Happy New Year Everyone!
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Are you looking for help to get back on track and live a healthier lifestyle? Perhaps you’ve fallen off the wagon, enjoyed too much of the holidays, or just need a jumpstart to get going. Today I’m here to help you with a 7 Step Guide to becoming healthier. Oh–and don’t forget to scoop up your FREE body measurement digital file at the bottom of this post!!!
It’s the beginning of the year, and it’s the perfect time to start making some goals for the new year ahead. There is something about a New Year that brings a fresh perspective & focus for the future! It’s like wiping the slate clean and starting over with ambition & motivation in your back pocket!
I LOVE spending some of my holidays reflecting on the previous year, what was accomplished, and setting goals in all the different areas of my life to work towards in the New Year!
As usual, getting back on track after the holidays makes the list. Let me tell you, 2020 took advantage of me. I suffered from a shoulder injury early in the year that unfortunately stopped all working out or exercising. I’m still working through physio and getting better, but not fully recovered.
Also, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in August which caused my food world to turn upside down. It’s been a journey the past few months learning a new food lifestyle, different recipes, and products to use in my cooking.
And speaking of food…I might have turned to food when I was super stressed out this past year or feeling a bit low. It was the most stressful year of teaching EVER and I definitely snacked & enjoyed a bit more wine than usual. Oops.
Perhaps you are in a similar predicament. And that is why you are here! Let’s tackle our health together and follow this simple 7 Step Guide to becoming healthier and getting back on track!
Choosing a Healthier Lifestyle is not a Quick Fix
I chose to create a 7 Step Guide to Becoming Healthier rather than something like a 30-day challenge for several reasons.
- This 7 Step Guide is a lifestyle change. It will take time and it is a process, but as you commit to each step, you will be physically & emotionally ready to continue working toward your new healthier lifestyle.
- It is important to gain control over each step before adding more to your plate. Once you have control over 1 step, then it is easier to commit and add-on another step without overwhelming yourself.
- For example, if you decided that after New Year’s Eve you were going cold turkey and signed up for a rigorous exercise program, started a diet, and put all these expectations on yourself…most likely, it is going to fail as do MOST New Year’s Resolutions.
- All health goals have different time requirements so putting a specific timestamp such as 30 days on someone’s health doesn’t work in this scenario.
The 7 Step Guide to Becoming Healthier & Getting Back on Track:
Awesome! You are all set and ready to learn about the 7 Step Guide to Becoming Healthier and getting back on track!
Remember to take each step at a time and don’t move on until you are completely ready and committed. Oh–and don’t forget about the FREE body measurement digital file to snag at the bottom of the post!!!
OK- let’s begin!
1- Determining Your Health Goals
As stressed above…you CAN’T just jump into a lifestyle change and expect it to work. You MUST have a goal and a plan to help you achieve your health goals. So before you even begin altering your health, you need to reflect and think about your WHY — why are you are even doing this in the first place?
If you know exactly WHAT you are committing to, then you are more likely to follow through, stay on track, and be successful.
Having specific health goals keeps you…
- focused
- aware of potential threats to achieving your goals
- motivated
- accountable
- responsible
- thinking about the overall end results
- provide a sense of personal accomplishment
- provide a sense of purpose in life (daily, weekly, yearly, etc)
- and boost confidence when a goal is successful!
Here are some tips:
- Write down one or two health goals you are trying to achieve to get yourself back on track to a healthier you. Perhaps it is to lose some weight or get rid of the sweet cravings. Is it to lower your cholesterol, or tone & tighten up?
- Set a timeline for achieving your goals. When would you like to meet your goal?
- Provide yourself with a reward that is exciting and not a food motivator. My favorite reward is always new ZYIA workout attire! You can learn more about ZYIA and their premium quality activewear here.
2- Set a Starting Point
Your next step is to set a starting point. Depending on what your health goals are, this might include stepping on a scale and taking your weight & body measurements. Perhaps it’s getting some bloodwork done, taking your blood pressure & heart rate. Another great idea is to take some BEFORE pictures of all your different body angles- front, back, and sides. Don’t worry, no need to share- these are for your eyes only!!
This is such a crucial part of achieving a healthier you as now you can measure your progress along the way and see results. Use my FREE body measurement tool to record your results as you re-assess yourself each week. Oftentimes, seeing better numbers provides new motivation & determination going into the following week in hopes to see even more results! And this is positive!
Don’t forget how important it is to celebrate the small milestones along the way as well. Did you drop a size? Maybe you pushed yourself in your workout and are extremely proud of yourself!
Whatever it is…celebrate along the way, share, and do a happy dance!
3- Let’s Purge!
That’s right…the next step is to purge. You can’t begin your lifestyle change to a healthier you if you have a pantry or fridge FULL of junk!
Sometimes this step is a hard step if you aren’t ready to give up your sweets, or chips, or unhealthy snacks you might have.
Remember…you need to fully commit to each step before moving forward. So, take the time to enjoy one more bowl of ice cream…and then say goodbye…for the time being anyhow.
What to purge and cut out of your nutrition?
