Have You Fallen Off the Wagon??
Tips to Getting Back On Track
On January 1st most of us made promises to ourselves that 2019 will be different, promises like getting our eating on track, sticking to a plan, losing some extra weight and finally starting to feel better. How’s that going?
We’re a few weeks in, maybe you started strong and are sticking to it? Good for you if you are!! Great Job! But from my experience this is just about the time that things start to fall apart. Plateaus with weight loss, serving sizes start to creep up, and “treats” start to sneak in. So how can we keep ourselves on track in a world that has set us up to fail?
Here are some tips to help keep you focused, on track and motivated to reach your goals!
1. Don’t Punish Yourself – The first tip and maybe the most important for many ‘A’ type personalities is, to not punish yourself by restricting yourself to the point where you hate life. We all fall off the wagon and lose sight of the prize occasionally, we are human after all and we live in a world that bombards us with quick, sweet, processed choices. It’s better to forgive, remember what triggered the changes in habit and learn from the experience. (I know, easier said than done!)
2. Get Back to Basics – When you find that you have strayed from habits that have served you well, slowly start to bring yourself back. If you’re not drinking enough water, make that your first step, then add another habit back into your daily routine, like prepping one night of the week. Get back to doing what was working for you when you were feeling good and, on your way to reaching your goals.
3. Revisit Your Goals – One way of getting your motivation back is to redefine your goals. Go back to your reasons for changing your lifestyle, write down your goals and give them a “due date”. This can help get your motivation back and remind you of the reasons you are putting the pressure on yourself to change. Maybe your goals have changed or maybe your time frames have changed, it doesn’t matter, you now know WHY you are putting in the effort and WHAT you are working towards.
4. Start Tracking – I highly recommend tracking your food, writing it down, when you’re either starting out or starting again. It helps you become aware of how much you are eating, what foods might be triggering cravings and if there are times of the day that are throwing you off. There are apps you can use but quite simply a pencil and a note pad in the kitchen can be enough to keep you on track.
5. Give Yourself No Excuses – My final tip for getting back on track is simply to give yourself no excuses. Prepare yourself mentally, set yourself up for success by spending a day prepping your food for the week so that you can reach for a health snack when you’re hungry, and take it a meal at time. Focus on breakfast, then lunch and once you’re through the work day, focus on a healthy dinner.
If you’ve done it before, you can do it again. Making little changes each week is better than cutting out everything and feeling deprived. By going slow, you are building habits and changing the way you live rather than just jumping into a “diet”. If you still struggle and need a little more support, remember there are options.
Do you want to get even healthier? Are you curious about how a Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant can help you get back on track? Let’s chat about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes so that you aren’t struggling to get on track and stay there. Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with us today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation. Penny and Megan work with people from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!
