Happy New Year, New You!! We all have goals for the New Year. Some of us write them down and others of us just make a mental note of what we want to do better this year. The New Year is full of hope and a fresh slate, but to reach those goals we have to be intentional and have a plan. Reaching those goals does not just happen on it’s own. Now is a great time to write down your goals and make a plan.
Let’s talk habits. Most of us probably think “bad habits,” but how did we get those bad habits and how can we reverse them to help us hit our goals? Here are a few bad habits that I think of right off the bat… binge eating when stressed and/or eating to reward ourselves, going out to eat multiple times a week, choosing not to be active, eating junk food regularly, drinking alcohol daily to deal with stress… you get the idea.
I want to tell you a story about a girl who was tired of all those bad habits and how bad she was feeling about herself. 27 years old, 2 babies 3 and 1, wife, night shift nurse, and just plain old worn out. She let life just happen to her. Her jeans were tight and her baby belly just hung out all over the place, she was embarrassed when she saw pictures of herself and even thought how can my husband even find me attractive anymore. She needed a change! So she started small tracking her food, being more intentional about what she was putting in her mouth and getting up early to walk before her husband left for work. She didn’t see fast changes but she felt good about her efforts. Eventually she started adding a little running to her daily walks, mowing the yard while her kids took naps, parking far away to get extra steps, taking the stairs. It all added up! Then she set a goal to run a half marathon and trained her butt off and realized she could do more than she ever believed she could do. She is now very proud of her strong capable body. A dozen half marathons, a few CrossFit competitions, and a lifelong love for health and fitness!!
That was me! Looking back over these last 10 years of building healthy habits I realize it had nothing to do with the scale and how much I weighed but it was all about the journey. I have built habits by being intentional and focusing on my goals. I make a plan each week. When will I work out and what will we eat. It’s not only about me anymore, it is also about my husband and my now almost 13 and 11 year old. I do not want life to just happen to my kids, I want them to be intentional and build lifelong habits that will help them to be strong healthy adults.
Counting macros over these past 3 years and being part of the Stay Fit Mom community has been so beneficial in helping me build additional healthy habits. Understanding the science behind what we eat and why we need it to fuel our bodies encourages me to eat for the right reasons. It also helps us to look at our plates and say am I eating a well balanced meal so that even when we are not tracking our food we are being intentional about how we are fueling our bodies. Eating balanced is a lifestyle not a diet plan.
Cook meals with your family and for your family. A great habit is to sit down weekly and make a plan of what you will eat for the week. This is a great way to be intentional and not let life just happen to you. I hear week after week from my clients about how having meals planned for the week made their week so much smoother. My favorite way to plan our weeks is using the Stay Fit Mom journal. I sit down with my journal Saturday and plan the week. I love feeling it in daily to help me stay motivated and keep track of how my mind and body are feeling.
When will you workout this week? We are all busy these days working and running our kids around. Look for ways to add more activity to your life daily. Walk at the ball field while your kid practices, go for a walk during your lunch break, find some friends to join a gym together and weekly make plans to go. Find something that you love to do and will bring joy and excitement to your life.
Small daily choices add up. Habits are not built in a day or even 21 days. It is hard work and being intentional. Training yourself to do what is best not what is easiest. You will be so proud of yourself when you look back and think of all the “good habits” you have built. Don’t get overwhelmed. Pick one or two that you can sustain and stick to it!! You’ve got this!
Looking for a community of women that want to help you take daily steps towards your goals? Our Ninja Insider program is a great place to start. Read more HERE.
Whatever your 2020 goals are, we wish you the very best!
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