- unhealthy snacks & desserts, any processed foods, sugary drinks, fatty foods, baked goods & white bread products
- ALL ALCOHOL! Yes, I know. I’m asking you to cut out all alcohol (wine, beer, liquor, ALL OF IT!) Sorry. But when alcohol is consumed, decisions on food aren’t the best, and snacking or worse bingeing at night might be the result.
You might be able to put some of these items in the freezer to preserve them for the future, or even in a box stored out of the kitchen (out of sight, out of mind- right!?!).
Good for you! This was a big step to clean out your kitchen & continue getting yourself ready for your new healthier lifestyle.
4- Meal Planning & Grocery Shopping
Great- you are almost ready to start taking control of your health and work towards getting back on track! It’s time to take control of your food. Now that the unhealthy products have been removed from your home, it’s time to bring in some healthier options for you to have on hand instead.
Tips:
- Before Grocery Shopping- Plan out your meals for the week and make a shopping list. Aim for eating lots of whole foods, nutritious meals, and lots of fruits & vegetables. Try to keep your dairy intake low too- they can bloat you and plug up your digestive tract.
- At the Grocery Store- Stick to the list! Period.
- At Home- You’ve already made your weekly plan, so everything is already pre-setup for you and no food decisions need to be made throughout the week now.
- Try to record EXACTLY what you ate each day. This keeps you accountable for your food intake and keeps you on track to healthy eating.
- Just cutting out the junk will massively improve your health and get you started back on track to a healthier you. It’s up to you if you want to further challenge yourself to consume x amount of calories per day or not.
I have always found that FOOD is the #1 way to start achieving any weight-loss goals. Once you get control over your food, you are going to start feeling better, have more energy, and just happier in general!
5- Drink More Water!
Something you SHOULD make sure you are doing is drinking your 8 cups of water each day. I know it’s a lot of water to consume, but read why it’s so important and how to fit it into your daily routine in my post– HOW to ENSURE you drink ENOUGH Water DAILY!
6-Have a Positive Mindset
What!?! You are now on Step 6 and nearing the finale! By now, you must be feeling really great after you cut out all that junk in your food.
This step is all about having a positive mindset as you continue on your journey to a healthier you.
Think about the different hobbies and interests you have that just put a smile on your face and make you feel happy! Do you journal, read, go for walks, have a nap? Maybe you blare some great music and dance your heart out! Or is it playing the piano, crafting, or doing puzzles?
Whatever it is, the next step is to carve some time into your daily or weekly routine to enjoy these activities. They are going to put you in a positive mindset.
Here’s what you do– on the day that you meal plan for the week, look at your calendar and chunk out some time to enjoy your activity. Add it to your calendar!!! Once it’s on your calendar, it’s like an appointment that can’t be missed. Make sure your family members are aware of this add-on and even include them in your activity if you wish!
Enjoy this step!
7- Get Active!
Isn’t this crazy that adding in some activity is the last step? This is ACTUALLY where most people start when trying to get healthy right!?! But surprisingly, if you don’t have control over your food & have a positive mind frame first, then the activity isn’t really going to do you much good.
Go back to those New Year’s Resolutions again. Maybe the New Year’s Resolution is to get fit, so that person starts a new fitness program. The mindset of someone in this scenario might be something like- “It’s okay to eat a bag of chips because I worked out today”! BUT… in the 7 Day Guide to a Healthier You sense, we’ve already cut out the junk food & cravings and are now ready to take on the workout and ramp up our journey to a healthier you!
Those New Year’s Resolutions are backward and that is exactly why they fail most of the time!
Just as you did in Step 1- plan! Before you begin working out, devise a plan for what you are going to do and how it’s going to fit into your schedule. Think about the WHAT, WHERE, & WHEN. Make sure you have everything you need to get started too.
I’m not saying that you need to start an intense HIIT workout at all. If going for a walk and achieving your 10,000 steps is your activity- enjoy it! But choose something that you enjoy and look forward to doing about 3-4 times per week at a minimum.
Just step up your game and get ACTIVE. And feel invigorated!
So Now What?
Well…now you are in control of your healthy lifestyle and can make adjustments that you see fit along the way. Keep working toward the health goal that you set in place at the beginning of this entire process.
If you aren’t finding the results you are craving, step it up– add in more activity or decrease the number of calories that you are consuming and see if this helps.
Remember that there is NO set time frame for how long this process will take- everyone is different and has set individual goals.
For me–I outlined my health goals last week, took all my measurements, and purged my kitchen on Saturday. Then on Sunday, I outlined a meal plan to stick to for the entire week and did my grocery shopping. At night, I enjoyed my last glass of wine for a while! Monday was my first day of healthy eating and this is where I am in the plan. I’m pretty good at making sure I drink enough water throughout the day, but I’m recording it just to be sure.
My goal for this week is to control my food! And then do it all over again next week! I’m hoping for some immediate results in the first 2 weeks. Virtual school started back up again though, so I’m in NO rush to add to my to-dos and move onto Step 6. Perhaps in a couple of weeks when my food is totally in control.
But to give you all an idea- I’m hoping to reach my health goals and reaching the final Step by February! Then it’s just a matter of maintaining and enjoying my healthier lifestyle while staying on track & being in control.
OK, who’s with me? I hope you found some hope & inspiration in this 7 Step Guide to Becoming a Healthier You!
-Click below to get your FREE body measurement digital file-
