IDFA supports the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation and the Together Counts initiative. The messages below can be shared with your customers to encourage them to make healthy, nutritious choices through the New Year! Beginning a new year with a long list of resolutions can be a good exercise in trying to capture everything about your life you want to improve. However, tackling more than three to five goals at a time can be daunting. A short list of positive, actionable goals will show results in the short term, boosting your confidence for a longer lasting impact throughout 2013. The most published lists of popular New Year’s resolutions report diet and exercise among the top five. What’s on your list? Being more active? Carving out quality family time? Connecting with your community? Try our tips for a more balanced, connected new year!

1. Embrace energy balance. We are a member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), which touts living a more active, healthy lifestyle by starting with “energy balance”—balancing the calories you consume with the calories you burn through exercise. A free, downloadable Energy Balance: 101 curriculum is being used by thousands of schools, and its simple message resonates. Find out more.

2. Make family meal time work for your family. The time of day that could be restful and connecting for your family can have the opposite effect. Balance your weekdays by thinking through what works best in your household. Aim for a few meals together each week and pat yourself on the back for a more balanced routine. Dust off the crock pot and plan on a pizza night—you can make family meals happen by making them easy. Get more family time tips here.

3. Connect with your community. If being more active and healthy is on your mind, look to your school, scout troop and church or community group for support. Are you a team leader in your community? HWCF’s Together Counts™ program offers “Energy Balance: Enrichment Zone” as a free download. Get your group moving right along with you this year!

4. Get outside. Vowing to exercise more in 2013 can start with a step out your front door. Join the kids on a walk to a friend’s house. Rake leaves. Shovel snow. The key is to get up and get moving and make daily activity part of your routine.

5. Share. Want to make a difference in your local community? Share the news that your school can win a new playground! Between now and March 15, the more entries your school receives, the better chance your school has to win The Healthy Playground Makeover Sweepstakes. What has this got to do with New Year’s resolutions? By modeling healthy, active behavior at home, in your community and in schools where your kids spend much of their time, you’ll be more likely to stick to your goals for a more happy, active 2013.