Lack of time, being impatient and a bit lazy is the honest truth for a lot of us to not bother with exercise or eating a balanced diet. We want to feel and look good but it all seems like such hard work, right? Well… I won’t lie, you do need to put some work in to get a different result to what you have right now, but it doesn’t have to be miserable and it doesn’t have to change every single thing in your life.
I like to work in small steps; the only caveat is that they need to be things that you do consistently in order for them to make a difference. Take saving money as an example – you need to save a bit every month to get a lot over time. It is the same with health but our focus has been taken away from our health being a number 1 priority because of the busy-ness of life! Let’s aim to get your health back up there as a priority.
Below I have listed little things that you can do, you can go for one or more, but make sure you do them regularly; we are aiming for a new normal. These are a mix of exercise, diet and lifestyle ideas and all will help you to make an improvement to your health.
Bit of inspiration for you before you choose – One of my long term clients used to have 2 digestives every morning with her tea, without fail, this was non-negotiable and I left it at that until a year or so in to our coaching she decided she wanted to make more changes to see what she could achieve. She decided to stop having the biscuits, this is a lady who had this habit almost her whole life, just gave them up overnight. She could not believe she had done it and how painless it was and now not having the biscuits is just as normal as having them before! Now she’s eating a good 700 kcals less a week – 500kcals is the equivalent of 1lb just so you know so if fat loss is your aim this is the kind of small change you need to make.
Small Change List (or choose one of your own!)
1. Walk an extra 10 minutes every day (does not have to be in one go)
2. Have one less can of pop a day
3. Eat one less piece of chocolate each day
4. Always take the stairs over elevators and lifts
5. Run up your stairs every time
6. Eat half a plate of veg with every dinner you eat
7. Take 12 hours between dinner and breakfast the following day
8. Swap your flavoured yoghurt for Greek yoghurt and berries
9. Eat sitting down
10. Put your cutlery down between each bite
11. Stop eating at your desk
12. Plan 1-3 x 30 minute workouts each week – walking, hiking, swimming, fitness class… 1 if you’re a beginner, 2 or 3 otherwise
13. Drink 2 litres of water every day
14. No caffeine after 2pm
15. Keep a food diary for 3 days – great for awareness – then decide on one change
16. Learn one new recipe each week/month – make it a balanced meal
17. Park a far as you can from the shop
18. Get off the bus a stop earlier
19. Increase your steps by 1k each day
20. Limit alcohol – I’ll leave it to you to decide on details but if you have 2 glasses each night, try one and a half for a week, then one for another week etc..
21. Ditch the sugar in your hot drinks
22. Make your own lunch
23. Be in bed by 10pm
24. Lift weights whenever you can – not necessarily gym weights but shopping bags, deliveries – just be careful to bend your knees!
25. Reduce your sugar intake – less packaged foods, sugar every other day, only at weekends, cut it out…
26. Find me on You Tube and do a short workout every week – Rock Your Body UK
These are just some ideas for you and of course you can adjust them to suit you, remember they have to be consistent, keep going and you will see results – with your mind-set and body. If you want a quicker, better version of these results then of course you have to dedicate more time to exercise and your diet and I can help you with that! Getting support from a professional is a sure way to make sure you keep going, holding you accountable and helping you stay motivated when it gets tough. Contact me for a chat about what you want!!