The new year is a great time to make healthy, lasting changes in your life. But way too many of us try and change a load of things at once, which makes it almost impossible to actually stick to your resolutions. And, if you fail at one thing, it’s easy to throw all your efforts out the window and revert to your old ways.
Luckily, you don’t have to! We’ve put together a handy weight loss action plan to help see you through the new year.
1. Eliminate soda (and other empty calories!)
Getting rid of the empty calories in your diet is a great first step towards a healthy lifestyle, and it requires minimal effort. Start by ditching the drinks with unhealthy additives, such as sweetened soda. Apart from sneaking calories into your diet, these drinks can cause a number of health problems, including obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
There are a lot of healthy drink options aside from water. Tea, coffee, smoothies, low-calorie soft drinks and sparkling water are all great choices with no harmful additives, and they’ll make it easier to wean yourself off soda!
2. Get enough sleep
Don’t focus all of your resolutions on what you do while you’re awake. Sleep has a lot to do with weight loss, because the amount you get impacts your hormone regulation. If you don’t get enough sleep, it can lead to decreased levels of leptin (the hormone that controls hunger) and increased levels of ghrelin (the one that promotes hunger). Plus, if you’re feeling sleepy, you won’t want to work out!
Make sure you’re getting a solid seven or eight hours. If you struggle to drift off, try leaving your phone on the other side of the room or reading a book for half an hour before bed.
3. Eat more nutrients
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you first start eating healthier. But there are some super-simple swaps you can make just by focusing on different nutrients, instead of thinking about the food itself.
For example, if you’re new to healthy eating, you probably need more fiber in your diet! You can up your fibre intake by adding another serving of vegetables to your day, or by snacking on some nuts and seeds. If you want to swap out saturated fat for some heart-healthy fats, try eating more avocados, salmon and nuts. Cooking with coconut oil is an easy way to include some healthier fat in your diet.
Focusing on getting more healthy nutrients into your existing diet makes eating better a lot less overwhelming, you can start including more and more as you get the hang of it.
4. Take the path less traveled
Maybe you don’t have time to go to the gym everyday. Maybe you don’t want to, even if you did have the time. So what should you do?
The solution is simple: take the path less traveled.
Instead of taking the elevator or escalator, take the stairs. Instead of sitting on the couch all night, take an evening walk or go to the park and play with your kids. You don’t have to commit to the gym if that doesn’t work for you. Take small steps to get more active, and it’ll soon pay off.
5. Don’t go on a crash diet! Make healthier choices instead
New year’s diets typically fail for one main reason: they’re basically just fad diets. People that use the new year as a reason to lose weight are also those more likely try a quick fix, but crash diets are extremely hard to maintain.
Read Also: What is 16/8 Intermittent Fasting?
As we’re always saying at PhenQ, no fad diets are effective. Instead, focus on making simple, healthier choices in your everyday life. Opt for a side salad instead of fries. Swap red meat for chicken breast or fish. Eat indulgent treats in moderation. These kinds of changes will help you not only lose weight, but also keep it off.
6. Eat more whole foods
Eating fewer processed foods is another great choice when you’re trying to lose weight. Find recipes that use healthy, whole foods and avoid the middle aisles of your local grocery store. This simple step will help boost your nutrient intake, and you’ll ditch all those hidden calories in ready meals and processed foods.
An easy rule to remember is the fewer ingredients something has, the better it probably is for you. There are a lot of healthy snacks out there that boast about only having three or four ingredients. Seek them out – they’re the ones you want!
7. Create a Plan
If you want to succeed, you need a plan. You can’t simply wake up on New Year’s Day and decide that you want to get healthy. Try creating a grocery list and a schedule for the gym (or other physical activity you’re planning).
Staying organised is critical when you’re after long-term success. Start small: make a plan for the next two weeks to get you started, and repeat if necessary. Nothing needs to be super-detailed, but this will help keep you on the right track.
8. Keep it simple
Simplicity is key when it comes to successful new year’s resolutions. By creating a simple workout and meal plan, there’s no excuse for not sticking to it!
Be realistic about your lifestyle, schedule and where you’re starting from, and avoid being too ambitious. So, if you currently do no exercise, try to work out once a week. If you eat takeout and pizza most nights, try reducing this to weekends or special occasions. By starting small, you’re bound to be more successful.
Read also: 8 Health Apps You Need To Download ASAP
THIS is your time to shine
It’s easy to start the new year feeling defeated before you even get started on your goals. After all, how many resolutions have you stuck to before? (Be honest!)
Try to stay positive: together, we can make 2019 your time to shine. All you need to do is follow our weight loss action plan, and combine them with a natural weight-loss supplement like PhenQ. By suppressing your appetite, boosting your energy levels and helping you to burn more fat, PhenQ will make sticking to those new year’s resolutions that bit easier.
Make this year your year.
