Every New Year, millions of people routinely set fitness goals as their New Year’s resolution. After so much heavy eating from Thanksgiving and Christmas, the guilt of weight gain motivates many to think about shedding pounds. Soon after, the excitement of taking on a new healthy lifestyle runs wild. Gyms are inundated with profits from new memberships, marketing agencies flood the TV with healthy eating commercials, and the brand new fitness enthusiasts pack their healthy lunches and gym bags the first week of January.
However, within a few months, many who felt committed to fitness and dieting suddenly start to give in to old habits. The daily challenges of work life, family life, and now a new resolution to stick to fitness can be hard to balance. Many people find that they’re burnt out before the second month of a new year rolls in and their fitness and healthy eating goals have been pushed to the side, and more often than not they rarely get back on track with the goals and resolutions they set for themselves. Fortunately, there are a host of actions you can take to combat the difficulty of staying on track with your dieting and fitness goals. Here are five ways you can re-motivate yourself to stick with it!
Have an Accountability Partner
A new challenge is easier to tackle when you have a great support system. Whether it’s one friend or a new workout partner, having someone close by that can keep you accountable is essential. Recruit a friend or a personal trainer that will make sure you’re going into the gym or working out the set amount of times you’ve designated for yourself, eating properly, and staying on task with your fitness goals. An accountability partner doesn’t wish to hassle you or put you down, but only to make sure that you’re staying consistent with your fitness goals and not pushing them to the wayside.
Start with Small Changes
Don’t overwhelm yourself with trying to make huge changes in your diet and your fitness life all at once. Start by making subtle changes and gradually move forward with tackling your goals. Small changes can be anything from cutting out certain foods or even going for daily walks around your neighborhood to make a start at getting active. When you push yourself too hard in the beginning, this could cause injuries, nutritional issues, or even discourage you to not obtain your new fitness goals. Slow and steady always wins the race! Start at your own level and pace, and then strive for improvement day by day.
Keep a Food Diary
When tackling your fitness goals, nutrition is just as important as the workout. Keeping a food diary helps you keep track of what you’re eating, how much you’re consuming, and what you need to incorporate more of. A food diary shows you what dietary habits you have, what could be hindering you from losing any weight, as well as what could be disrupting your sleep or causing any digestion issues. A food diary will also help you hold yourself accountable with your own fitness goals. It is important to journal every day for everything you eat. Similar to writing down your goals, writing down the foods and drinks you are consuming allows you to really focus on what needs to be changed and how you can change it.
Establish a Routine That Works for You
Staying on task with your fitness goals isn’t always the easiest and can vary depending on the person. When working toward your goal, develop a routine that works well for you. What works for your friend may not quite work for you. Map out your ideal times to work out and the type of meals to eat in order to keep your diet in good standing. You may not need to work out 5 days a week but taking a walk around the park or in your neighborhood twice a week may be ideal for you.
Set Specific Goals
With any goal, consistency is key. Developing a plan and sticking with it will deliver better results. When staying on track with your fitness goals it’s important to have a solid support system and to set specific goals so you’re not overwhelmed. If your goal is to get in shape, get specific about what that looks like for you. If you want to lose more weight, plan a specific amount of weight to lose and work towards that weekly. The more specific you are with your goals, the more obtainable they’ll be.
Stay Consistent with Dieting
Many people in the fitness world will tell you over and over, it’s more about what you eat when wanting to get fit. Consistent workouts will help you get in better shape but if you are not eating properly, it will set you back. One way to stay consistent with your dieting is to meal prep. Meal prepping has become very popular and it’s also convenient. Save time in the kitchen as well as during the week by prepping your breakfast, lunch, and dinners. You can prep smoothies for breakfast, cook your meals for lunch and dinner and store them in the fridge until the next day. Meal prepping is easier when you have the right storage as well. You don’t want to have tons of Tupperware in your fridge and all over your counters.
Try using bento lunch boxes when meal prepping. They have slidable compartments, retain the freshness of the food, and are compatible with an ‘on the go’ lifestyle. Bento lunch boxes are perfect for a healthy lifestyle and can travel safely with you from home, to work, and even to the gym.
As you continue to prioritize wellness, make sure you’re looking at other ways to maintain good health, like using BPA-free dishes, utensils, lunchboxes, etc. Kangovou, a premier bento lunch box company, makes these must-have products and so much more. Click to start shopping!
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