspberries are easy go-to snacks for me to satisfy any cravings I may have. Keeping these good carbs a strict part of my eating habit has helped me feel healthier and stronger.

A resolution I have made, along with eating more healthy foods, is to eat starchy and fattening foods in moderation. Instead of eating the left over treats from Christmas, I gave them out to people in goodie bags and used them as thank you gifts.

Setting realistic goals for New Year’s resolutions is important too. Setting unrealistic goals will cause people to have less drive to actually reach them. Knowing your limits is a major part of making goals work for you.

Last year, I made a resolution to run each day, but because of my busy schedule, I was unable to keep to that plan. After occasionally not being able to run, I lost some of the motivation that I had in the beginning of the year. This year, I have become more lenient, only running two or three times during the week, but making sure to run on Saturdays and Sundays.

Dedication makes it easier to stick to goals and stay on the right path. Making a calendar in relation to where you should be with your goals, like I am, can keep you on track as well. Writing positive notes to yourself can also give you incentives to keep going.

If you have a smart phone, there are apps, such as Workout Trainer or Workout & Fitness Exercises, that can track what you eat and how much you work out, as well as plan workouts for you. These exercise apps can be free, another incentive to get into shape.

I currently use apps that are specific to which muscles I want to exercise on any given day, such as abs, legs, and arms.

Using these methods to stick to New Year’s resolutions has helped me become healthier all year round and it has helped me to not let the momentum of the New Year wear off before January ends.

After a few months gorging on turkey and Christmas cookies, getting back on track may seem nearly impossible, but keeping a healthy diet in mind and setting realistic goals for yourself can help anyone achieve the success that they yearn for.

Ashley Beyer is a Lifestyles Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.