new year new you – Page 3 – Every Step Fitness

Consistency over Perfection…. 🙌🏼

This time of year in particular there’s often a really gung ho attitude to weight loss. It’s understandable – new year, new you and it’s natural to want to have a clean start. However it’s worth just taking a step back and considering your approach. On the left is the person who is all about perfection. January 1st hits and they are 100% on it – they start a new fitness plan/ diet and go all out. They drastically cut calories, cut out all what they consider ‘bad’ foods, don’t go out, exercise 7 days a week. They make quick progress to start with but they eventually either hit a wall and their energy and enthusiasm drops, or ‘life’ happens – a social event they can’t get out of, they get sick, a stressful event etc etc. They ‘fall off the wagon’ and overeat or miss a workout etc and that’s it – they can’t be perfect so what’s the point? Progress stalls and they give up.

On the right is the person who starts slow. They make some small sustainable changes – a reasonable calorie deficit they can stick to, they include all the foods they enjoy within that, they exercise 3 times a week because that’s what they can fit into their life, they socialise but limit damage when they do. They also have ‘bad’ days, and ‘life’ happens too but when they ‘fall off the wagon’ they get back on track the next day.

They don’t make progress as fast, but they’ve made sensible, sustainable choices they can stick to so over the longer term they actually make more progress – that lasts.

Being consistent trumps being perfect over time – because no one can maintain perfection every day, every week and every month. Being ‘good enough’ consistently is how true, long lasting sustainable progress happens. So resist the temptation and go for the slow burn!

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Practical New Year’s Resolutions…

January 4, 2023 Dr Nancy P

Practical New Year’s Resolutions… ⭐️

It’s January which means many of us are full of New Year’s resolutions and wanting to make a fresh start at health and fitness. Often these resolutions will be things like to “lose weight” or to “get fit” or perhaps “eat healthier’. Now whilst these are all great goals they’re quite hard to achieve without some practical steps. They’re outcomes of changes you need to make rather than actual resolutions per se.

So if you are making New Year’s resolutions about your health and fitness, then instead of making generalised statements try to focus instead on small actions you can take every day that will lead to those end goals.

So instead of resolving to lose weight, perhaps instead resolve to identify where the excess calories are in your diet. Are they coming from alcohol? Extra snacks? Take aways? Portion sizes? And then you can take steps to reduce them and therefore reduce your calorie intake (leading to fat and weight loss).

Instead of resolving to “get fit”, instead focus on upping your daily steps. Rather than choosing an arbitrary goal of 10,000 steps, instead commit to increasing your steps. If you’re already hitting 12,000 steps a day then aim for 14,000, if you’re getting 4,000 aim for 6,000 etc. Also consider adding some exercise 1-3 times a week. It doesn’t matter what that exercise is really just pick something you actually enjoy; dancing, running, weight lifting, swimming cycling etc.

Rather than resolving to “Eat healthier” commit to adding a portion of fruit or veg to every meal. Aside from the fact that it will increase your overall nutrition, it will increase fibre levels, and will probably help reduce overall calories as by filling some of your plate with fruit and veg you’re going to eat less of other, more calorie dense foods.

This approach is far better than making massive changes, subscribing to fad diets/detoxes/challenges etc which may well cause you to lose weight quickly but will also see you putting that weight back on once you’re back to eating normally again. Take small sustainable steps and you’ll find you’ll hit your goals and be able to maintain it within your lifestyle too! 🙂

Tuesday Tip

Tuesday Tip: Alternative Resolutions

January 3, 2023January 3, 2023 Dr Nancy P

Tuesday Tip: Alternative Resolutions 🎉

New Year, New start! it’s a cliche isn’t it?Having said that it IS a good opportunity to refocus and think about what you want to achieve over the next few months. I’ve posted this before but I think it’s worth a repost for 2023. Instead of the usual eat healthy/exercise more, here are my favourite resolutions that are doable and a bit more interesting:

#1 Switch your phone off

Put your phone away a bit more – whether for meals, after dinner, when out – whatever – you and your friends and family will enjoy more real face time than FaceTime.

#2 Read

Ditch the telly and read a book – an actual book – be it on paper or kindle. It could be a classic or something newer.

#3 Grow something to eat

Seeds cost pennies and you don’t need to be green fingered – get some vegetable or fruit seeds, pop them in a pot on your windowsill and grow something yummy.

#4 Cook a new recipe every week

Just one recipe, one meal a week – it doesn’t need to be complicated or lengthy – dust down your cook books, or get online for inspiration.

#5 Walk

Walk somewhere you would usually drive or take public transport to. Get off a stop early or park further away if you can’t replace the whole journey.

#6 Plant bulbs

Buy some bulbs (they’re cheap, and some newspapers give them away free at this time of year too!), dig them in (pot or garden), wait – and enjoy some spring/early summer colour!

#7 Say hello

A simple hello, a please, thank you, or even a smile at someone, in a shop, cafe, passing on the street – wherever – will brighten your day and theirs.

#8 Try something new every week

Anything new, doesn’t need to be big – a new food, a new activity, a new route to work, anything!

#9 Focus on others

Do something nice for someone every day/week – a simple compliment, helping a friend, or something bigger and potentially life changing like donating blood, sponsoring a child in need or volunteering.

#10 Celebrate you

Who says you need to change, anyway?! Perhaps you’re perfect the way you are: even with flaws. Maybe these are to be celebrated as unique aspects of you, so focus more on the things you like about yourself!

Happy New Year! Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Happy New Year!

December 28, 2022 Dr Nancy P

Happy New Year! 🥂🥳

A short and sweet one today for the upcoming New Year. I’m sure a few glasses of Champagne will be raised on Saturday night after the year we’ve all had! Enjoy! And at only 95 calories a glass it’s a bargain!

Happy New year 🥳🎉🌟xx

Xx

Nutrition and Calorie Tips

Practical New Year’s Resolutions…

January 12, 2022 Dr Nancy P

Practical New Year’s Resolutions… ⭐️

Although I suggested alternative resolutions last week I’m aware that for many their resolutions so involve making a fresh start at health and fitness. Often these resolutions will be things like to “lose weight” or to “get fit” or perhaps “eat healthier’. Now whilst these are all great goals they’re quite hard to achieve without some practical steps. They’re outcomes of changes you need to make rather than actual resolutions per se.

If you are making New Year’s resolutions about your health and fitness, then instead of making generalised statements try to focus instead on small actions you can take every day that will lead to those end goals.