This post contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
How are you doing with your new year health goals? If you’ve fallen off of the motivation wagon, let me assure you, you are not alone. Time + time again, I have made health goals with the best intentions but then real life kicks back in + I slip back into old habits. The old habits are what we tend to gravitate toward when life’s stressors kick back in. I am not perfect by any means but have definitely learned a thing or two when it comes to sticking to health goals I set + I want to share them with you here in this blog post!
Schedule Your Health into Your Calendar
This one may sound weird. Why would I schedule a workout or meal prepping into my calendar? Well, because it shows it’s a priority when we block time off for it. Also, we can all fall guilty to saying we don’t have enough time to do something. But if we schedule it into our calendar (along with life’s schedule), we may start to see that we might actually have the time if we just wake up 10 minutes earlier. Or that we can meal prep a few things on Wednesday night because there are no events that evening. There are fewer excuses not to show up when we already have time set aside for those healthy habits that lead to achieving our health goals. + if possible, try to schedule a little wiggle room.
At some point, you have to be willing to push aside the excuses + work with them. That’s a little bit of tough love but it’s the truth. If you want to make working out a priority but cannot find time to go to the gym for a full hour, try getting in 30 minutes. If you don’t have time to prep healthy lunch meals all on a Sunday afternoon (I’m describing myself here), try breaking it up into 2 days or prepping the produce + meats during the week + cooking on Sundays. Doing something is better than nothing!
Start Small
I have been working with a functional medicine provider for the past few months + she has given some insight into minor tweaks in my daily routine that have made a huge difference! One of the biggest pieces of advice that stuck with me from our initial conversation was to start small. Do not try to overload your brain with too many things at once. For me, I needed to work on healing my gut which meant going gluten + dairy free, no phone 1 hour before bed, taking a variety of supplements daily, spending time outside first thing in the morning, focusing more on strength training instead of high intensity cardio, + more. When I write it out, I am already overwhelmed just seeing the list.
Each of the things listed above is important in their own regard. But completing them all at once is a recipe for disaster. So, she asked that I focus on the most important items and work my way down. This included focusing on good sleep practices, taking my supplements, + switching a few of my weekly cardio workouts with strength workouts. Once I had those habits down, then I could focus on spending time outside first thing in the mornings. Last thing to work on was my eating habits because this required a lot of time + energy to focus on preparation. I chose to work with a nutritionist through the Wellory app to get my nutrition on track + I am so glad I was able to find someone that was an affordable option but keeps me accountable. This leads into my next tip.
Outsource When Needed
In the example above, I outsourced in the area of nutrition because this has been an area I’ve struggled to do on my own for a while now. Outsourcing allows us to gain helpful insight in the areas we are unable to keep up with ourselves while continuing to improve on our areas of strength by ourselves.
I initially began my gluten free/dairy free diet by outsourcing my lunches. I ordered them through a meal prep service so that I didn’t have to take the time to prep on my own. This allowed me to focus on building better practices at home for dinner. Once I had dinners down, I focused on breakfast. Now that I have been able to focus on building better habits when cooking at home, I feel comfortable prepping my lunches at home as well, but it most definitely did not start that way.
Other ways to outsource could be finding a gym or studio near you that offer fitness classes. Most studios offer free introductory classes or discounted class rates for the first class. Another great way to try a class for a discounted rate without the fear of a membership commitment is to download the app ClassPass. I’ve used it in the past + love the options to try out different studios in the area! (Also, the price per class on this app tends to be less than what the studio offers)! If you know you do best when you have a coach or trainer in front of you, lean into that!
Try Switching Things Up
If your health goals include making changes to your existing habits, you are most likely going to have to try some new things. Don’t be intimidated to try new things + see if a friend can tag along with any of it. Try that boxing class you’ve heard so much about. Buy that new vegetable to try for dinner tonight. Sure, there is a chance you won’t like it, but once you find the ones you love, you’ll find more ways to incorporate it.
Hate chugging water every day? Yeah me too. I tried a variety of companies that offer water flavoring products – electrolyte packets, protein powders, + even started using a small serving of pre-workout on mornings that I wanted something that tasted good (yeah I know this isn’t good haha). But after trying a few, I landed on a company that has forever changed the game!
Vitapod is similar to the concept of keurig but only contains vitamins + other micronutrients, electrolytes, + antioxidants. They have at at home system or an easy to take along Vitapod Go System. This makes it super easy to not only flavor your water but get in some added vitamins + antioxidants while drinking it! They have a variety of types of pods that focus on hydration, beauty, immunity, + workout/recovery. + the flavors are SO good! My favorites are the watermelon + coconut pineapple (which tastes just like a Malibu pineapple). If you want to try it out, you can click here + be sure to use the code DARBY10 for 10% off of your order as well!
Do Something You Enjoy
This may sound like a contradiction to my tip above but they go hand in hand with each other. Trying new things is important for growth + experiences. But on the other hand, if you know you enjoy something, make sure to include it in your routine somehow. If you know for a fact you hate going to the local gym, find an at home workout or do a quick Google search for a small gym or studio near you that isn’t as intimidating.
If you love to cook, incorporate it into your weekly (or daily!) routine. Make time for the things you know light you up! + do not, I repeat do not force yourself to do something because everyone else is doing it. Do you hate avocado toast? Then don’t eat it just because every influencer posts a picture of it in their morning routine. Nothing against avocado toast because I personally love it, but if you can’t stand it, don’t eat it. Find an alternative that you like + stick to it! The only way you can truly maintain a habit is by enjoying the process of it.
What did you think of the above tips? If any of them resonate with you, leave a comment below! I’d love to know where you are at in your health + wellness journey! Or let me know what your health goals are!
Leave a Comment