MONTH-BY-MONTH HEALTHY HABIT GUIDE
365 Days to a SuperFIT, Healthier & Happier You
MONTH HEALTHY HABIT GUIDE. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and if attempting to overhaul your lifestyle all at once has felt kind of intimidating and by this point your greatest failure in 2018 —slow down and make one small change at a time by following this 12-month guide. The changes are meant to be cumulative. Maintain those from the previous month and add each month’s new habit to your routine. You are starting in March, however, I want you to treat it like it’s January and you are starting fresh with a New Year Resolution. The emotional high and excitement of starting. I want you to move past that and imagine why you want the change and how that will look and feel. Take yourself from your “actual life” and imagine your “ideal life.” It’s possible and probably to obtain, some or all of your ideal dreams. Let’s reverse engineer over the next few months.
LET’S START TO RITUALIZE HEALTHY & HAPPY HABITS
JANUARY
Focus on the positive
You are in the excitement phase, “the CONSCIOUS STAGE. “ During the “conscious phase”, which typically follows a motivational or monumental event, the habit has been decided to be shifted or that is needs to be changed. You’re so inspired and enthusiastic to make the changes because you see a great value in the outcome, someone else thinks you should do it or possibly someone else did it and you covet it for yourself.
If weight & fat loss are your goal, cut yourself some slack! Focusing on what you don’t like about your body can make you more susceptible to illness, stress and thoughts of failing. Find the things you love about your body — these can be appearance or performance-based — and put more emphasis on those. By appreciating your unique traits and not comparing your body to others, you can improve your body image and decrease feelings of body shame. The key is to stay in motion or incorporate a specific action (habit building) that you defined will get you closer and closer to your goal. Wipe away inspiration and be sure to plaster your “WHY YOU ASPIRE” to reach your goal and make it specific on a “My Daily Sticky Note” and keep it where you will always see it. In addition (not or), you can journal this S.M.A.R.T. goal, on paper with a pen (not electronically) as it is backed by science that hand-written goals are achieved.
To Do: For the next 4 weeks write your key daily gratitude on a sticky not. “Iam grateful for __________________________”
February
Keep a food diary
Tracking your meals can make you more conscientious about what (and how much) you’re really eating, and where you can make smarter choices. Studies have found that those who are more diligent about recording what they eat and when they eat it have more success at losing weight than those who don’t. MONTH HEALTHY HABIT GUIDE
I have an accountability program which allows you to log in as you eat, drink and track your meals, then at the end of the day you simply click submit and awaken with a message from me on your choices and possible other ideas to elevate bad choices if there were any. Not sure how many calories you should aim for? Grab a call with me and I’ll figure our your BMI and calorie needs.
To Do:Cut 500 calories per day and you will lose 1 pound per week or 4 pounds in one month.
March
Cut out added sugar
Fruit is good. Candy… not so much. Sugar is hidden in foods under other auspicious names and additives. In fact, some foods that seem healthy have a surprising amount of added sugar such as the bottled flavored water, cereal, soups, snacks and condiments such as ketchup. High consumption of sugar is linked to weight gain, and can increase risk of heart disease, so when you crave something sweet, reach for fruit instead. I also recommend not having fruit after 3p. It’s a great snack for energy, way better than a snickers bar. An apple is actually shown to provide as much energy as a cup of coffee.
April
Make it a meal prep month
It’s easier to eat clean when healthy meals are already in your fridge. Set aside a day to plan and prep your food each week. Prepping healthy meals can keep your diet on track.
