Hello Dear One!
I know, I know!
We’re all starting our new _____ (diet/fitness routine/lifestyle) AFTER the Holidays.
And while that may be all well and good for the time, space, and motivation – life is still going on NOW.
The biggest thing with a desired change is to NEVER abandon ship.
Our level of dedication may waver or be solid as steel depending on the moment – but if our desires stay in our sight, we will always reach our destination.
I thought to share a robust list of some tips that might serve you well NOW.
Big changes are a result of small actions done frequently.
So let’s put some teeny actions into place that feel easy so there is LESS ____ (weight/weakness/inflammation/feeling crappy) that we actually have to aim to tackle and reverse in the New Year.
HOLIDAY QUICK TIPS:
GYM
– Keep going! Go as you can, and when you do add little pops of intensity.
– Some higher intensity intervals when walking on treadmill (increase speed/angle for 30sec – 1 min depending) go back to more comfortable speed. Repeat several times (5? 10? More?) based on your fitness level and interest.
– Increase the weight or perform more challenging exercises in your strength training routine.
– Just GO FOR IT a little bit more, for short durations, with your strength training and cardio, if it feels safe. You never need to kill yourself to get a bit more from your time exercising.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR + WATER + STEVIA
– Are we all doing this by now with the frequency with which I recommend it?? HOPE SO!
– 2TBS in water with a few shakes of stevia
– Drink this BEFORE eating to help with your body’s Insulin sensitivity (less insulin = less fat stored).
– Drink this between meals or before bed if you’re HUNGRY (natural appetite suppressant) and don’t wish to eat again.
SLEEP
– This affects weight loss to a surprising degree.
– Get to bed by 10 (or 9 = BEST) to take advantage of the highest spikes of Human Growth Hormone in the night.
– HGH majorly impacts weight loss as well as having a more energized, illness free, youthful body.
– Getting 7+ hours of sleep a night supports our Thyroid gland which is responsible for our metabolism.
KEEP TAKING YOUR SUPPLEMENTS
– Keep doing what’s easy and supportive in the effort for a slimmer waistline and healthier body.
– Support for inflammation, energy, every system of the body, detoxification, fat metabolism, and liver love in general (what Fat Burners take) is IMPORTANT and will make getting FULLY back on the wagon EASIER when choosing to more seriously reengage.
NO SNACKING
– Save that snack for when you eat your meal.
– The more often we eat the more often we raise Insulin levels. And the more we do that the LESS Insulin sensitive the body becomes (easier to gain weight and harder to lose it).
– This is also disastrous before bed as Insulin inhibits HGH.
– So drink your ACV + water + stevia to reduce hunger to help yourself until your next main meal.
DRINKING and DESSERTING
– Just don’t go crazy with both every day.
– Have it, “tomorrow’, or on, “Thursday when you’re going out with your girlfriends for Christmas Karaoke”. Repeat this to yourself to soothe the little child inside that might NOT like NO and be demanding it NOW. LATER is a far better word to hear than NO when we want pleasure.
– Have other PLEASURABLE outlets that are outside of simply tasty food and intoxicating drink. We all have other things that we LOVE even MORE. Let’s find and DO them.
– Make TREATS be a treat and not a constant thing.
SOCIALIZING
– Have your activities involve something BESIDES just food and drink. There are loads of fun options that have nothing to do with either or that have those more usual activities in the background (Axe Throwing anyone?? For real.)
– Eat before you go. As LAME or HARD as this might sound – I do it all the time. I only eat once a day so getting full on quality stuff kind of matters. Some nights it’s more of a carb feast where anything goes – but not multiple times a week. Truth is it’s not a big deal and I always let people know ahead of time and make a point to tell them I’m coming for the company (WHICH IS TRUE!).
– Don’t drink. I’ve been doing this too. It’s actually easy to be around alcohol and not drink it if focused on WHY you’re not imbibing vs why you’d LOVE to. (Alcohol is literally poison which negatively impacts all aspects of our health, weight loss goals, and ages us prematurely in the process. By focusing on THIS+ a supportive choice is FAR easier.). And this doesn’t have to be every night – but some nights would be great.
SLOW DOWN
– Make a point to deliberately slow down/stop at at least at one point every day.
– Create a super simple ritual that’s easy and pleasurable to do to help you to, or remember to, CHILL OUT.
– Lighting candles, putting on soothing music, taking time with your bedtime routine, reading, smelling a particular scent (perfume/essential oil/spices in your cupboard), etc.
– It’s easy to always be in GO mode which is where STRESS lives and COMPULSIVE behavior (eating/drinking) easily happens.
START A NEW HABIT NOW
– I’m 100% serious about this as it will help immeasurably when you actually DO begin for real.
– Commit to doing something every day (for 100 days) that is SO EASY that it’ll be easy to follow through on.
– I did this with choosing to brush my hair nightly over a year ago. I’d do it after washing my face and before bed. My commitment was just to do a couple strokes. Which was easy. Then I remembered the suggestion of brushing your hair 100 strokes/day to make it grow and be healthier. So now I do that! And my hair is!
– This will build the muscle of discipline as there will be days where you nearly forget to do ___ and remember but DON’T want to follow through. If your commitment is SO EASY and you remember the promise you made…giving yourself the little push you need to DO what you said you’d do is EVERYTHING. Continuing to make the choice to DO THE THING that you said you’d do with something EASY will make following through on commitments that are SO much more substantial and CHALLENGING even easier when the time comes.
– This will also help you to TRUST yourself in the future. You’ll know you can rely on yourself because you’ve proved that you can keep your word to yourself.
– This is such a powerful thing to do and something that will serve you well in the New Year and honestly for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.
So that’s it! Pick one! Do them all if they feel reasonable and EASY. Stress is never worth what it takes from us in the name of, “Should”, or, “Better”.
And if you’ve yet to check out Unbound’s site with new offerings in the Store for helping get your body into a Fat Burning mode (easier to lose weight and harder to gain it – ESPECIALLY during the Holidays) + and Gift Certificates with BONUSES available until 12/31/21 please do.
Keep having an amazing Holiday Season and enjoy the crap out of yourself doing what feels GOOD.
To getting you clearer on how the body works, and how to make it work for you.
xox, M