This time of year is full of plateaus. Back in January, you likely set your New Year’s Resolution, since then, you have made solid progress. Perhaps, you have dropped three to four dress sizes, or lost 10-15 pounds. These are accomplishments to be proud of; some people only make it so far. The difference in you, is you’re going to keep moving. Instead of retreating to the couch with five slices of pizza on your lap, you are going to stick with your workouts, continue to eat consciously, and most importantly be kind to your body. Whenever you get stuck in a weight loss rut, simply remember those people that give up rather easily; maybe they are a friend, or coworker. Those frequent forfeiters are now in your rearview and the distance is only increasing.
Three Quick Tips For Continued Results
• Do Something Healthy Everyday
I am a firm believe that “anything is better than nothing” in regards to your health. We all have our “cheat” days and our habitual vices, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be good to our bodies.Hopefully, you live a very healthy lifestyle, but even if you don’t, try doing one NEW healthy thing everyday. Whether it’s eating a healthy meal after your usual morning run, or going to the gym after a successful day of eating organic, unprocessed foods. What’s more, a healthy improvement like giving up cigarettes, or limiting your consumption of alcohol is just about the healthiest improvement you can make in your day.
• Stay Consistent
Consistency is the key to continued results. Sure, if you do the exact same workout and eat the exact same food everyday, you won’t be optimizing your results and will likely Go Insane. But there is still something to be said for grinding it out. If you workout four times a week, that is great, try to do so every week. Having a healthy week directly followed by one with no workouts and binge eating, will obviously negate the previous success. Your goal should be to think small in the moment, but do so everyday. In other words, if your mission is to cut red meat out of your diet one day a week, make that your mission every week.
• Use Your Progress as Motivation
If for one reason or another you feel the results simply are not happening like they once were, or maybe you’re just tired and need break from your healthy lifestyle for a bit, step back for a few days. Don’t workout at all, go eat a your favorite “fatty” meal and top it off with a hand full of cookies for dessert. In the long run, one day, or even week of “cheating” is not going to matter. What truly matters is whether you get back into gear. When it’s time to do so, take a look at your progress pictures – if you can honestly look at them and say:
“I don’t care if I look like that again, I am perfectly content being fat and unhealthy!”
Then, go ahead and grab another hand full of cookies. BUT if you want to look even better than the progress you’ve made, and certainly better than when you first started, grab your gym bag, lace up your cross trainers and get your butt in GEAR!