Are You Finding It Difficult To Stay on Track?

We are at that point in January when it can be hard to continue the great intentions you started on the 1st January, especially if you have set yourself a lot of challenges.

It's easy to feel like you aren't meant to achieve the things you wanted. In reality, it probably means you tried to do too many things at once and that isn't always sustainable.

Some easy ways to get back on track.

Building Habits

If you set yourself multiple goals and you are finding it difficult to do all of them, it's time to refine the list. 

If you set 3 intentions, reduce it to the one that is most important to you. Then when that is mastered and feels easy and is a part of your day to day life, add in the next one. Keep repeating that through 2022, until you are achieving what you set out to do.

Rome wasn't built in a day, so you don't have to build a healthier lifestyle in one week or one month either. Have patience, take your time and enjoy the process as much as possible.

Exercise

• If in 2021 you were doing less than 3 sessions per week regularly (for long periods of time) then set the goal to be active on 3 days, that should allow your body more time to recover and ultimately allow you to be much more consistent for the entire year!
• Did you set a step goal? If so, how easy is that to achieve? If you know how many steps you regularly average in a week, try just adding in 2,000 per week to that average until you get to the desired goal. Going from an average of 5,000 steps to 10,000 steps overnight can feel like a huge leap and time commitment. Allow yourself to progressively do more each week until you get to your target.
• Honestly, any exercise you enjoy and will hopefully do for the rest of your life is what is going to help you to stay fit and healthy for the long term. Running, Swimming, Walking, Pilates, Zumba, Going to the gym. Do what you love doing and have fun with and you'll need to rely a lot less on motivation as well as feeling fitter and stronger.
• Your body doesn't know what you are doing in the gym, so please don't be afraid to go and try to use the machines. Your body thinks mechanically, it doesn't know if you are using dumbbells or a machine to work your biceps, it just knows what it needs to do to get your muscles doing the work! Anything you do, as long as you are safe doing it will be beneficial. Ask for help if you are even a little bit unsure. Personal Trainers and Gym Instructors love helping people, remember that and go for it.

Nutrition

For a lot of people January is the month of frugality with a lot of things, including food.

• If you are struggling to stay consistent with your nutrition try adding more to your plate, not less. Add fruit or veg to your smoothies (frozen helps to thicken them and make them more satiating).  Try to really bulk up your meals with vegetables. Add a large salad to your lunch, ensure you have at least 1/2 a plate of vegetables/salad with your evening meal. Bulking up your meals like this not only keeps you full but also helps you to get the much needed nutrients from fruit and vegetables.
• Season your food to your taste, do not eat bland food. Adding herbs and spices to your meat and your vegetables can turn a very bland, unpalatable plate of food into something really tasty!
• Eat enough protein. This is especially important for women who typically eat lower amounts of this than men. It's not about turning you into a body builder, it's about all the important aspects of health which protein is necessary for. That sculpted look you desire, it needs feeding and protein is beneficial for hormonal balance, bone density, recovery as well as keeping you fuller for longer.
• Try one new recipe each week. Use your slow cooker, google a recipe on BBC Good Food, one of my favourites. Save recipes you see on Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok and make your meals each week a  more interesting.

Mental Health

• If you are finding your New Year Intentions are affecting your mental wellbeing, it's probably a good time to talk to someone. I see so many people negatively impacted by their perceived lack of success with new intentions and it doesn't have to be that way.
• The journey to health and fitness is hopefully going to be for life and if you are not enjoying it or it's causing you extra stress or anxiety or making you feel bad about yourself try to address it sooner rather than later.
• Finding things you love doing that make you feel good take time and practice so be patient with yourself while you work out what feels good for you. Try different approaches to exercise and nutrition, being your own guinea pig is the best way to find a sustainable lifestyle that fits you and your unique circumstances. 

Finding balance on a health and fitness journey is what I do every day with my clients. If you are finding it difficult to work our what's right for you, get in touch. A conversation with me costs nothing x