It’s easy to step into January touting the mantra “New Year, New Me” while declaring all the things you’re going to do this year to better yourself. But it’s never long before you quickly discover many of your lofty aspirations were easily thwarted by going too hard, too fast.
A common path trodden by many this time of year, it can make you feel deflated when it comes to your goals and you could be tempted to give up altogether.
But according to leading dietician Susie Burrell, there are some easy ways to help make your health transformation much more manageable and sustainable.
TAKE THINGS ONE STEP AT A TIME
“I think the key thing is to start small with just one change at a time because I think we often go for this big goal of ‘I want to be 10 kilos lighter’ or ‘I want to run a marathon’ or ‘I want to be fit’. But what does that mean on a daily basis?” she says.
“It’s about spending time really whittling down to daily actions that you can build on over time.”
Susie acknowledges that many of us are time-poor which makes things tricky because it’s not that we don’t have the desire to achieve these goals, it’s that we’re not allocating the time to really nut out an achievable plan.
The solution? Aim to break down the goals into bite-size pieces. Instead of giving up all takeaway and running 10km on the treadmill every day when you’ve been eating out every night and haven’t stepped foot in the gym in years, try committing to going for a walk after dinner every day and cut down your UberEats to only on Friday nights. Once you’ve got those habits down, build up from there.
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THINK ABOUT THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
One method Susie really advocates is getting support behind you from your loved ones to help you form new habits.
“We’re social beings; we live and we eat in a social context,” she says, “If your plan doesn’t fit with those around you, it’s going to be really hard to maintain. So whether it’s your partner, your flatmate, your child, whoever – if you can try and get that support, it will go a long way in helping it be sustained over a longer period of time.”
What if those around you aren’t aligned with your goals however? Your intentions for a health transformation may be all well and good but if your partner for example, still has junk food stashed around the home, it’s not hard to see why your motivation may wane.
“Try and set it up so it’s hard to do,” Susie advises. “So have your meal prep ready, keep their junk out of the way and create that environment where it’s easier to eat well and set yourself up to move more just as automatically as part of the day.
She adds: “This links into habit building, it’s got to be become automated rather than too much of an extend from where you are. Otherwise, it’s hard to give it the resources to be sustainable.”
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE
Accountability is crucial when it comes to achieving any goals, as is recognising that a lifestyle change is a marathon not a sprint.
“Whether it’s eating vegetables or taking your lunch to work, it’s about building commitment,” Susie says.
“There’s no such thing as perfection when it comes to lifestyle, it’s about consistency and you want a lot more of the good stuff and less of the bad. It’s about looking at the longer-term picture and don’t expect that you won’t go off-track along the way.”
DON’T THROW IN THE TOWEL JUST YET!
Imperfect action is 100 times better than no action at all. Like anything in life, you’re not going to get it right all day, everyday for eternity.
Susie agrees, explaining: “There’s no such thing as external motivators, it’s not sustainable, we know that. It has to come from within but it’s about getting out of your head and into action.”
When you inevitably fall back into your old habits at times, don’t sweat it – there’s no cause for concern.
“The best thing you can do if you can see you’ve had a binge or you’ve skipped training too much, is get out of your head and get into action,” she says. “Think what can I do, right now, tomorrow, to move forward with my goal? And off you go!”
Need help? Here are the best products to buy to help you on your health and fitness transformation in 2023
Myfitnesspal, free for standard membership or $129.99 per year for premium membership at Myfitnesspal
Myfitnesspal is an app that helps you track your fitness and nutrition, by providing a simple way to log your food intake as well as calories burned by exercise. It takes the guesswork out of building healthy habits and can even sync to your Fitbit, Apple Watch or other fitness tracker.
“Whether it’s diet or exercise, I think self-monitoring is one of the key predictors of success – which is why something like myfitnesspal is so powerful in that habit-building because it’s a self-awareness tool, it creates mindfulness around what you’re doing and your decision making,” says Susie.
Fitbit Sense, $488 from JB Hi-Fi
There’s been a bit of a cult following around Fitbits – and for good reason. Smartwatches make it easier than ever to track how many calories you’ve been burning during exercise as well as your heart rate, stepcount and much more. Try this stylish option: the Fitbit Sense in Lunar White/Soft Gold.
Fitness planner bundle, $4.19 from Etsy
Nothing is more soothing for those who love being organised than a planner. And, even better if it’s easy on the eye. Etsy have a huge range of fitness planner printables that help you track your meal plans and workouts with ease, including this bundle which is a one-stop shop for health and fitness trackers.
Yoga Mat Rug, $99.95 from Hardtofind
Want to move your body more? Try stretching it out by pratising yoga on this gorgeous yoga mat. If anyone needs us, we’ll be in savasana until further notice.
Water bottle with time markings, $18.39 from Amazon
By now, we all know the importance of staying hydrated. But if you struggle to hit your recommended levels of H20 intake, these water bottles are for you. The super sleek bottles have time-stamped markings on the side which indicate the level your water should be at during various periods during the day.
Bento lunchbox, $89.95 from Hardtofind
You’ve become a meal-prep machine as you embark on your new life of packing healthy lunches to take to work each day. So what’s next? Well, an aesthetically pleasing lunchbox to carry it in, of course! We love this luxe bento-style lunch box from Hardtofind.
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