Z. Johnson
When it comes to getting back on track, especially after the holiday season, many people find it a challenge. Being on a healthy eating journey is already a process in which you may have had to overcome many obstacles. The same thing happens with exercise. However, if you have been following the healthy eating tips that I shared with you last year, you shouldn’t really worry that much about going off track so bad. Anyways, the struggle is real when it comes to dealing with family gatherings, social events, weekends, etc. The temptation to over indulge is always there. The good news is, once you are on a healthy journey, there are ways to getting back on track. I’ll share with you the best strategies.
Getting back on track: Free yourself from the guilt
First, you need to understand that eating out of the normal healthy routine is part of life and even “good” emotionally. It is not ok for you to worry and obsess over food all the time. Needless to say, stressing about your body weight after going to a party. The approach should be: to enjoy a balanced lifestyle without guilt. That’s the whole intention of educating yourself on how to eat healthy and live an active life. So, the first advice I always recommend my clients is to keep a healthy routine regularly, so that when special celebrations come, you don’t have to feel guilty or hide from social events. This is number one rule for getting back on track for both nutrition and exercise.
Nutrition and exercise hacks for getting back on track
Review your health goals
Very important aspect to consider when getting back on track. Check the goals you had previously set, and go for additional ones if necessary. It’s ok to make small adjustments. The key to this is to adapt your lifestyle to your health objectives. What are your intentions for 2019? Do you want to keep getting fit, do you want to lose weight, or simply feel better? Write down your goals and work towards achieving them with your regimen. If you need guidance, remember to always talk to your nutritionist.
Set your priorities and go back to your normal schedule
Part of making things happen and getting back on track is setting your priorities. Basically, this applies to healthy eating and exercise. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but since you are going back to your working routine, you should be able to set some time aside for planning. Remember to go back to your normal eating schedule as well as your exercise routine. If you need to make some adjustments, this will be easier with good planning.
Something I always recommend is to plan your meals, it is such a huge relief when getting back on track for staying healthy within a budget. This is especially true when we have a busy life. Doing your regular weekly meal preps is effective to help you stick to your healthy eating goals. And what about exercise routines? Well, if you already had a regimen last year for your workouts, you should just regain that rythm. If you are just starting to workout, do it with baby steps. Go at your own pace and aim at getting active for at least 3 times a week. Schedule your workout sessions. Whether you go to a gym class or go for a run, it is always important to include it in your planner as part of your daily activities.
Getting back on track: Always make good food choices
As a reminder, making smart food choices is the rule of thumb when achieving your healthy eating target. You don’t have to overlimit yourself, you just need to know what foods to eat more regularly. Focus on quality foods sources of protein, complex carbs, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. As always mentioned, balance and moderation are keys. In one of my previous reviews, I emphasize on the importance of eating whole foods from all the food groups.
Before thinking about “dieting”, first assess your eating preferences. Go back to your normal balanced eating lifestyle. There is no rocket science when keeping up the healthy journey. By just applying what you already learned from my healthy eating lessons, you should be able to re establish a good relationship with food. However, if you feel that you are still missing out on some good strategies for losing weight from the holidays, you may look for specialized coaching.
Getting back active!
A good fitness routine is also very important when trying to stay fit and getting rid of that unwanted body fat. The types of workouts you do depend on your health goals for the year. Do you want to continue with the same routines to stay on track? Or do you have a different body goal that might require some workout changes? This year you can switch up things a little to get you closer to your results. You may want to join a different class or maybe start swimming.
When it comes to body goals, you decide where you want to start and what level you want to achieve. The key is to get going and be consistent. Discipline is what will make you get to where you want to be. There are some cool workout strategies you can follow to do at home or at the gym. Also, your active lifestyle should match your schedule and preferences. Make the time and commit to a routine. You can start at your pace until you get more comfortable to increase intensity. If you already have a regimen in place and have been active for some time this should be easier for you.
Remember to stay hydrated
Drinking enough water is something that we usually leave for the last priority during the holidays. Well, the hope is that you were still able to keep yourself hydrated while you were off. Usually, partying and late night activities make us forget about drinking water. But, bear in mind that being hydrated is also very important, not only for our body normal functions, but to help shed unwanted fat and stay fit. Don’t forget to have at least 8-10 glasses of water, and if we workout, include water during those exercise sessions.
Get some good sleep
Another very important step to follow when getting back on track is having some good rest. Most of the times we get back to our normal regular schedule without replenishing our energy properly at night. Remember that lack of sleep is related to weight gain and more cravings! Get rid of the anxiety and renew your body by getting at least a 6-8 hours sleep. This will make your metabolism work more efficiently and help you get closer to your health goals.
In short…
Getting back on track should not be a difficult task. It’s just a matter of taking control of your body and health goals and act according to this year resolutions. What will help you start is setting a plan and regaining power over your healthy eating regimen. The same goes for exercise. Aim to commit to your routine and develop a discipline. Seeing better results each day pays off! Let me know your comments, share this post.
Cheers!
