How to Maintain Healthy Weight & Habits in the New Year
By: Erica Jade, MightyFIT Nutrition Coach and owner of Erica Jade Health
We’re nearing the end of January and February is right around the corner. How are you feeling? Have you been sticking to the intentions you set for yourself for the New Year or have you lost motivation and abandoned your resolutions? If you did, it’s ok! You’re not the only one.
“Research conducted by Strava using over 800 million user-logged activities in 2019 predicts the day most people are likely to give up on their New Year’s Resolution is January 19. (Strava calls it “Quitter’s Day.”)” – www.inc.com
The maintenance phase of any health journey or fitness transformation is the hardest phase due to the loss of motivation. News flash, you will not always be motivated. Motivation is temporary! This is why consistency and healthy habits are key to your success.
Here are some of the best ways to be consistent and continue your healthy habits throughout the New Year.
Remember Your Why
We all have different motivators. When it comes to creating healthy habits, we could be motivated by a weight loss goal, health concerns, a special event coming up, boosting energy levels, lowering stress, etc. Some may want to feel their best in their wedding gown while others may want to get in shape so they can participate in their family’s annual hiking and camping trip. Whatever your reason is, remind yourself of it when you feel your motivation starting to fade. Try writing it down and putting it somewhere you can see it every day as a reminder. Vision boarding is a great way to visualize your why and clarify what success would look like for you.
Use an Accountability Partner
Having a friend or partner join you on your wellness journey will help you stay consistent. By sharing your goals with each other, you can encourage yourselves to stick to your healthy goals and lifestyle. If you don’t have an accountability partner, consider hiring a nutrition coach or personal trainer. You can also join a program that will support you every step of the way, like the MightyFIT Nutrition Program from MightyMeals.
Have a Backup Eating Plan
One of the biggest reasons people get off track is because they don’t have a backup plan for meals and snacks. Life happens! There may be times when you’re busier than usual and find yourself unprepared. In those moments, it’s easy to resort to bad eating habits and abandon your healthy goals. For instance, you need to work through lunch or dinner and aren’t able to cook, the kids’ schedules change, so you need to grab something that’s quick and easy, you left your meal prep at home, etc. Times like these can be stressful. However, if you have a backup meal plan, you’re golden! You could try cooking your meals ahead of time, coming up with a list of healthy on-the-go meal and snack options that you can grab in a pinch, or take the stress out of meal prepping by ordering them from a meal delivery service, like the freshly-made nutritious meals from MightyMeals. I highly recommend freezing a few just in case you forget to order by the deadline each week!
Schedule Your Workouts
Consistent and regular physical activity is crucial for your overall health and wellness. To ensure you’re able to fit your workouts in each week, try scheduling them the same way you would schedule any meeting or appointment. You can add them to your calendar, set reminders in your phone, or block out time for movement each day to avoid overbooking yourself.
Be Consistent and Plan Ahead
Being consistent with your healthy habits and planning ahead will help you achieve success in your health and wellness journey. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, boost your energy, or simply improve your eating habits, consistency and planning will be your best friends in reaching your goals.
I’m confident that these tips will help you stay on track this year. However, making healthy habits a part of your everyday health and wellness routines can be challenging at times. So, if you find yourself struggling with figuring out where to start, feeling stuck at a plateau and looking for guidance, or needing an accountability partner to help keep you motivated along the way, feel free to contact me. I’d love to help!
Erica is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, IIN Holistic Health Coach, Owner of Erica Jade Health, former NFL Cheerleader, and one of our MightyFIT Nutrition Coaches.
Need help with healthy meal and nutrition planning? Our MightyFIT Nutrition Program can help you. Reach out to any of our MightyFIT Nutrition Experts and Coaches so we can guide you in the right direction.