Remember last January 1st, the day you sat down to set your resolutions for the New Year?

If you’re like most people, these good intentions are usually out the window by Valentine’s Day!

That’s why we say, not this year! Here are six easy ways to keep your New Year’s resolutions.

1. Honesty is the best policy

The key is to always remain true to yourself, as these resolutions are really about you.

Only you can set the goals and changes you want to see in yourself over the New Year.

You know yourself best, so it is more likely that you know what are the goals that are attainable, and those that are fantasies.

For instance, if your goal is to lose weight, be realistic and set yourself a stretch target, instead of a sweeping declaration to diet till you lose 20 kg.

The goal will be more attainable if it’s grounded in a healthy, sustainable, and specific approach.

Last year, Candice* wanted to lose some weight so that she could be healthier. However, she made no specific plans to improve her eating habits nor did she have a definite exercise schedule, which resulted in her missing the goals.

This year, she aims to lose at least four kg through “eating in moderation and exercising for an hour at least three times a week.”

With such clearly defined goals, Candice feels more confident in realising her resolution.

2. Here’s your reward

Create mini milestones and reward yourself for completing them!

You’d be surprised to know just how simple and helpful it is to break goals down into small but specific tasks!

Rewards also go a long way in keeping you motivated on your hardest days.

For instance, if your goal is to drink less or avoid drinking altogether, treat yourself to something you want – a new app on your smartphone, or a DVD for the weekend – each time you are able to resist, say, three drinking sessions.

If you plan to exercise more in the coming year, treat yourself to a guilt-free hawker dish when you exceed the 150 minutes of physical activity recommended per week.

Of course, try to stick with healthier options if you do eat out! We want you to succeed.

3. Social prowess

Social support is a crucial element in ensuring you achieve your goals.

Your family and close friends – people who are around you every day – are those who will not only help keep you on track to achieve your resolutions, but also be there for you if your resolve grows weaker.

They can double-up as your gym buddies or soccer mates who will spend time and energy to help you achieve your goals.

If you are aspiring for better grades in school, these people are also those who will encourage you to study together at a café, instead of hanging out at the closest game arcade.

Should you aim to quit smoking, they are the folks who will compel you to give that light-up a miss.

Often, having common goals is helpful, so do consider making new friends who share the same goals as you.

If you are aiming to quit smoking, check out the I Quit Club, a community who understands how difficult it can be to quit smoking, and who empowers individuals with coping strategies, tips, and support to quit smoking.

4. Take it slow

It takes time to break bad habits, so you are unlikely to stop biting your pen, smoking, drinking, or any other habit, just by making that resolution.

Initially, Peter* had resolved to quit smoking as part of his New Year resolution for 2011. However at a Chinese New Year gathering, he was unable to resist and took a puff.

Disappointed by his own actions, he was about to throw in the towel when his I Quit mentor, also an ex-smoker, suggested he cut down to one stick a day instead. Soon, Peter was only smoking a stick on weekends.

In less than six months, he was completely smoke-free!

5. Track progress

The best way to stay on track is to frequently monitor the progress you have made.

This can be done through tools, support groups, programmes, and even on your mobile!

A simple way would be to record your resolutions in a diary or notebook that you can carry it around easily. You can also write your resolutions in the Note app on Facebook.

The notes are not only convenient to pen, you can also let your friends see them, so that they can motivate you along the way!

If your resolution is to lose weight, use apps that help monitor your calorie balance; that is, what you eat and how many calories you have burnt.

One such free app that has taken into consideration Singaporean lifestyles and cuisine is the interactive Diet and Activity Tracker (iDAT), available on both the android and iPhone platforms.

6. Breathe

Research has shown that the pleasure of sweet victory is often a better incentive than the bitter after-taste of defeat.

People make mistakes, so instead of reprimanding yourself over a small stumble, keep the long-term goal in mind. Then give yourself a pat on the back, and focus on the benefits of fulfilling your resolution.

If you miss a workout session this week, make up for it in your next session, or simply use the steps instead of the escalator or the lift.

Whether your resolution in 2012 is to get fit, quit smoking, drink less, or save more money, we wish you all the best in achieving the goals you set for yourself.

We love to know more about your resolutions, so do share your story with us.

Stay positive. Stay focused. And Breathe – you will get there!

*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.

You can leave a comment below or drop us a message on Facebook or Twitter!

So you just got yourself a shiny new smartphone and you’ve been filling it with really fun apps. That’s great! Who doesn’t love to play games on the bus?

But did you know there are apps out there that allow you to do much more than play games or chat with friends?

Whether you’re looking to maintain your fine form and habits, or whether you’re looking to acquire some new ones, there are literally thousands of health-related apps out there!

