2023 is coming, and it’s a BIG deal. Why? Because it’s the first year where we actually have total freedom. COVID isn’t a thing anymore (well it is but when we have it, most of us won’t realise or test for it!)
It’s a year where people will make new, New years Resolutions (again) in the hope of transforming their lives. – I want to help you make them stick for life though, not just for January. If that sounds like a good deal then keep reading…
Its almost like 2022 was a test year. We had to tread carefully, get ourselves back out there and try to understand the “new normal.” – Not heard that phrase for a while, have you?
Can I also just say that I went on my first Teams call in about 13 months last week and nothing has changed has it?! – People still can’t figure out their microphones or take themselves off mute!
Anyway…
2022 brought a new level of social anxiety, we didn’t know how to behave, we kept our distance and we had to evolve and come out of our shell again.
One thing we can be sure of though, although we hoped it would, nothing has become easier. We came out of lockdown with hope, only to be met by sensationalist reporting as the media needed something new to capture our attention. Every morning there seems to be a new headline that tries to set a miserable tone for the day. Consume it, live by it and I have no doubt that you project it onto the world. All of that negativity and sadness.
Not a great start then… BUT
We need something that enables us to rise above this, because lets face it, its here to stay, isn’t it? – But just like the media need to make their money by commanding attention, you need to live your best ever life and get the most out of every single day.
Don’t you?
DON’T YOU?!
Yes.
That’s not all. Because let’s face it you could just turn the news off and have a break from Facebook, not that simple though, is it?
You probably started 2022 with high hopes, just like you will start 2023, but did those hopes fade? – Or did you do what you set out to do?
The stats are against us, they say that most of us will fail…
So how do we break through the thick, viscous layer of negativity, rise to the top breath huge chunks of fresh air and win at life? AND what does that have to do with you dropping a clothes size and feeling amazing? – You’ll see.
We need a game plan. A game plan that’s going to change our lives for the better. Here it is in FIVE simple steps.
- Have A Game Plan
How many times have you set out to achieve a weight loss goal? Did you know that 12% of all gym sign ups happen in January? BUT only a fraction of those sign ups are still there by February. A HUGE part of that is the fact that people sign up to a gym and think that will solve all of their problems.
In reality, well, you get it. That’s not the case. People have no plan, and no idea what they are doing.
The bad habits and routines that have taken years to form will not go away after a few workouts. In fact, you’re more likely to revert back to them. The reason for that is because it’s easy.
Its easy to do what you’ve always done, easy to get what you’ve always had and be who you’ve always been. It’s easy to stay in your comfort zone.
What’s not easy is trying to diet and exercise after years or inaction. Your body and mind are not simply not used to it and want to revert back to the path of least resistance.
Another reason that so many people drop off by the end of January is due to the fact that people starve themselves and try to break themselves from the get go. In doing this, they put a lot of stress on their body & mind. – This is NOT a good plan.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
Plan the following in advance, either the week before or the night before.
Meals.
Routine.
Non-negotiables, the things you are going to do for YOU without question or interruption.
To be at your best for the ones you love, your career, your family and friends, you have to be at your best for you. When you go on a plane, in the event of an emergency they tell you to put on your own oxygen mask first. So don’t overlook the time you plan in for yourself.
Adapt your habits. – What can you do to make things easier for you without trying something completely new that’s alien? It’s easier to adapt and change an old habit than it is to create a brand new one. Somebody told me that they hate planning ahead, but they keep a daily diary. My response was, simply use the time you spend diarising to plan the next day.
- Make It So You LOVE Your “Diet” and Reach Your Goals
Did you know that if you love it, it never feels like a diet?
People become dependant on personal trainers because they got amazing results when they were with them. Key point being, “when they were with them.”
You see, they got brilliant results because they were starved and absolutely beasted.
But they only had those results when they were with said personal trainer…
In my opinion, this is a BIG problem in the fitness industry. PT’s should be giving their clients the knowledge to make sustainable changes for life, NOT a chicken and asparagus diet that they eventually come to resent.
