A New Years Resolution … **eye roll** one of my greatest pet peeves! Why? Well, most resolutions are some ridiculous cleanse/some intense thing you will do for 20-30 days or a new routine you are going to dive into 500% of the time at 500% forever. Assuming you are looking for a positive change to your health (or your finances, or your marriage or whatever) None of those things will work.
Let’s dive in.
As fitness pro’s we get asked all the time what juice cleanse we recommend or what magic supplement or protocol will shed the “holiday pounds”. I. CAN’T. EVEN.
Doing something drastic, and can border on starvation, for a short term period DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for your health/your weight/your metabolism. The most likely effect is a slower metabolism and the massive cravings that follow severe deprivation. What you do for 21 days or 30 days truly has no impact on your overall health, your day to day habits are what matters and severe short term restriction only throws your normal daily habits way out of wack.
Unfortunately the marketing on these quick fixes is brilliant and even worse, we all know a fitness pro or two that we love who markets this crap (yes it IS CRAP). I am talking about the Beachbody’s, the Isagenix, the local juice bar offering juice cleanses, none of these are good for you.
What should you do instead?
Set yourself up for success by not going so far off the rails that you feel like you need to do something drastic after the holidays.
Stick to your healthy breakfasts most of the the time, meal prep for your lunches like you usually do, absolutely plan a few special meals and special treats over the holidays, but try to keep that to the occasions that really matter to you. And remember, at the end of the day it’s your normal habits that actually matter so much more than your holiday eating, it is ok to relax and enjoy yourself! And, keep prioritizing your fitness time – it’ll help you feel good!
Now let’s tackle the giant commitment to a new habit that you plan on doing all of the time forever.
In my industry we see this great big load of new years resolutioners every year that join the gym, they’ve decided to work out 6-7 days a week forever.
What usually happens is that by the end of February (or earlier), 80% of this group has fallen off.
They fall off because the resolution is such a big drastic and unattainable change that they simply can’t keep going and the minute they mess up the routine (by something as simple sleeping in on a day they are over tired or eating a piece of cake) they feel like they have “ruined everything” so they quit.
I always think of this example: you are carefully backing your car into a parking space but accidentally scratch it on the way in. Now that you’ve scratched your car, you might as well go crash it because you have ruined it! See? that’s kinda silly, actually it’s no big deal that you put a little scratch and realistically it won’t be the last, so maybe just do your best and try not to scratch it too much
Okay, so you want to have a healthier 2023? Let’s talk about how to do that the right way!
Improving your lifestyle habits are absolutely the way to finish the year healthier than you started it. But building new habits takes time.
Using fat loss as an example: did you know that the slower you lose body fat, the more likely it is to stay off forever? That’s because slow weight loss happens when you slowly and consistently change your lifestyle habits.
So start by picking 1-2 things you can do with your diet, 1-2 things you can do with your exercise or movement and 1-2 things you can do with your lifestyle to support these things (like getting more sleep so that you have more energy for the other stuff). Work on changing just a few things at a time, and when they feel easy, layer on the next few things.
Go slow, forgive yourself if you make a mistake, change is hard!
You are completely capable of making changes and sticking to them on your own, but it certainly can be harder.
I do highly recommend finding some ways to support yourself so that it is easy to stick to your plan, whether it’s an accountability buddy or a coach, support is likely to help you be more successful.
Did you know at LYB we actually have accountability/support calls twice a week to help our members consistently make and stick to their changes? I LOVE helping people slowly and consistently build better habits and work through obstacles with them. If I can help you, just send me a message and I’ll be so glad to be a part of your successful lifestyle change!
Last, if there is something you want to change,
don’t wait until the new year, don’t start Monday, start right now – the very minute you’ve decided that it’s important. Start by getting clear on what your end goal is, then clarify your path to get there. Lastly, figure out what are the first few small steps you need to take, then take them. You can do it!
Want to ditch the resolution and create healthy habits around fitness and nutrition? Book a free consult with one of our amazing team members!