We know it can be tough to stay on top of all the tech wizardry out there, so we thought it’d be helpful to point you towards some of the useful and affordable ones.

So here’s a list of such apps, presented in no particular order. Make sure you test them out for yourself!

1. iDAT (Android/IPhone – FREE)

Ever thought there are some wonderful calorie-counting apps out there, but none of them correspond to what we actually eat here in Singapore?

Well, so have we! That’s why we love the interactive Diet and Activity Tracker (iDAT) app!

Its design takes Asian body types and the Singaporean working lifestyle into consideration to help users count their calories and manage their health!

It will help you track your food intake, assist you in your physical activity, calculate your calorie balance, and share your progress with your loved ones on Facebook!

Get it here!

2. Healthy Chef (IPhone – FREE)

Need some fresh ideas to cook some wholesome AND tasty dishes?

Healthy Chef provides more than 70 healthier (and mouth-watering) recipes created by renowned chefs in Singapore!

There are recipes for Chinese, Malay, Indian and Western cuisines, plus you can search for recipes according to their calorie content.

You also get to rate the recipes, publish them on Facebook, and add reminders in your calendar to prepare the recipes you’ve chosen!

Get it here!

3. Runkeeper Pro (IPhone/Android/Windows phone/Nokia – FREE)

Runkeeper Pro uses GPS to track your fitness activities, including distance, time, pace, calories, heart rate, and path travelled on a map.

RunKeeper also provides audio cues, customised interval workouts, manual entry for treadmill and other cardio equipment, integrated RunKeeper Fitness Classes, and no advertising pop-ups!

Get it here!

4. Endomondo Sports Tracker (IPhone/Android/Windows phone/BlackBerry/Nokia – FREE)

Endomondo Sports Tracker is more than just a personal trainer for running, cycling, walking and other sports.

It allows you to track your time, distance, speed, and altitude in real time, but it also puts you in contact with a community of like-minded individuals so you can share stats, workouts, music playlists, maps, and routes!

The complete integration with the Endomondo.com community means that you can easily analyse, track, and compete with your friends’ progress.

Get it here!

5. Fooducate (Android/IPhone – FREE)

Most of us have been learning to read food labels and nutrition facts when shopping. But sometimes the labels aren’t completely accurate or hide behind complex information.

Want to know more about a specific product while you’re at the supermarket?

Just use Fooducate to scan the barcode and it’ll provide you with both a quick overview of that food’s nutritional value, its health rating by professionals, as well as in-depth information on the product in question.

Fooducate can even help you compare two products if you’re not sure which one is a better choice for you!

Get it here!

There are many more health-related apps out there! Let us know which ones you like in the comments below, or send us a message on Facebook or on Twitter!

We’ve all been through it: the “crunch time”. That time of the year when we all start cramming a year’s work into our heads for the exams.

It’s also the stressful period some of us might have used to snack away, sometimes a little bit more than we should have.

But fret not, now that the exams are behind you, you have more time to burn those calories away!

Especially since the holiday season is approaching fast, we all want to look and feel our best to meet our friends and family, right?

That’s why the Breathe.sg team pledged to get at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week. This means a workout of 30 minutes every day, from Monday to Friday (weekends are cheat days, YAY!).

While some fitness buffs might shrug off this commitment, others might find that it is no small feat, as it requires discipline to ensure it’s sustainable in the long run.

Ever made a wild new year’s resolution only to forget about it a couple of days afterwards? Yeah, us too!

One of the best ways to avoid this mistake is to rope in one of your pals so you can exercise and burn calories together!

Remember how studying was made easier when you were in groups or with a study buddy? Well, it’s the same principle at work!

Having company allows the mind to avoid the boredom of exertion, and reduces the pain of the workout.

Your pal can be a friend or a relative, and you can find great ideas to work out on our blog!

Handy tools such as the Interactive Diet and Activity Tracker (iDAT) app can also help you get the advice and the support you need!

You see, the iDAT app is the first Android/iPhone fitness app to have been custom-made for the Singapore lifestyle, which means it was designed to help you monitor the calories from the food you eat every day!

Once you download the free app you’ll be able to quickly select what you had for your meals, choose from a myriad of physical activities available in the database, and record the time and distance covered in your physical activities!

The Breathe.sg team is already using iDAT, because it not only takes into account Asian body types, it also takes note of the Singaporean lifestyle when calculating calories, resulting in a more accurate tracking of our calorie balance.

Oh, and did we mention it’s FREE?!

Give it a try and share your experience with us! You can leave a comment below or drop us a message on Facebook or Twitter!