Make a commitment to yourself that you are going to be healthy, for you. It’s the best anti-ageing plan you can have.
1. Find a photo of yourself that you really don’t like the look of and use it for motivation, put it on the fridge, then find a picture of a celebrity body that you want to look like, and put that next to it!
2. Measure. This means measuring with a tape and noting your weight. If you have access to a trainer they will be able to measure you properly. This gives you something to keep you motivated especially if you are measuring fortnightly or monthly you can see your progress which just makes you want to keep going.
3. Clear out your fridge of anything bad for you, lollies, chocolate, ice creams, etc and just don’t be tempted to refill, unless it is treat day then choose wisely, something that is really good quality.
4. Fill your fridge with colourful and fresh vegetables and fruits you enjoy.
5. Chop up some fruit into large chunky pieces and leave them in there so everytime you are thinking about snacking, you can quickly grab a piece of fruit. If you prefer, you could put a small container of mixed nuts or chop up large chunks of some crunchy veggies.
6. Buy a book that you can write in as your daily journal. You should write in your journal each evening how you felt upon waking, what you ate during the day and any notable fatigue, any reactions to foods, what you ate and what you drank, any medications and supplements and what exercise you did during the day. Write down any stresses and any other notes you feel like. It’s good to empty you brain of the day that was as well as being truthful about what you actually consumed for the day. You might be surprised at what you actually can consume in one day!
7. Allow yourself a treat day or two per week so as not to feel deprived.
8. Exercise, this can be anything you choose as long as you are off your bottom and moving. Of course getting yourself a personal trainer is always motivating and it means you can’t chicken out when you feel like it but group training is always good especially if you have a competitive spirit. There is always the option of couple training also if you want to train with your husband or partner and get them involved too that usually assists with changing your diet.
9. Plan. If you are to succeed in being healthy and lose weight or maintain weight you need to plan your meals. This is especially important if you have any food allergies as it’s not always easy to get something healthy to eat if you aren’t at home. There are several planning tools but if you are struggling or are bored of the usual salads, the nutrition complete system on my site has a number of calorie controlled recipes to choose from which takes away some of the struggle of what to have for dinner or lunch. It also assists you in getting the correct nutrition so you aren’t missing out on any vital nutrients. The system also produces a shopping list for you and a weekly table of what you are eating, how many calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates are in your meals.
10. Cut down on alcohol, remember that there around 100 calories per glass of wine, but it’s not only the calories you need to worry about, it’s the chemicals and the effect on your body. There are more detrimental factors about alcohol than positives so cut it down to no more than 2 glasses per week.
11. Make sure you give yourself a gift like booking a hair appointment, massage, spa treatment or a holiday for reaching your goals.
Stay positive and enjoy your healthy new lifestyle. It’s not easy but if you are prepared, you can do it!!
If you have any questions or tips of your own, feel free to ask or share.
Angie
