Nine ways to get re-motivated to eat healthy and reach your goals for the next 12 months and beyond.

 

Get Re-Motivated. If you’ve made a resolution to eat healthily and exercise more, you’re not alone. Losing weight and exercising are two of the most common New Year’s resolutions. But as time passes, it’s easy to forget your resolutions and your new nutrition plan — Any time of the year! And then what?  Your bad habits creep back in, even after all of that hard work. Try just ONE of these ways to stay motivated and get back on your bike!  Get Re-Motivated

1. Have a Weigh-in

STOP weigh yourself every day or every other day, the scale is the enemy. Honey, you know if you ate well, drank enough water and got your moderate exercise in for the day.  Instead, grab your phone and snap pix every 2 weeks and jump on the scale at that time as well. Focus on food not the needle on the scale.

2. Put Money Down

Hire a personal trainer, health coach or join a group to help you reach your fitness and nutrition goals. Or pay for extra fitness classes at the gym. You need to truly invest in your success. When you pay for something, you’re more willing to commit to it. Consider it your holiday present to yourself. — Hey every day is your birthday according to my client, Jay Weisberg. :))

3. Start Fresh

It’s a new day — for your refrigerator and pantry. Purge the junk food from your cupboards and start with a clean slate as you move to healthier eating habits. Don’t keep three dozen Christmas cookies in your freezer if you don’t have to. Remove all temptation. Discard the unhealthy choices you made and restock with healthier versions. Get Re-Motivated

4. Plan Ahead

Plan time to exercise and to cook and eat healthy meals. YUP, PLAN! Put it on your calendar. If you schedule time for exercise just as you do for doctors’ appointments, you’ll find it’s easier to stick with it. The same goes for eating healthy. Plan a healthy menu and write a shopping list to take to the store. It’s easier to stick to your nutrition goals when you have a list while shopping. You’ll also be better equipped to make healthy meals and snacks at home when the foods you need are handy.

5. Set Realistic Goals

You’re more likely to stay motivated when you have a realistic plan rather than vague wishes or overly optimistic ideals. First be specific. Instead of saying, “I’m going to lose weight,” set a goal to lose 3 to 15 pounds in one month. Then, be realistic. For example, instead of giving up sweets entirely, say “I’m going to only eat dessert Friday nights.”  — YES sister, be specific on the day you’ll have dessert. Everything needs to be detailed when you are starting out.  If your nutrition plan includes realistic goals, you’ll be more likely to achieve them.

6. Reward Your Success

Your goal could be to lose 2 pounds or to not eat seconds at any meal for a week. Whatever it is, when you reach it, reward yourself with something small — just be sure it’s not a food-related treat. Go to the movies with a friend. Get your nails done. Buy that new sweater. Go for a walk in the woods with your dog. These types of rewards help provide the incentive you need to continue working toward bigger goals. Get Re-Motivated

7. Write It Down

You’ve heard me say a million times, “Success is on the sticky note.” Putting your actions down on paper helps you focus what you’re doing to help (or hurt) your goals. If you keep a food journal, you can look back at what you’ve eaten, which could be more or less than you realize. Joining an online support group where you can share your food journal with others can help. And of course— WRITE IT OUT ON A STICKY and place at the BEST SPOTS.

8. Try New Recipes and New Gadgets

Look for healthy recipes online. Try the ones that appeal to you most. Breaking up your routine with new recipes keeps your healthy eating plan interesting. And if you’re not bored, it’s easier to stick to your goals. Buying new kitchen accessories is another way to stay excited about healthy cooking. “Whenever I get a new kitchen appliance — pots, pans, food processor, or even a knife — I want to play with it, which can help me expand what I’m eating in a healthy way.”

9. Be Forgiving

What if you can’t resist and you eat that piece of pecan pie from Christmas or dig into a bag of chips? Don’t be too hard on yourself. You can’t change what you’ve eaten, but you can make better choices at your very next meal. If you wait until tomorrow or Monday to get back to eating healthy, it will be that much harder.

Adopting a nutrition plan and sticking to it can be much easier than you think, especially if you employ these tricks to help you along the way.

Have you heard all about the benefits of INTERMITTENT FASTING but don’t quite know how to get started? Have you always thought EATING SALADS is the only way to get your greens or eat clean? THINK AGAIN! Check out my 21 Day Intermittent Plant-based Flexitarian (Allows for eggs, fowl, fish & meat) Challenge. — Learn how to infuse more healthy real, whole-food into your lifestyle. Click here to check out the challenge.