January is over and February is 3 quarters of the way through too! From how I feel myself and from the emails and posts of my members I have noticed one thing the last few weeks………..a real drop in energy and motivation!! I’m not sure if it’s the weather, or just that little slump we hit at the end of January where the positive energy for the new years resolutions has started to fade again and we are left feeling a little de-railed. Either way, and for whatever reason it is – I suppose the thing to remember is that just because the plans for the “new you” in the new year didn’t get off to a flying start – it doesn’t mean that all is lost and you can or should throw in the towel!
A year is 12 months. A month is 4 weeks (give or take), a week is 7 days and a day is 24 hours! So the first 6 weeks haven’t quite gone to plan?? SO WHAT?! You still have 46 whole weeks to make a big difference! Or how about just start your “year” NOW?! Who says January the 1st is the only time our New Year can start?
The mental side of things plays a MASSIVE part in our ability to lose weight and stick to a weight loss and fitness routine and even though many of us try unfortunately approx. only 1 in 10 people will actually SUCCEED in reaching their weight loss goal. Why?! Because it is hard work L To succeed in losing weight we need to eat less and move more than ever before just to lose what feels like a measly few pounds. We need to also be CONSISTENT! I do the exact same thing myself where I am absolutely angelic for 5 days, and then throw it all out of the window over 2 days……..and yet because I was sooooo good on the majority of the days I still genuinely feel quite hurt by the fact the scales are not giving me what I feel is “mostly” a good week! It can be a struggle and it can feel like a never ending battle – but if you try to take one day at a time (even 1 hour at a time if you need to) and push through those first few days back on the wagon you WILL start to feel stronger and get back into the swing of things again.
With the nights starting to get a little lighter again it is time to start getting back into the zone, back to business and get planning with both our food and exercise, looking forward to working towards our summer bodies (yes I mentioned the word summer but you know weight loss doesn’t happen over night :)) and weight loss and fitness goals.
Here are some simple tips to help you to get back on track:
1) PLAN AHEAD!
Just like going about your everyday business you need to have a plan in place to make things easier. If your kids are in school for 9am, you will set your alarm for a certain time each day to give you enough time to get everything ready and there on time. If you have a business meeting on Monday morning – you will probably spend some of your weekend to planning ahead to make sure that you are well prepared and ready to go and don’t get caught out! The exact same goes with your food and exercise. If you have it planned out in some sort of structure or routine you are MUCH more likely to follow through with it because A) we usually stick to what we can “see” in black and white and B) By spending a little time planning ahead you have already taken the mental effort out the equation making it much easier for you to follow through! SO take a little time out, plan your food and exercise ahead. Make a pledge to yourself for the week e.g. I will go on the cross trainer 3 times and I will go for a walk twice. Make yourself up a schedule of planned activity and stick it on your fridge so that you can tick off each day you have completed and feel really good about yourself when you tick off another positive day 🙂 Use your food diary to accurately track your calorie intake so you know EXACTLY what you are eating versus what you are burning! 9 times out of 10 we overestimate the amount we burn through exercise and underestimate the amount of food we are consuming making it very difficult to understand why the weight isn’t coming off as you feel it should be. Keep a record of everything so you can say 100% I DID IT, and you will probably be pleasantly surprised by the results on the scales and measuring tape too! (if you are not already a member why not try our 2 day free trial)
2) Get SUPPORT!
Going it alone can be okay, but having a little support can go a LONG way. If you are a member then drop me an email and get the ball rolling again on your weekly or daily checking in emails to help give you a focus and have that little extra support on your journey. Another way is to find a friend who is also committed to getting fit or losing weight and arrange a time, a few times a week where you can both follow through on an exercise plan. Spending time exercising with somebody else makes the time go quicker, makes it more enjoyable and also can help give you a positive boost just when you need it! I have a weight loss buddy that I met when I first started to lose weight and we still use each other as a shoulder of support when one of us needs it. Even if its just an email or text or Facebook message, it all counts and can be just what you need.
3) Leave the past in the past!
Dwelling on your failings does not do anyone any good especially you! You absolutely cannot change what you have done or not done over the last few weeks – but you CAN change what you do and the success you have in the future. Draw a line and move on from it!
4) Make REALISTIC goals!
Losing weight is often difficult because we have very high expectations in terms of weight loss. Losing 2lbs per week does take some effort, and yet when we have 1 good week 2lbs suddenly doesn’t seem like a good enough “number” anymore. But trust me – a loss is a loss and if you are losing lbs or inches you are doing GREAT! If you lose just 1lb per week your weight loss over the year would be almost 4 stone! Every little ounce adds up, so next time you lose 1lb give yourself a pat on the back and think about that adding up to 4 stone! You can also think in “ounces” instead if you like – 1 lb is 16 ounces………16 ounces sounds like a pretty good loss in just one week 😉 Sometimes it is just a case of thinking a little differently. Don’t put extra pressure on yourself mentally or physically by demanding a large weight loss each week. It may be maintainable for the first week or two, but can lead to fatigue, frustration and ultimately another failure. Some weeks due to hormonal changes, or general fluctuations you may not even lose weight even though you SHOULD. Again…..this is completely NORMAL, but if you stick with it and try and stay as consistent as possible the weight loss will catch up with you somewhere along the line 🙂
5) What are you waiting for?!
Get planning, get moving and GOOOOO! 🙂
Total Body Tone – OUT NOW
The Why Weight Ireland Total Body Tone DVD is NOW ON SALE – Purchase your copy today by clicking the ‘Buy Now’ button.
Some of the fantastic comments made about the Total Body Tone DVD:
-
Much better than my Jillian Michael’s DVD
-
Can’t believe how many calories I burnt
-
Best workout I’ve ever done
-
Amazing that I can do a full class workout from home
-
Much longer than any of my other workout DVDS
-
I attended some of Hannah’s classes when they first began and I loved them. I was so happy when I could purchase the DVD and wow it is like being in Hannah’s classes all over again!I can really see how this DVD will benefit me already!
_______________________
Take a 2 Day Free Trial today – Click the activate button below for your 2 days trial of our online food & exercise diary. Once your trial is complete you can visit our Prices & Signup page on our website and select one of our memberships to continue and receive the benefits of being a full member. You are under no obligation to signup and there is no prepayment required. 
You can click the following link to subscribe to our Why Weight Ireland Newsletter for monthly news, tips & advice. You can also join our Facebook Community Page where members & non-members can chat and support each other in a private closed group and encourage each other to succeed. And finally, thank you for reading and if you enjoyed it, don’t forget to like, share and leave your lovely comments below 🙂
Hannah x
