Five hacks to fire up your mid-year resolutions and get your weight loss back on track
It’s no secret that 2020 has been a bit of a rollercoaster so far. The days of optimistically setting New Years’ Resolutions back in January seem years ago, after how quickly our world has changed.
It’s easy to stick to your weight loss practices when you have other routines in your life such as work and activities, but as the periods of lockdown and quarantine bore down on many of us, those routines are out the window.
Whether you put on an extra few kilos or the full “Quarantine Fifteen”, the sooner you restart your routines and get back on track, the easier it’ll be.
With gyms closed, endless movies available on Netflix, and a report from supermarkets that junk foods such as chocolate biscuits and potato chips surged in popularity during lockdown, you’re not alone if you let your good habits slide.
But while it’s comforting for a while, if you really want to make lasting change to your size and physical health, it’s time to jump back on that motivation bandwagon and get your weight loss back on track with some mid-year resolutions.
Here are our five hacks that will make it easy to fire up your weight loss routines and get back on track to looking and feeling great.
1. Revisit your Resolutions
Why wait for January when you could start a mid-year resolution right now? Revisit the goals you set for yourself at the start of the year, or the start of your weight loss journey and ask: “Are these still my goals today? Are the steps to reach these goals still achievable for me?”
Your living or working situation may have changed, or perhaps you’d rather find alternatives to going to group classes at the gym several times a week. Maybe you need to rethink what’s achievable or start with a closer, easier to reach goal until your drive kicks in.
It’s important to be adaptable, realistic, and kind to yourself when setting goals. If your progress was derailed by COVID, it may take some time to get back to where you were before. Be patient.
Remember to set goals that are SMART:
- Specific – exactly how much weight do you want to lose? What’s your goal weight?
- Measurable – how will you measure your progress?
- Attainable – is this realistic for you, in your situation?
- Relevant – how will this support your life and greater goals?
- Timely – what’s your timeframe for this goal?
Get in touch with Jenny Craig today for help setting your SMART goals for weight loss, and jump starting your motivation for the rest of 2020.
2. Start Slow
Long-term weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. We support people to make sustainable lifestyle changes through weight loss and healthy habits, practices in which slow and steady often wins the race.
Leaping into dietary changes, cutting portion sizes, and running 5K a day will burn you out and leave your body hungry, especially if it’s been more than a few weeks since your healthy habits disappeared.
Start slow, by reducing discretionary foods while introducing wholesome, nourishing ingredients into your daily diet. Slowly decrease your portion sizes day by day, to avoid binge eating out of hunger. Ease your body into exercising again with short bursts of activity rather than long runs and high-intensity workouts.
If you need help creating your healthy habits plan, contact our Consultants today.
3. Increase your activity
One of the main things our bodies miss when we’re working from home is all of the incidental activity we’d usually be doing in the office. Incidental activity is often forgotten about, as it’s all the minor or short bursts of movement that are simply part of “going about life”.
This includes:
- Walking to and from your car
- Walking up stairs
- Popping out for a coffee at lunch
- Walking to and from the printer/copier
- Standing up to work, for meetings, or to talk to a colleague
Although these seem hardly countable in the grand scheme of things, every bit of incidental activity that you participate in adds up throughout the day, helping your body to burn calories without even thinking about it.
If you’re returning to the office, you may be starting to do these activities again already. If you’re still working from home, consider adding some short walks around the house into your routine or standing up for phone and Zoom calls to gain the benefits of incidental activity.
4. Create an eating schedule
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from working at home it’s HIDE THE SNACKS. When you’re on your own schedule, it’s far too tempting and easy to simply wander over to the fridge each time you’re hungry or bored.
Through lockdown, you may have noticed your eating schedule shifting or even disappearing altogether. Not having a consistent eating schedule may make it harder for your body to lose weight.
Kickstart your healthy habits again by setting alarms or reminders in your calendar to stop for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and mid-morning and afternoon snacks in between. Stock up your pantry with healthy options and keep the salt- and sugar-filled snacks out of reach.
For inspiration, check out our healthy recipe ideas or talk to a Consultant to create your healthy meal plan to help you lose weight the easy way.
5. Get Support from Jenny Craig
If you’ve let your routines slip through lockdown, don’t beat yourself up about it. Our Jenny Craig consultations are a judgement-free zone where we’re focussed on helping you get the most out of your future, not telling you off for your past.
Our regular check-ins help to keep you motivated, and provide the guidance to keep you on track to achieving your 2020 weight loss goals.
Now is the time to kick start your routines, regain control of your habits, and finish 2020 strong.