Eating healthy food is easy. Cooking and prepping healthy food is the real challenge. But a few simple meal planning strategies can help you get your nutritional game on point — and you don’t have to be a domestic warrior to pull it off. Your nutritional needs are the foundation of your meal plan. So before you start bookmarking recipes, do a quick assessment of your personal goals. What do you need to eat more of? Less of? What foods are best for you? What do you need to remove from your pantry or freezer? My primary piece of advice for someone who wants to start meal planning is to find out what foods are right for his or her body. When you meet the body’s fuel (ie nutritional) requirements are met, hunger, food cravings are nonexistent and moodiness disappears. Energy, mood, mental function, and well-being all improve. When that happens, it becomes very easy to follow a diet plan. Once you know what you need to eat, compile a master list of recipes. That way, you can pull easily from that list rather than combing through cookbooks every week or falling into the rut of repeating what you made last week. Use whatever organizational system works for you — Pinterest, meal planning apps, index cards in a recipe box, or even an Excel spreadsheet. Be sure to allow for flexibility while planning your meals for the week. Some people make a school cafeteria-style calendar and schedule every last snack in advance — but it’s also okay to stock up on healthy staples and then wing it at mealtime, once you’ve got it done to a heathy habit. Make a grocery list based on your favorite healthy foods and any new recipes you’ve pulled. Having your favorite things ready to go is key. Make a list of the foods you know are a part of your meal plan, and make sure you stock up on those. I always have tons of fresh fruits and veggies in my fridge, and frozen along with a few different types of proteins, nut butter, raw nuts, seeds and lots of herbal seasonings. This way, no matter what I want to make for a meal, I have the ingredients I need. When you get home from the grocery store, don’t just stuff your purchases in the fridge. Peel your carrots, slice your cucumbers, scrub your sweet potatoes, and dice your onions. Not only does it become a one-and-done task rather than a daily chore, but it makes you more likely to grab those healthy foods when you’re hungry. Prepping your food is a huge part of success. I cook enough protein, grains, veggies to get me through at least three to four days days and I have my “go-to” foods for my meals and to grab when Iam on the road or will be away from my home or office for an extended period of time. Lastly, don’t sabotage yourself by trying to eat foods you don’t like or created meals that call for 20 ingredients and you suddenly find yourself all over town looking for a specific spice or veggie. Keep it simple until you feel you’re ready to take it up a notch. MONTH HEALTHY HABIT GUIDE
Do It: Here are five steps mentioned above to get you started. Set your main goal for the month. Make a plan and prep. You got this!
1. Set Your Goals
2. Make a Master Plan
3. Shop Strategically
4. Bang Out the Prep Work in 60-90 minutes for 4 days at a time
5. Don’t Sabotage Yourself
May
Start a new workout program
Avoid a weight-loss or fitness plateau by varying your workout regimen. It takes your body between three and 12 weeks to get used to new exercise, and the fitter you are, the shorter that time frame. You want to experience a little soreness from your workouts, so as soon as you stop feeling that, it’s time to switch things up.
June
Drink water every morning
Drinking a glass of water as soon as you start your day will help reduce morning dehydration. Not only is it a refreshing habit, it can also help with weight loss. Hydration is vital for exercise, so keep the water flowing to maximize your performance.
July
Aim for 10,000 steps per day
Walking burns calories and can help combat the risks that come with a sedentary lifestyle. Added bonus: Going for a just a 15-minute stroll can help you get out of a mental rut and increase your creativity by nearly 60 percent.
August
Go junk food free
Highly-processed food loaded with sugar, salt, chemicals, and trans fats leads to health issues ranging from obesity to diabetes to cardiovascular issues. Avoiding them is also an easy way to eliminate empty calories from your diet.
September
Incorporate meditation into your daily routine
Too much stress can impair muscle recovery, making leg day even worse. Mediation has been shown to reduce the impact of stressors like daily hassles and psychological issue by up to 44 percent.
October
Celebrate Meatless Monday
October is National Vegetarian Month. Going meat-free for a day can introduce you to new healthy foods to love, reduce your carbon footprint, and help lower your BMI.
November
Train for a Turkey Trot
Make every workout count by signing up for a walk or run at the end of the month. When you focus on performance, you’re more likely to be satisfied with your training and push harder to achieve your goals.
December
Get more sleep
Make sure you’re getting enough shut-eye during the busy holiday season. Poor sleep can lead to weight gain, but getting seven hours or more of good sleep a night can speed up weight loss. MONTH HEALTHY HABIT GUIDE
I hope these ideas were helpful? Please share your ideas below in the comments and with friends! Thanks for visiting www.BeccaTebon.com. and if you’r looking for accountability or coach to love you compassionately but hold you firm to making SENSIBLE changes without filing deprived, schedule a Health Strategy Session with me right here!
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