Happy New Year! This is the time of the year where you find yourself motivated and ready to get and stay healthy in the New Year.
Until the motivation ends, anyways.
Last night I had a conversation with a friend of mine who was sharing with me this 90-Day Challenge that he does with himself where he eats healthy, exercises more than he currently does and gives up drinking. By the end of March he’s usually down 20lbs and feels great.
And then starting in April he lets his old habits creep back in and he gives up some of his newer, healthier habits. Then come December he is back at square one and the cycle starts all over again.
I asked him why does it have to be all or nothing? I asked him to imagine if next year he didn’t need to do another 90-Day Challenge because he was still down the 20lbs because he stuck to his new, healthier lifestyle instead going back to his old ways.
How to Get and Stay Healthy in the New Year
Are you are committed for the first few weeks or months of the year and then throw away all that you’ve accomplished? If the answer is yes then I have the same question for you…WHY? Why does it have to be all or nothing?
Why would you do all that work, feel great and then throw it all away? And for what?
My goal is to help you stay committed to what you say you want for yourself. I want this to be the last time you resolve to “get healthy and lose weight” in the New Year.
I want to get you out of that “all or nothing” thinking and learn how to live in the grey zone.
Here are some tips to get you started.
1) Find a nutrition plan that works for you that is do-able and sustainable forever. I recommend low glycemic index eating and the 80/20 rule. Here is my simple, easy to follow 21-Day Lighten Up Plan.
2) Find your big WHY. It has to be greater than just weight loss. How will your life change if you stopped struggling with your weight? How will your health or your relationships change? You need to connect to WHY you are changing your old behaviors because you need to remember this “in the moment”.
3) Create an exercise plan for yourself. This could be just going for a walk. Write it into your calendar and make an appointment with yourself. Engage a buddy.
Walk your dog instead of opening the back door. Just move your body.
4) Get clear on that voice in your head. What sabotaging thoughts and direction are you giving yourself? This is vital work I do with my clients. Just the other day a client emailed me to share what she heard in her head when offered food she WAS NOT hungry for…”I’ll be better tomorrow”. It’s not that you lose your motivation, it’s that you sabotage your efforts with your own thoughts.
5) Be patient with yourself. Manage your own expectations. You may want to throw in the towel too soon if the number on the scale isn’t doing what you think it should be doing. Patience and time is what it takes for long term success. This is ALL mindset work.
6) Stop thinking of these changes as “for now” vs “for forever”. The work doesn’t stop when you reach your goal. It’s ongoing. It will get easier as your brain begins to change along with your behaviors and mindset.
7) Never trade your goals and deepest desires and all that you want for yourself for food you are not hungry for. It’s never worth the trade.
8) Stay connected to how good you are feeling. Celebrate your WINS more than you beat yourself up for your slips.
9) Love yourself. Feeding yourself well is a sign of self-love and self-respect for you and your body. Care for yourself enough to take the best care of yourself.
10) Believe in yourself. Trust yourself. Don’t give up on yourself. You can do it and if you need help and support I am here for you.
If you’d like some additional support on your health journey, schedule your free call with me now.
