New Year, New You?
I have to apologize for my lack of posts the past few weeks. January has got off to an extremely busy start, but I wanted to start off with a blog post I think is really important for your lifestyle resolutions this year.
With the new year here, we all know the infamous "new years resolutions" people try to obtain through some new fitness and nutrition goals. But, how long do these "resolutions" really last? Usually, a month or two... You probably notice when you get to the gym in January, it seems PACKED. People are running on the treadmill and trying to grind their way to a new body. Then, February comes around and there are half the amount of people in the gym... and then month by month it dwindles even more.
Why does this happen? The reason is simple, people set their goals way too high. They take a goal that is maybe realistic over a year or two, and turn it into a 2 month plan, expecting to drop 10 pounds in two weeks. You become discouraged and the daily grind to get in the gym is less motivating.
One of the biggest issues with personal trainer's, is their way of false advertising to their clients. They tell them "workout with me and you will lose 20 pounds in 2 months!" Then, after a month, their client steps on the scale and they see they have lost a measly 2 pounds. What happens next? You guessed it! The client loses all motivation and completely falls off the bandwagon.
The best way to stay on track this year, is to set small goals month by month that will end up in long-term success. Changing your body and your lifestyle habits doesn't happen over night. It is a total transformation that takes time to achieve. That is why consistency is always key in a diet/exercise program. It is about balance. That is why crash diets, cutting carbs, restricting yourself, or trying to workout every single day do not work in the long run. You simply fall back into your old habits in a matter or weeks, maybe even days.
Here are a few simple steps to try this year that can help you achieve long-term goals.
1. Someone to hold you accountable
Sometimes it is helpful to have a gym partner when you are trying to start making it to the gym. If you have a friend or colleague who has similar goals of starting on a gym routine, it can make it more fun to have someone to go with. You two can hold yourself accountable and make it a habit to go to the gym after work together, or before. Whatever works for your schedule. I know for myself when my friend tells me they are going to the gym, it makes me feel motivated that I should be going as well. Another option is signing up for classes at a studio or gym. Group fitness is motivating and when everyone is in the room doing the same thing, it makes you feel supported and strong. A great tip is to sign up for classes that have penalty's when you don't show up (still having to pay for the class even if you miss it, or having it count against your package of classes even if you are a no show, etc.) These are some ways to hold yourself accountable for staying on track.
2. Bring Your Lunch!
A huge downfall for going to work on a daily basis, is a lot of times the company orders food for lunch for the office, or you are constantly ordering out food for lunch. One of the best way to cut calories, is to pack your lunch and snacks for the day. Eating healthy does not mean you need to bring chicken and broccoli to work. You should make something that you are excited to eat. Pack a delicious sandwich, wrap, or salad. No matter what, your own homemade lunch will have way less calories and sodium than if you were to order something from a restaurant.
3. Make An Incentive
It is proven that offering yourself a small reward after completing a certain task can increase your motivation. So, offer yourself an incentive for staying on track. Examples can be, if you make a goal for yourself to make it to the gym 4 days a week, and you complete that goal, you can allow yourself a delicious cheat meal on the weekend. Something to satisfy your cravings and keep you motivated to complete your goal. Or, if you stick to a healthy diet during the week, allow yourself a day on the weekend to kick back with a fulfilling meal of your choice. Or, even buying yourself a gift you've been wanting to treat yourself with for a while.
4. Vitamin D
Making it to the gym in the winter is extremely hard for a lot of people. It is freezing outside and all you want to do is stay in, turn on Netflix and order Chinese food. This is why seasonal depression is a real thing. Energy levels are naturally lower in the body during the winter, and even year round for people who work full time indoors, at a desk job, etc. A great way to help balance this energy deficiency is to supplement yourself with Vitamin D. Vitamin D is crucial for the body regarding energy, muscle weakness and bone health. When your levels are low, you feel sluggish and weak. Taking a vitamin D supplement daily will help keep your energy levels stable and allow yourself to get to the gym, regardless of the brisk outdoors.
5. Get More Sleep
A very misunderstood concept is that people think they are "making gains" while they are in the gym. When in reality, this couldn't be more false. The time that your body builds muscle and makes improvements is in your sleep and your nutrition. You can be putting in extreme effort at the gym, but if you don't get the proper 7-9 hours of sleep a night, it makes it much harder for your body to recover and for your muscles to grow. While you workout, your muscles are tearing and undergoing stress. When you are sleeping and resting, the muscle fibers repair itself and synthesize, and that is when your muscles will actually gain strength and grow. Without proper sleep, all of your extreme effort will go to waste. Another plus, routine exercise is actually proven to give you a better night sleep. It is shown that people who exercise on a regular basis, get better sleep and wake up feeling less groggy in the morning, giving you more energy to go about your day.
6. Slowly add in fiber/nutrient dense foods
There is a slim chance that you are going to wake up one morning and turn into a total health nut. Changing your diet and your eating habits is not something that happens over night. The best way to achieve a healthy diet in the long-term of things and actually remain on track is to slowly implement these fiber rich and nutrient dense foods into your regular routine over time. By slowly adding these foods into your diet, you aren't drastically changing your eating habits over night, you are slowly starting to add in healthier options, which will end up changing your diet for the better over a period of time. For example, say for dinner you eat a burger with fries. Swap out the bun on the burger for a lettuce bun and swap out the fries for a sweet potato and side salad! If you like to eat potato chips for an afternoon snack, swap out those chips for a bag of veggie chips or trail mix. You will still satisfy that crunchy, salty craving you are looking for, but in a much cleaner way. If you eat a turkey sandwich on white bread for lunch, swap out the white bread for multigrain bread or a whole wheat wrap. Nobody is saying you need to eat no sodium, no fats, or bland foods. There are easy ways to add in healthier options without having to give up flavor. The benefit of adding in these more fiber rich foods is that fiber tends to keep you fuller longer and stabilize your blood sugar, meaning you will have less cravings throughout the day and snack much less. A great tip- fiber one bran cereal has 14g of fiber in one serving (that's half of your daily recommended value of fiber) if you add that into your meals it can really benefit you with weight loss and satiety. I like to add it in my oatmeal in the morning, or in a cup of greek yogurt, or just mix it into any other meals you can think of.
