” How do I get back to my routine? “
Back to the grind. The holidays are over, it’s almost mid-January. You haven’t been back to the gym…or maybe you have once or twice. What’s the problem…why are you still “off the wagon”? Maybe you told yourself you’d start your New Year’s Resolution next Monday. Next Monday came and went, nothing different. What’s the problem…how do you get back to your routine? It wasn’t a bad routine but why is it so hard to fall back in?
I’m here to tell you that it’s not that hard to get back on track after the holidays! You just need to take a few small baby steps and you’ll be on your way, back on the wagon and back to your healthful, active lifestyle!
TIP #1 – DITCH DIETING!
Listen, I’m not saying to keep eating the way you did over the holidays. That won’t get you anywhere. I’m saying get rid of the Low Carb, No Carb, Intermittent Fasting, Atkins, Paleo, etc. These temporary solutions to losing a few pounds are just that, TEMPORARY! Eating this way is not sustainable and will not help you achieve long term goals. You need to develop a healthy relationship with food. What’s a healthy relationship with food, you ask? It’s allowing yourself the flexibility to indulge in the foods you enjoy while, at the same time, keeping your diet full of foods that are healthful and good for you. Try to follow the 80/20 rule. Eat well balanced, nutritious meals 80% of the time and allow yourself to indulge and eat/drink things you enjoy 20% of the time.
Be sure to eat a protein with every single meal, NO EXCEPTIONS! Also, add veggies (in some form) to every single meal, also NO EXCEPTIONS! Try new things…I have friends who absolutely refused to eat Brussel Sprouts. They said they were gross and they would never even give them a chance. Finally, I convinced the wife to try a roasted Brussel Sprout (nothing special, just Olive Oil, salt and pepper) and…surprise, surprise…she loved it! Now she makes them as a regular side dish in their weekly rotation. You never know what you might like until you try something new.
Limit your alcohol consumption. Remember the 80/20 rule…that goes for alcoholic drinks as well. Don’t go through the entire week (M-Th) eating well & exercising and then ruin it on Friday at Happy Hour. Be conscious of your intake. Mocktails are becoming extremely popular right now. Try a non-alcoholic drink in between cocktails. This will at least help you from over-indulging and ruining all your hard work.
TIP #2 – MOVE MORE!
This doesn’t mean you have to get back to the gym. There are SO many ways for you to get off the couch or away from your desk and they won’t cost you a gym membership. I believe you’ve heard of a platform called YOUTUBE ? There are so many videos for, literally, any kind of workout you can think of on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Pick one and get going! Do you have a dog? I’m sure Fido wouldn’t mind a nice walk or jog through the neighborhood. Do you have a park nearby? Lace up those hiking boots and get going! You see where I’m going with this…
The Fitness Tracker craze is upon us. It seems almost everyone got either a Smartwatch, a FitBit or some other kind of tracker for the holidays. Well, let’s put them to good use! Set small goals for yourself using your trackers. This week try to hit 5000 steps per day, next week aim for 6000 steps. By summer you’ll be hitting 15000 steps and not even breaking a sweat. It feels so good when you hit your step goal for the day and those little fireworks on your wrist go off! Some nights I do laps around my bedroom just to hit my steps…I’m sure my husband thinks I’ve lost my damn mind but it’s totally worth it!
Be sure to set realistic goals. Setting smaller, more attainable goals will not only keep you on the right path toward a lifestyle change but it will also allow you to celebrate the small wins!
TIP #3 – PLAN
I should’ve made this tip #1 because it really is that important. Planning is essential for success in any healthy lifestyle. Plan everything, and I do mean everything! At the beginning of every week, write out a meal plan and stick to it. If you’re not good at meal prepping, that’s fine. I stink at meal prepping but I stick to my menu for the week, every week. I keep a menu board on my refrigerator to help keep me on track. Each week before I head to the market, I write out the menu for the upcoming week (it includes lunches and dinners). It makes life easier when you get home from work on Wednesday and dinner is already on the list. No thought behind it, the ingredients are already on hand and all you need to do is throw it together. I guarantee you’ll be less likely to order out on that same Wednesday if you already have a plan.
Plan ahead for your workouts! I always tell my clients to write your workout into your calendar just like it’s any other appointment. If it’s scheduled in your book/phone you already have time set aside, no excuses. If you’re going to the gym for your workout, have a plan before you get there. No wandering around the gym trying to figure out on the fly what you’re doing next. If Tuesday is leg day, then work your legs on Tuesday, no excuses. If your plan is to do one of those wonderful YouTube workouts I was telling you about, know which one you’re doing before you start. You don’t want to spend 25 minutes of your 60 minute workout searching for the right video.
If you’re stuck on what to do at the gym, a workout video or you’re overwhelmed as to where to even begin… please feel free to CONTACT US at FittHappens. We’re always here to help point you in the right direction!
~~ Dani