A New Year or a New Day?

January is the “dedication” month – we pick new resolutions and plan out a few benchmarks along the way to make sure we stay on track, but what happens most of the time? We either get distracted, bored, or “life gets in the way”. Sound familiar? I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be like that this year, and you don’t have to wait until January 1st to make the decision to commit to a fitness and nutrition plan. 

Take baby steps

Making small changes one at a time is the best way to start a new habit so that it can develop into a lifestyle change, not just something you tried for a little while.  Some examples would be to:  

• Get a reusable, fun/sporty water bottle and keep it with you – refilling at least 6 times a day. (think half of your body weight in oz/day)
• Substitute one splenda for one truvia or natural sweetener in your morning coffee or skim milk/light soymilk rather than creamer.
• Add 1 cup of vegetables to your lunch and dinner.
• Add in 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise two times a week, then three, increasing until you get to 5 solid days of cardiovascular exercise.

Big tasks are manageable in small chunks – so take it one step at a time and start small. Set one measureable and REALISTIC goal a week that you can look back on at the end of the week to see how you did. When you have mastered that one, maintain and move on to the next!

Get Creative

Do you try to use recipes when cooking “healthy”? Great, there is absolutely nothing wrong with sticking to recipes to get comfortable with a new style of food, but don’t let it hold you back! Take a look at the recipe and analyze what the main ingredients are. Look at the protein, grain and veggie and see what substitutions could work. Lean turkey and chicken can almost always be substituted for each other; if a recipe calls for spinach – try it with Kale or Swiss chard, if the main grain is brown rice or couscous, try it with quinoa.

Add in YOUR favorite spices and try to eliminate any additional sodium (many seasoning blends are loaded with salt) by sticking with a few basic spices (pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano etc…). You would be surprised how different you can make a favorite dish just by switching up the grain or main vegetable. Just be sure to accommodate the cooking instructions as needed (time for grains especially) and portion out your meals in advance.

Challenge Yourself

Take a step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. Whether it be a new fitness class, a new route on your walk or run, or a new style of cooking; challenge yourself and see where it takes you! Not quite there yet? No worries, start by bringing a friend, family member or co-worker with you on your first journey outside of your comfort zone. Having a “healthy buddy” is a great way to get new habits started and you get to create a bond with your buddy!

Groupon and Living Social Deals are great ways to get started with something new. There is little to no barriers to begin and most of the time there is NO commitment required. So you get to try something new (with a buddy) for little to no impact on your wallet or conscious. Browse around for local activities, fitness or cooking classes – who knows, you might just find that activity/recipe/class you have been searching for!

Set Yourself up to Win

A client of mine uses this phrase frequently and I absolutely LOVE IT. She says “I need to set myself up to win” whenever talking about preparing meals or scheduling time for exercise each week. It truly brings a smile to my face and is so simple, but so true. If you want to succeed, you need to set yourself up to WIN. It’s as simple as that. Olympic athletes don’t just step out onto the track and hope for their best 100M sprint. They spend every single day prepping, preparing and training for their events. Now, I am not saying you need to dedicate 100% of your day to your health and fitness routine – rather pland and schedule time to make it PART of your daily routine.

Preparing meals ahead of time and physically blocking out time on your calendar to exercise and pre-portion your meals are all steps that set you up to WIN. Planning and preparing takes the guess work out of your regimen and makes it part of your day, which removes the anxiety and pressures you might have from starting a new routine. Take the time once a week to plan out your main meals, schedule your work outs and set realistic, measureable goals on a weekly basis.

It doesn’t take a new year to start a new routine. All it takes is a new day with the determination to succeed. Take small steps, get creative, challenge yourself and most importantly – set yourself up to WIN. If you are struggling with any of these components please reach out to the FitPro’s at Pura Cycling Studio at 813-501-2124. We provide the programs, education and accountability to make your goals a reality. Set yourself up to win today by taking the first step. Commit to your resolution and the rest will follow!

For more information or to request a complimentary consultation, contact me at 813-501-2124 or visit us on the web at www.puracycling.com. PURA VIDA!