So you started a new diet plan….now what?

I hate to burst your bubble, but holidays will be here before you know it and you know what that means… lots of parties, social events and over eating that will most likely end in you sitting on the couch, top button undone asking yourself why the 3rd round of meatballs was a good idea.  But this year will be different you say! The kids are back to school so you have started a new healthy eating regimen that sounds perfect for your lifestyle and goals. Well now what…how do you translate this new found diet into a healthy lifestyle so your progress stays with you throughout the holiday season?

Consistency is key; if there is anything else that you take away from this, however – here are a few tips that might help you on track so you can have your fruitcake and eat it too!

1. Remember why you started. The first week of your diet has gone great, the food in the fridge is healthy, pantry cleaned out of all marshmallow fluff and sodas – but now it’s time to shop again and your friends want you to join them for happy hour. Take a step back and remember why you started this diet/lifestyle change. If you keep that vision in mind it will be easier to convince yourself that an egg white omelet sounds a lot better than a double bacon cheeseburger with a side of saddle bags.

2. Share your progress. Letting others around you know that you are serious about this lifestyle change will help you stay on track and feel great about your decision! Forget the naysayers – you are doing this for a reason! Be proud of the changes you are making and encourage others to do so. It feels good to give back and help others, so don’t be selfish with your new healthy recipes and workout routines – share them with a friend or family member and bring them to your next training session. Who knows, maybe they will make a change as well!

3. Ask for help. When you are tired of eating the same things over and over, or get stuck in a performance plateau – reach out! There are dozens of helpful blogs, Facebook groups and local outreach organizations that are free to join; all it takes is the courage to ask. Not everyone goes through the same struggles, but I guarantee there is someone out there that can relate to the challenges you may face on the way to a healthier lifestyle.

4. Challenge Yourself. Once you get in the rhythm it’s easy to keep up with the same old routine – eat, drink, workout, sleep and repeat. But that can get boring and discouraging if you aren’t seeing the results you want. Try mixing up your routine and try a new fitness class, or take a cooking course. Heck, spend an hour on Pinterest searching for “healthy recipes” and see what you find! Challenge yourself both physically and mentally on the regular so you stay sharp and motivated. A little change can go a long way, plus who knows who you will meet along the way!

5. Take small steps forwards. Rather than giant leaps ahead to get you going out of the gate, try making several smaller steps along the way. Smaller consistent changes are less overwhelming on your body AND your mind. Set small goals like cutting down cheese to 3 meals a week, then down to 1 and so on….or start with 30 minutes of cardio 3x/week and increase steadily to 4x/week; then include some longer cardio days followed by recovery/low impact days. Your body will thank you and this also prevents unnecessary strain on muscles that you might not have engaged for a while.

In case of emergency…just do what feels good! Listen to your body, take your rest, and go ahead and indulge every once in a while! This way you don’t end up binging frequently becuase you cut too much from your diet. It’s going to be hard at first, but just remember tip number 1. Think small meals, throughout the day to keep your metabolism up, and compliment your healthy eating with an active lifestyle. If you hit a plateau, reach out and explore what the jems are hiding out in the world wide web. *Please note to take everything with a grain of salt when it comes to general searches on the internet….you don’t want to fall into the “they can’t put anything on the internet that isn’t true” because well, there’s YouTube. Enough said.

As always, if you have any questions on what to eat or how to pick up a new workout routine leave your comments below! Or you can reach out to the FitPro’s at Pura Cycling studio at “FitProTrainers@puracycling.com”.  See you around town!

Pura Vida

Stephanie Farquhar

Pura Cycling Studio LLC