If you are one of the many people resolving to go on a diet this January with the intention of New Year and a New You, STOP!!! Take a pause before you try to remember where you put your scale and how many calories are in a cup of yoghurt.
The majority of diets fail with, according to various studies, over 90% dieters gaining back their lost weight within a year – and even more. Going on a diet, for most of us, is a mere promise to struggle, ending in disappointment and rebounding weight gain.
If you want to achieve your health and fitness goals in 2019, you have to FORGET ABOUT DIETS AND THE NUMBERS ON THE SCALE!
First of all, diets are too restrictive. Diets result in our body going into starvation mode, holding onto fats and burning muscle mass. This results in our metabolism slowing down which explains plateaus soon after a diet and we end up tired and craving for food. You might temporary see some results on the scale however those kilos are mainly lost muscle mass rather than fat loss and this also explains why we don`t shape up even though we lose those kilos. The biggest reason to ditch the diets is that they are not sustainable. When we revert back to old habits our body ends up storing even more body fat than before with a damaged metabolism. I always advise my clients to never start anything that they cannot maintain long-term. We only can have long-term results by creating a sustainable and enjoyable healthy active lifestyle.
So how to create that sustainable healthy active lifestyle for you in 2019?
Act out of love for your body
Do you want to make a change because you hate the way you see yourself in the mirror, your thighs are flabby or your arms or wobbly?? STOP!!! Remember the beautiful creation you are and how your body is serving you unconditionally. Please give your body the love it deserves. Act out of love for your body by punishing it with restrictions. Love your body by providing it with nourishing food and nutrition but also nourish it with empowering thoughts. Sometimes the way people talk about each other is not nice, but the way we talk to ourselves is often the worst… our words and thoughts are very often not helping us but stopping us from achieving our goals. Let`s make it a resolution to nourish our mind with empowering positive thoughts in 2019!
Do the exercise you enjoy
Choose for exercise you enjoy and can maintain long term… whether it is walking, taking the steps, running, dancing, boxing, swimming, cycling, gym, crossfit… or a quick workout from home around your kids. For those that live in near Melbourne are welcome to join us for any of our community workouts which are loads of fun and motivating.Do not exercise to punish your body for the extra calories you just ate… move your body for the good feels that it brings (who doesn`t love the ‘feel happy hormones’ our body releases during exercise!). Do not find the time, make the time for exercise, even it is only a few minutes. You are much better by starting off with 3 times a week 30 min rather than starting in January with 1 hour daily and giving up by March. Also remember that exercise gives only 20% of our results, 80% comes from what we eat. We can`t out-exercise bad eating habits.
Focus on body composition, not kilos
Before I started my healthy lifestyle journey 14 years ago, I had a very negative relationship with food and the numbers on the scale. I ended up underweight (only 50kg for 171cm!) but still out of shape (had a cute spare tyre!!). Luckily I met my coach who made me realise that kilos are not important at all as muscle is far more dense than body fat. With the right nutrition support and balanced meal plan I managed to get back to a healthy weight of 60 kg, I lost my spare tyre and I felt (and still feeling J) better than ever before. So please… forget about the kilos… focus on reducing unhealthy body fat, not kilos (as opposed from mainly muscle and water when we follow diets). When you are able to lose the unhealthy body fat you will shape up and feel amazing… plus have sustainable results. For those that wish to, no worries, you will still be able to lose the weight you wish to but this time you will be able to do it in a healthy way and keep it off forever! If you live near Melbourne and wish to claim your free Body Composition Scan go here.
Kickstart your day with the right breakfast
What we eat in the morning has a huge impact on our metabolism, energy and cravings all day long. My experience as a coach for over 10 years is that by simply changing to a nutritious and balanced breakfast, my clients get fantastic sustainable results in energy, health and fat loss. The key is not spiking our blood sugar levels and providing our body with the necessary nutrition to support our health whilst providing enough protein to support our muscle mass.
Be a water warrior, not a water worrier
If there’s one thing we need more of in our day-to-day lives, it’s water! A huge portion of Australians are dehydrated! I recommend 1 litre of water per 25k of body weight and the truth is, most of us just aren’t drinking enough of it. The health benefits of drinking more water is vast!!! Apart from the fact that drinking enough water allows us to feel better, our skin also starts clearing and glowing. Remember the more we drink the more we shrink 😉
Eat better not less
Skip counting calories and choose nourishing balanced food. Although calories play a role when you want to lose body fat, the more important aspect is to choose balanced nourishing snacks and meals with plenty of vegetables and sufficient of protein. I eat more than the average person and I have maintained a six-pack for the past 10 years! All I do is starting my day right, have balanced snacks and meals throughout the day, keep up my hydration and add in some fun exercise 3 times a week. For more tips on meal planning feel free to join one of our upcoming Meal Planning Workshops.
Have a personalised plan
We are all unique, have different bodies, different goals, different taste and different schedules so it is important that you tailor your healthy lifestyle journey to suit your needs. Select what is sustainable and enjoyable for you and remember to not start anything that you cannot maintain long term. It is not about being perfect (and yes a treat meal and drink is part of a sustainable lifestyle)and the key is to make small positive changes one step at a time. Be patient and kind to yourself. You will be amazed how small accumulated changes can create a huge change over the year! Claim your complimentary personalised Meal Plan (at our Melbourne center or online) here.
Keep yourself accountable
Consistency is key. It is a fact that 90% of all people that start to make a positive lifestyle lapse back into old habits because of one main reason: lack of accountability. Nothing compares to having someone to cheer for us, comfort us, challenge us, lift us and guide us. Apart from individual coaching we also provide complimentary online accountability groups with daily tips and inspiration on mindset, nutrition and exercise. There is the added benefit of being part of an awesome tribe of empowering buddies to join you on your journey. We kick off our next online Healthy Lifestyle Challenge on 5th February, where you have access to the daily accountability, tips and inspiration from wherever you are in the world.
Most important tip: ENJOY your journey to a healthier, happier and fitter YOU in 2019!
Healthy Happy Hugs Xx
Steffi
