Turnback Tuesday!

 

So apparently today is “Turnback Tuesday”!

It’s the day that we have more than likely given up on our New Year’s resolutions and resorted back to our old habits. I know it’s a bit of a stupid name for the day but I think it does highlight how common of a problem it is that New Year’s resolutions get broken and don’t last the way we had planned.

To help you reassess you goals and continue on your path let’s throw together a few ideas that can help you succeed.
 
Start small

Too often we set way too ambitious of a goal. From not having exercised in 2 years to running a marathon by summer may be a leap too far. Dreaming big is great, sometimes we do need to dream bigger in life, but setting too large of a target in too short of a time can leave you feeling like a failure. To avoid this try making slow steady progress over the long time. I know it’s not as glamorous of an approach but it’s much more attainable and gives you a much better chance of success.

Instead of completely overhauling you diet in a week try improving 1 meal at a time. Focus on improving and preparing your breakfasts for the next 2 weeks, lunches as your focus for the next 2 after that, the next fortnight work on your dinners and the following 14 day focus on your snacks.

Sure your weight loss might not be as dramatic as a crash diet but you will avoid that rebound from dramatic weight loss and find it easier to keep it off in the long term.

If you haven’t exercised in years don’t join a gym with the plan of attending 5-6 days a week. This won’t be sustainable and will more than likely leave you feeling demoralised and burnt out.

Start with 20 minutes walking a day. Maybe progress to 5 half hour walks a week and 2 home workouts. Then look at the idea of going a gym or starting another form of exercise and slowly increase your activity levels over the coming weeks and months.
 

Make it enjoyable

Both your nutrition and exercise should be enjoyable if you want to maintain it long term changes. We all realise that a meal of grilled chicken fillets and steamed broccoli is better than a tub of Ben and Jerry’s but if you hate the taste of broccoli and can’t stomach dry chicken then this isn’t a meal plan that you will sustain. Finding tasty, healthy and enjoyable meals is key to getting your nutrition dialled in.

If you can pack up a salad with spinach, boiled egg, chicken, red onions, peppers, beetroot, carrots and walnuts and a little tablespoon of mayonnaise is what helps take away the dryness isn’t this much better than reaching for a fast food take away for lunch? Don’t get caught up in the little details like the mayonnaise sabotaging your progress if it helps your food become tasty and enjoyable and improves the quality of it.

Don’t take this as a licence to eat mayonnaise from the jar now, it’s just a small example of making the food enjoyable!

Same goes for your exercise. If you hate running don’t set the target of running a 10k run by Easter time. If you hate the gym don’t waste your money on a yearlong membership.

Get out and enjoy an activity you actually like.

Try dancing, gymnastics, Zumba, Olympic lifting or martial arts, just pick some exercise you enjoy and stick to it. It doesn’t have to be an old soviet training program with perfect reps and sets each workout, just pick something you enjoy and do it!
 
 
Be accountable to someone

Being accountable to someone is massive. Be it a friend, a coach or an event, it is important to have some accountability and support.

For people in our semi-private training here having the accountability of a coach to attend a session with is huge on those days when you don’t feel like it.

Telling a friend you will swim twice a week can be a nice way of feeling accountable.

Signing up and paying for a mud run or a local 5k can be the all accountability you need.

Doing a challenge for a charity as a fundraiser can keep you on track and focused on those days when you are finding it hard.

Figure out what works for you and make yourself accountable!
 
 
So a quick summary:

Start small
Make it enjoyable
Be accountable
 
 
Hopefully you find these tips helpful in staying on track or getting back on course for yourself!

Looking to improve your mind and body and need support in doing it? Why not try a week with us here in our gym in Unit 16a, Westlink Park, Oranmore, Co. Galway

Chat to you soon!

Adam