It’s the New Year… Now what do I do?
So now it is January and the holidays are over… have you been waiting to start a new “diet” or a new workout program?
Every year it seems that the average person overindulges over the holidays starting with Thanksgiving then on to holiday parties then Christmas while they continually tell themselves “I will start my diet after the New Year’s”.
Does this story sound familiar to you?
Why do we wait until January 1st to start “dieting” or exercising? I use the word DIET in quotations as I dislike the word DIET. Why don’t we focus on changing our eating habits, our relationship with food and exercise weekly instead of dieting by cutting calories? Stop Dieting people!
Well it is a New Year and if you were waiting until now to lose weight get healthy and get in shape then let’s figure out a plan. Are you ready to lose weight, drop inches and get lean?
My job as a health and fitness coach is to help individuals break the dieting cycle and focus on changing their habits. I call this the WHOLESTIC Method to improving fat loss, health and performance. You need to be ready mentally to change your habits and learn new behaviors…if you are not self-motivated then you will be staying on the hamster wheel of dieting, gaining weight then losing weight.
How do we change our habits and create new lifestyle behaviors? Baby steps.
Your first step to losing weight for good… start a sugar detox challenge with your family, friends and/or co-workers for the next 21 days. Team work will give you motivation, accountability and commitment.
- Focus on only eating real food for the month…hunted, picked or fished.
- Eat mostly organic vegetables, healthy fats and quality protein.
- Eliminate processed foods and sugar even if the label says “organic”
- Focus on rewarding yourself with good clean foods that are not factory made
- Drink more water throughout the day…half your body weight in ounces per day
- Add more Omega 3’s into your diet via fish oil, fresh wild salmon, chia seeds and other sources.
- Plan your meals in advance for the work week and make extras for leftovers to bring to work.
- Don’t be afraid of healthy fats as they will fill you up and make you more satisfied
- You will lose your cravings for sugar and carbohydrates (non-vegetables) if you stay consistent on the new eating plan.
- Eliminate alcohol for the month if possible or one per week.
- Eat when you are hungry instead of eating the “Standard American Diet” (SAD) at a set time for three meals and two snacks. Listen to your body…not your mind.
- Creating new habits takes commitment so is mentally ready as well as prepared and organized every week and day in advance.
Next month we will work on creating exercise goals and a routine to improve your metabolism and fat burning efficiency. For now commit to exercising 30 minutes per day…three days per week of strength training with cardio blasts and three days of aerobic exercise preferably outside in the great outdoors. Adding lower stress exercise as yoga and nature walks will be ideal addition to those with higher stress levels.
Now get started by cleaning out your fridge and pantry then go restock your fridge with fresh, organic local foods in season. Check out recipes on Pinterest and other great resources as the “Practical Paleo” by Diane S or the “Primal Paleo Sugar Detox” by Mark Sisson. Share your experience and journey on a private Facebook page with your friends and family for support, ideas and teamwork.
Enjoy your new journey to a healthier new your in 2016!
Coach Debbie Potts
