The beginning of the new year is always a time when people are refreshing their goals and focusing on fitness and nutrition. I’ve seen it, again and again, working in the fitness industry for nearly 15 years. I say if you’ve got some new year momentum—run with it.
However, I’ve also seen in my time that people have difficulty keeping promises to themselves. If you’ve got a New Year’s Resolution to work out five days a week and eat clean, that commitment only takes you so far. Maybe within a few weeks, you’re hitting snooze on your alarm instead of getting up early to exercise.
I totally get it, I’ve been there! But that’s why I’ve found there is something missing from most fitness and nutrition programs, and many New Year’s Resolutions—it’s the mindset. I’m so convinced that mindset is key, that I recently wrote an ebook called “Unf**k Your Fitness Mindset.”
In the book, and in all of my programs, I explain the four pillars of a transformation that will last. I know that if you incorporate these four pillars in your fitness and nutrition goals for the new year, you’ll have success.
Accountability
Keeping yourself accountable to a friend or coach will help you gain and maintain momentum. What I ultimately want for everyone to learn though, is the value of being accountable to yourself—keeping those promises about early morning workouts as consistently as if you’d made a promise to meet up with a friend. When you begin valuing the commitments you make yourself, that’s a game-changer!
Fitness
I am a huge fan of all movement! Whatever lights up your soul, that’s the movement you should do. Whether that’s group fitness, lifting weights, running, biking, dance, martial arts, yoga—you do you! I will add that if weight loss is your goal, it’s essential to have a balance of both cardio and strength training. When you’re doing cardio, you only burn calories during that activity. When you do strength training, you increase your metabolism and continue to burn calories long after the workout. Don’t miss strength training as you tackle your fitness goals!
Nutrition
Nutrition can be a tricky thing for many people, and a lot of us have baggage from years of yo-yo dieting and diet trends. What I recommend to anyone trying to lose weight is to begin tracking the macronutrients found in their food—fat, carbohydrates, and protein.
Tracking macros is superior to counting calories because a piece of pizza is going to work with your body differently than steak, a baked potato, or a salad with the same calorie count.
You can calculate the ideal macros for your body and goals for free online by simply searching for “macros calculators.” Of course, I get a lot more nuanced with my coaching clients, but it’s no secret formula. You can figure it out and track your macros on free apps like My Fitness Pal. “Unf**k Your Fitness Mindset” has a whole section called Macros 101 if you want to dive deeper.
Neuroplasticity
Mindset is the main thing most people miss when they’re tackling a goal to get healthy. We all have unhealthy mindsets developed through growing up, past trauma, relationships, the media, and our life experiences. Neuroplasticity is the idea that we can develop new and healthier pathways in our brains, kicking bad mindsets to the curb. You can read more about it in my book if you’re curious. You do have the ability to be your highest self. The work of changing your mindset is the most important element of a transformation that lasts, and I’m living proof of it!
So, as you plan to tackle your fitness goals for the new year, don’t neglect the impact of your mindset. And if you’re curious to learn more about neuroplasticity and changing your mindset, check out my ebook, “Unf**k Your Fitness Mindset.”