And here we go. I get it, it’s not necessarily the prior year that motivates people to lose weight as a resolution.
It’s all of the holiday junk food that was consumed right before the new year!
And this is the year you’re going to finally make those changes. But darn it if it’s not overwhelming with all of the good and bad information on the internet.
Who do you follow, who’s right and who’s wrong, who’s providing the best information for you??? You bet that’s overwhelming!
Well, let’s simplify things and boil this down to some realistic goals that will have a real impact on your life.
Instead of generalizing your goal/goals, let’s focus on specific changes that will lead to a generalized success.
I’ll list in order what will have the largest impact on your health and well being below.
Let’s see if you can apply some or all of the suggestions. They are the changes that will make the biggest difference!
- Cut way back on your sugar intake.
- Stop snacking before bed.
- Go to bed earlier, so that you get 8 hours of sleep.
- If you’re not doing it, add strength training to your exercise regimen.
- Add one or two days of just walking at a brisk pace outside.
What are the benefits of each?
1. Cutting back on your sugar
Sugar sets the “hormonal stage” for weight gain and poor health. You can read more about it in my article: Why Sugar is So Bad For You.
2. Not snacking before bed
This prevents the potential of elevating insulin levels while your sleeping. When insulin levels are elevated, we minimize the amount of fat used during sleep. And in a fasted state, we burn the most fat during sleep. You can read more about it in my article: How to Lose Fat: When Does Your Body Burn the Most Fat?
3. Going to bed early enough to get 8 hours of sleep
This will keep all of your hormones in check. Yes, sleep has an influence on how well our hormones work. It’s also a lot easier to maintain a solid will power when you’re firing on all cylinders.
4. Strength training
This will add metabolically active (calorie burning) tissue to your frame. This helps with hormonal regulation as well as a lot of other healthy positives. Does it elevate your metabolism a lot? Not as much as once thought, but it does produce a better outcome and more efficient usage of our hormones.
5. Briskly walking outside
This is a great way to promote cardiovascular health, get fresh air and clear one’s mind. Also, the long slow duration is a great way to tap into our fat reserves if we’re in a fasted state.
Do you really want it?
No goal will come to fruition if you don’t really want it. If you’re not in that frame of mind, excuses take over. I don’t need to tell you this. You already know.
Either seriously want it or go after something else that’s more achievable. Period.
Conclusion for 2020
If it came down to only being able to accomplish one of the goals for the new year, cut your sugars. It will have the most impact.
Let’s commit to starting this year off right. Once you begin the path of better health, it’s easier to maintain.
You can do this!
Unsure what changes on your current dietary regimen will have the biggest impact?
For a limited time, I’m offering a review of your 24-hour recall with suggestions and a custom meal plan.
