Like many people, I tend to relax my diet around the holidays and before I knew it, I’ve gained a good 10-15 pounds back. A few weeks ago, I made the decision to climb back on the wagon that I fell off and re-commit myself to strict diet and exercise routine. It’s always hard to start up again after sliding for so long, but it’s necessary and critical to ensure you we don’t end up right back where we started. So, if you are like me, and have sidestepped your diet for a few months, here are a few helpful tips on getting back on the wagon to weight loss success:
1) Start working out immediately and doing it everyday. Even if it’s just taking a long walk everyday, it’s better than not doing anything at all. Even if your end goal is to work out 3-4 times a week, working everyday to begin with will kickstart your body to adjust to working out again. After a few weeks of doing it everyday, you can adjust to 3-4 times a week again.
2) Eat a salad for dinner every night. Try doing this for a week and I promise you it will make all the difference in the world. Part of the reason getting back into the diet groove is so hard is because past habits keep weighing us down. If you are able to make systematic and regular change to one part of your diet, it sets you up to making more changes later. It just takes a little bit of noticeable progress for you to realize that more changes can lead to better progress down the road. It’s hard to stop cold turkey on all of your bad eating habits, so it’s best to start with one. Try replacing your regular dinners with a big dinner salad and see how that goes for a week. You’ll be back in to form with your diet in no time!
3) The buddy system is your best friend. Accountability is most important from the very beginning when getting back into the groove. It’s so easy to go one or two days with a strong push, but then slip back into old habits. Having a friend to hold you accountable, whether through working out together or watching your diets together, is a powerful motivator to stay on track. Ask a friend, family member or colleague to join you for work outs, lunches or walks for the first few weeks. Also, it’s always more fun to diet and exercise with others than going it alone.
It’s Spring which means Summer is just around the corner. Now is the time to get into shape so that you can be in top form for the Summer months and beyond. Commit to getting back on the wagon today!
