Urgh, new year. Horrible isn’t it? After weeks on end of lounging around and spending a couple of weeks of sitting in PJs, eating constantly, drinking more booze than usual and generally being a sloth in front of rubbish TV as there’s simply nothing better to do – unless you have the pleasure of entertaining your kids – getting back on the straight and narrow is a very harsh dose of reality. Back to work, out in the cold, rewiring ourselves not to eat every hour, getting back to the gym with a few extra pounds to throw around – sob, sob, sob.
And to make it worse, there’s a non-stop stream of marketing for gym memberships, weight loss programmes, boot camps, so called detoxes and diet pills. There’s nothing wrong with using this as a kick up the backside to join that local boot camp or gym, start running like you’ve always said you would, make healthy changes to your diet or have a month off the booze. These are healthy.
To get through January,all you simply have to do is start again with healthy changes and habits and it will all fall into place. Anything that claims to be quick, easy or magic is just a waste of your time and money.
I can understand how once you have found yourself in a position where you are overweight you can feel vulnerable, embarrassed and overwhelmed when it comes to dealing with it. So here are a couple of tips on how to approach getting yourself healthy:
#1 | Accept where you are and how you got there
You can’t turn back time, but you CAN face it and do something about it now. So go to a doctor, get all the facts and stats about your weight and your health and use that as a starting point. It may be hideous to address but burying your head in the sand will only make that data worse!
#2 | Start small and be realistic
Ok so you may have quite a few stone to lose in the long run but be realistic about how long that will take and work backwards. There’s no point challenging yourself to lose a stone in time for your friend’s post-lockdown wedding.
Related: 5 Unhealthy Habits That Ruin Your Diet
#3 | Get help
Whether that is through a personal trainer, a nutrition or weight loss coach, going to Weight Watchers meetings or even seeking psychological help, don’t expect to do it on your own. You don’t have to advertise on Facebook that you are on a new healthy mission but perhaps get your partner or friend to be your ‘sponsor’ so you have support.
#4 | Don’t give up
Yes there will be times where it feels too hard, but there’s a reason you’ve decided to change and so keep this is mind every time you are about to quit. You are making a long term habitual changes here and you are the one who will benefit from them.
#5 | Reflect
You may feel you have a mountain to climb, but look back and see how far you have come and feel proud at every single step forward no matter how small it may seem to others.
Your health and your body is exactly that…YOURS. If you don’t look after it, then you are going to suffer the consequences but it’s not too late to turn it around. And once you do, the rewards and the happiness you get from being fit and healthy is also YOURS.
# | 6 Understand the importance of reward
It is a big journey, but for every little milestone, we should take the chance to look at how far we’ve come, and realise that we have accomplished something. You may feel that you’re not worthy of a massive reward, but take the opportunity to recognise when you deserve something to keep you motivated.
It could be a cheat day, or it could be a present to yourself. Losing weight shouldn’t be about feeling that we’ve completely deprived ourselves, which is why we can treat ourselves in other ways than food.
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