Christmas day has been and gone, and along with our happy memories and post holiday buzz, there may also be some thoughts to all the delicious food and drink we have consumed over the Christmas holidays. We all know Christmas is the ultimate time to not worry and enjoy your food, but unfortunately eating plates of rich food, relaxing in front of the TV and drinking bubbly all year is just not an option…not a healthy one anyway!
So, with many of us planning to use the start of a New Year to re-evaluate parts of our health and lifestyle, we thought we would give you some tips on how to start and maintain a healthier lifestyle. It’s time to take your current lifestyle, upcycle it and turn it into something even more beautiful!
Set goals as part of your New Year resolutions
Take broad resolutions and break them up into achievable chunks. If getting you and your family more active is a resolution, then why not set dates in the calendar for you all to look forward too like booking in a cycling weekend, signing up to a family fun run or planning activities to do in the garden together? Having plans throughout the year will help keep you and your family motivated, and your lifestyle exciting and varied.
If losing weight is on your agenda, then the same rule applies. Sometimes losing a couple of stone just doesn’t seem inspiring…and by giving yourself a year to do it, chances are you will take the year to get there! Set a acheiveable goals throughout the year to achieve and maintain your desired weight. Why not set goals using dress sizes or body measurements rather than weight, or set mini achievements you can cross off like climbing to the top of your local hill or mountain in an allocated amount of time?
By setting these achieveable goals, you will be able to keep yourself motivated and slowly replace bad, unhealthy habits with a new and improved lifestyle.
Motivation is key
When trying to lose weight, with so many options around us, it can be hard to know where to start. If you have an event coming up quite soon that you would like to lose weight for, then perhaps a low calorie diet plan is for you.
Preloved member Carrie told us about her experience using Exante Diet: “Exante…it really motivated me and kept me in the right direction. I still have a little way to go, but I’m finally happy with what my body looks like after 7 months…now I weigh 10 stone 5lbs with a target weight of 9 stone 8lbs. To be honest its good to get this off my chest and finally be happy in who I am. So thank you very much Exante.”
Many low calorie diets involve counting calories or measuring out portions, but Exante Diet is simple and hassle free without the need to calculate every meal. It’s all online, without the inconvenience of attending weekly meetings, so starting is just a click away. With a wide diet range to choose from, the easy-to-follow very low calorie diet (VLCD) and low calorie diet (LCD) plans are affordable and flexible so you can choose what fits in with your lifestyle!
If you would rather lose weight gradually whilst maintaining a well balanced diet, then why not get more active and sign up to some fitness classes, making sure you pick something fun and that you enjoy! By making losing weight and getting fit a fun and social part of your life, you will be more likely to keep it up and maintain your desired weight. Instead of running on your own, why not join a running club? Or if you you find the gym boring, why not join a local sports team?
Challenge yourself!
If just generally keeping fit is your concern, then why not sign up to some UK challenges this year! From hiking challenges that take a day to complete, to challenging yourself to cycle the length of the UK, training for a challenge can be a great way to motivate yourself to get fit.These challenges are also a great way to raise money for charities close to your heart…what a New Year resolution that could be.
If you are looking for a way to challenge your eating habits by becoming more sustainable and eating healthier, then why not consider giving something up? This can be simple a giving up a favourite (yet unhealthy) food, or you can go one step further and give up takeaways, pre packed lunches and ready made meals! It’s not the choice to give up microwave meals that is the challenge, but fighting the urge to give in to convenience. This is where a change in your lifestyle will be key.
For example, instead of a ready made lasagne, make big batches of food to freeze and eat throughout the week, or ditch the ride to the takeaway and opt for a homemade stir fry made with left over vegetables and cooked chicken from the fridge.
Trapped in the office with limited time to grab some lunch? Drop the trips to the local shop at lunch and bring in pack lunches to work…the key here is to make them delicious! BBC good food have some great lunch box ideas to help keep lunch time interesting, and you away from the shop counter on your lunch break.
Have your say!
Do you have a keep fit tip or idea that works for you? We would love to hear from you! Help out the Preloved community and share your health kick ideas with us via Facebook,Twitter or Google plus!