Strategies to Maintain a Healthy Routine – because consistency is KEY when trying to reach your goals!
We live such hectic lives that we tend to oversee the changes our body goes through until it’s a little too late. Soon after the damage has been done, we desperately look for FAST ways to fix it in no time. I see it all the time with my 1-1 clients. But, we can’t simply wave a magic wand and get all our problems sorted no matter how much we desire to do that unfortunately. It’s alll about consistency and building a healthy routine.
Yet those magic pills and strict diets out there… get a little tempting when we are desperate. Right? I feel like the reason we’re temped to turn to them sometimes, despite knowing they are super short-term and rarely “healthy”, is because they promise the results we crave to get in a short time. Creating a healthy routine seems like it will take awhile, and no one has time for that.
Let’s be honest, none of us like to wait nowadays. Lines at the grocery store annoy us. We order food straight to our home. We can talk to anyone with a touch of a cell phone button. So why wait and do things “the old school way” with nutrition either?
As we keep hearing from our elders, ‘health is wealth’. Which is why beginning and maintaining a healthy routine, is so very necessary!
Working towards career goals are important, but taking care of our health is equally important! Not to mention, rewarding. So here are some general nutrition and exercise tips that I have found helpful to do just that! And they will also help you in overcoming stress at the same time, which has a huge effect is all areas of our life.
So who’s ready to get back into a routine that will help them reach their goals?
Here are 5 great health & fitness tips to help you maintain a healthy routine:
1. Planning & Preparation:
The secret to getting your health back is not a secret or a lost cause, but it all starts with planning! You can start by setting a goal. Planning and preparation are the most vital aspect of a journey towards your well-being. Getting yourself motivated for the goal is another thing. Which is why in this video I talk all about having a BIG WHY behind your goals.
Why exactly you want to start a fitness routine? Is it to get that extra fat off you’ve allowed to come on lately? Feel more ENERGIZED? Competing for something? Or simply because you want to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle? Whatever the reasons, you need to be sure you’re definitively up for the challenging task at hand. Setting a goal normally gives you a vision of where you want to see yourself and in how much time. I talk allll about vision here.
2. Eat Healthy & Stop Eating When you’re Full:
One of the most important elements to consider when you’re following a healthy routine is to ‘intuitively eat’ mostly nutrient dense foods. You can do several exercises, and push yourself to the limit but you cannot achieve your goal without making changes to your diet and in your eating patterns typically. It all goes back to basics of limiting processed foods and sugar, and sticking to the whole food stuff. Pair that with intuitive eating and you are on your way to success!
A big thing I tell all clients: try to include protein and vegetables with every meal, and never have carbs alone. And snacking is great! But make sure it is mindfully snacking instead of mindlessly snacking 🙂
Also going back to intuitive eating, honor your hunger and fullness internal cues. If you feel full, don’t take another bite, even if it’s the last bite remaining. We tend to eat just because it is in front of us. Try to ask yourself mid-meal, “am I actually still hungry?”. Start to become mindful through the eating process.
3. Use Variations In Exercise:
The next step, after determining your goal is to create your own fitness plan. Cater it to your current level of fitness and what is realistic for your life. Having variations and using different exercises can make it all the more interesting, and “confuse your body”, which is a good thing metabolism-wise.
Find exercises you’re willing to do and you ENJOY doing, and someone to keep you accountable! Most of the fitness plans combine a blend of aerobics, resistance, and flexibility exercises. First, you need to assess your level of fitness and make a plan that suits your requirements and then rev it all up a level!
When done correctly, aerobic exercises can help you burn that extra fat, strength training can replace that fat with lean muscle and things like yoga and pilates can be god for both toning and flexibility. Having a good exercise routine with various work-outs can do wonders to your body in no time!
4. Drink Plenty Of Water:
Drinking water has multiple advantages for your overall health! During my FREE 5 Day Challenge, you will see that Day #1 talks about this! Drinking water can help you avoid overeating as well, as sometimes you are just dehydrated and not still hungry. You can also use one of those water bottles that keep track of your daily liquid intake to make it like a competition! And hydration actually works as a natural detox for your body, and will do wonders for your skin.
If you have difficulty drinking plain water, squeeze a couple of lemons or a sliced cucumbers and strawberries. Water is a blessing that most of us have for free, utilize it and make it your best friend in achieving your body goals 🙂
5. Remain Consistent:
It is humanly impossible to develop a routine in one day. It is not just a bunch of exercises but a complete change of lifestyle. It takes some time to adjust to new changes. So, you should not expect your body and mind to get used to it right away. It is a slow process, which requires your inimitable consistency and determination. You will ultimately get used to it, and it will be all worth it in the end!