Scroll through any of the Social media platforms, turn on the TV, or pick up a magazine during January and you are assaulted with Diet plans and workout regimes galore. All of them claiming to have you losing inches and dropping dress sizes. There are a lot of contradictions and it’s like information overload. How on earth are you supposed to know which ones actually work???.
The key is to find a healthy balance that works for you. Making small little changes can all add up to a huge difference.
Below are a few of my tips I use with myself and my clients , so hopefully, they will help you
1. The 80/20 rule . I believe strongly in balance . It’s a quality I try to practice both on and off my Yoga mat. We all have a food/drink Achilles heel, for me it’s definitely chocolate . If I try to cut chocolate out completely though, I crave it and then binge on it – I know the shame , the absolute shame , (Hangs her head in shame 😉). Aiming to make healthy food choices 80% of the time, the other 20% of the time , enjoy your little treats. One bad meal won’t make you fat, just like one healthy meal won’t make you skinny, it’s just aiming for a balance. However being careful not to let that balance slide!. If the thought of going completely cold Turkey brings you out in a sweat, start with a small goal, such as this weekend I will only drink one night, rather than maybe two, or maybe aim for 2 days with no sugar/crisps/processed foods and build up to 3 or 4. Don’t overwhelm yourself by making too many changes all at once.
2. Eat REAL food. Home cooked food tastes so much nicer than processed foods. So aim to eat more Real food. Get in the habit of Checking your food labels , hidden sugars lurk in a lot of packaged foods. Yogurt especially can look deceptively healthy, but check those sugar labels. Look for no more than 7g per 100g of sugars . If it says low fat or 0% fat, leave it – the fat is removed and in order to make it taste edible, it’s usually loaded with extra ingredients in particular sugar which can actually be worse for you. Also check your ingredients listings , if there are more than 5 ingredients and /or sugar is listed as one of the first 3 or you have no idea what the ingredient is – leave it on the shelf!.
Basic rule of thumb is – If it flies in the sky, can run across land, grows in the ground or swims in the sea , it’s likely to be a healthier option.
The Body Coach and Clean Eating Alice both have cookbooks and post regular recipes on their social media, using real food. Definitely both worth a follow!.
3. PLAN your meals!! . Take a little time out each week to write a meal plan for the upcoming week. Have your diary with you, so you can see what you have on , that way you know what days are going to perhaps be a little more hectic. You can then go shopping and get everything you need for the week ahead , so then you have everything to hand. You can also prep things in advance where possible. Taking an hour or so to get organised and chopping veg and/or making a couple meals in advance can save you hours in the week, plus it means that you are more likely to have something healthy to hand , when it’s been a crazy busy day and you don’t have time or the energy to cook .
Slow cookers and soup makers are kitchen heros!. Check out my plan and Prep Blog post for some more tips to help you stay on track.
4. MOVE! . Plan in your workouts. Again grab those diaries, see when can you fit in workouts in your week. Maybe you already get your workouts in, brilliant!, keep it up. If you have not exercised in a while though and it all feels a bit overwhelming , ease yourself in gently, maybe aim to go to 1 class a week, find something you really enjoy. Go on be brave, take that first step!. A lot of my guys started out with just 1 class a week and ended up loving it so much , they now do a few classes a week!.
For me the best time of day for me to get my workout in, is first thing on a morning, as I still have a regular 9-5 job , 3 days a week , and I’m out teaching most evenings .So for me setting the alarm for 6am , so I can workout before I go about the rest of my day , sets me up for the rest of the day and I know no matter how busy my day is, I manage to get my workout in. I’ve always been an early bird, so getting up super early is not hard for me, however if you are more of a night owl, and feel you workout better at night, then go fo it. It’s finding something that works for YOU!. if you like working out in a group, try a class and aim to get there at least once a week. Community classes are brilliant for bringing people together, so you might even make a few new friends to help support and motivate each other. If you prefer to workout by yourself, there are loads of workouts on YouTube or even try a 1-1 if you want to be pushed out your comfort zone.
5. Get plenty SLEEP. When we sleep, this is when our bodies recharge and repair. Everyone is different when it comes to sleep, but generally aiming for a good 7-8 hours sleep a night will help your body recover from the day. Develop a little night time routine that helps you unwind before bed. For me taking my makeup off, and setting down with a cup of peppermint tea and my book before bed, for some it might be a hot bath. Again just finding something that works for YOU!.
6. THROW AWAY THE SCALES!. Go on throw them out or at least hide them away . Check out one of my earlier blog posts on how I feel about using scales to measure progress. I challenge you to not step on them for all of January at least, follow the tips above and just see how your clothes fit after a few weeks and notice any positive differences when you look in the mirror. Notice any #nonsvalevictories in your workouts – -can you do that full push-up, squat that bit lower, lift that heavier weight, run that little bit longer/quicker or do that extra burpee? Can you nail that Yoga move that you’I’ve been practicing?? . Seeing those differences should hopefully help you stay motivated and creating a healthy lifestyle that works for YOU!.
Please do Comment below or come follow me on Instagram @littlemisfitjojo and Facebook lilmisfit1 and let me know if you use any of the tips and if they help you create a healthy balance , I also love to hear your #nonscalevictories!.
Let’s say NO to diets and YES to healthy balanced living 😄💪
Namaste 🙏
joanne xoxo
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