Dieting should be progressive, which means that you should start by eating as much as you can whilst still getting results, then when your body adapts and you stop losing weight, you can take some calories away to keep progressing.
If you starve yourself on 1000 calories, where do you go from there?! – Simply you don’t.
Ladies, here’s a tip, I have NEVER had to put a lady on less than 1500 calories. There is simply just no need.
Also, don’t bother cutting out fats or carbs. If you do that, then fine. But know that one day, a big old garlic bread with cheese is going to come knocking, and you are going to answer.
Simply, dieting is a minefield! Buts its not rocket science. The reason why it seems so complicated on the outside is because there are so many fads out there. Ultimately, what every diet does is put you in a calorie deficit.
Calorie deficit – Burn more calories that you take in (eat.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
Don’t be too drastic, don’t start a fad diet, and don’t starve yourself. Focus on shrinking down your whole portion size instead. In doing this, you should still be able to eat the foods you love, you just need to have less of it. Having less is better than cutting it out completely, right?
In my personal opinion, the BEST diet is one that puts you in a calorie deficit, yet you can see yourself on it a year from now. – We are all human at the end of the day. Some of us drink, we have a sweet tooth, and we have social lives where we go for meals…
If you’re not an AK member, you’re going to need to know what your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is. There are loads of online calculators you can use. Find this number, subtract 200 from it, and that’s your calorie goal per day if your plan is weight loss. Use this as your baseline for a week. If its successful, carry on. If you don’t lose weight, subtract another 100 and go again, and so on.
- Challenge Yourself
The BEST way to stay focused is to challenge yourself. Challenge yourself to reach a certain goal, be it physical, mental. Whether it be a number on the scales in a certain amount of time, whether it be an actual event. Maybe its just to do the things that make you happy consistently, instead of getting caught up with everything else going on in the world.
I read something recently that really struck a chord with me. I could relate to it because I too had lost focus after my bodybuilding days. I was completely over it, I found the training boring and monotonous. I had achieved what I came for and fallen out of love with it.
Has that ever happened to you? – How often have you started something new, absolutely BUZZING – but that buzz wears off for a bit?
What I read was, “Man needs something to hunt.” – Now of course I don’t just mean men in this, and in fact, this blog is largely aimed at ladies! But its true. Humans need something to hunt, something to go after, something to keep us focused, something to keep pushing that bar forwards to stop us getting complacent.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Every time you win, you need to set another goal or challenge, because if we don’t move forwards, we go stagnant. Celebrate your wins, but use them to propel you forwards to the next one.
- Control What YOU Can Control
The world is absolutely FULL of distractions, events and disasters that are literally there to grab our attention and keep us captivated. Before we know it we’ve emotionally attached ourselves to a cat in Brazil that can walk on two legs whilst holding a bottle and wearing a nappy. – It’s ridiculous!!
But heres the thing. We cant control whats out there, whats happening or what other people are doing.
But you can do this…
You can control your emotions. You can control how you react to such things.
As I mentioned at the start of my blog about sensationalist headlines, they are there from the moment we look at our phone or switch on the TV…
YES a natural disaster is truly awful and catastrophic.
NO its not nice to see headlines about the cost of living crisis.
We are human, we have emotions and we are compassionate. BUT we are letting these things consume us, affect our mood and affect our lives from the moment we see them.
I really do believe that’s why most of the people you speak to are negative. They just talk about the weather or the latest news headline, because that’s all they see!
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
You can control what you are in control of, and nothing else. Understand that if you cannot control it, you have to just roll with it. Here are some examples:
Out of your control:
You’ve been dieting for a week and have a family birthday meal.
In your control:
Reduce your calories through the day up to the meal and try and move as much as you can.
Out of your control:
Massive read headline on Good Morning Britain
In your control:
Turning it off, not reacting to it and not putting that in your head first thing in a morning.
Out of your control:
You’ve planned your day out perfectly but now the kids are off school ill
- Stick To It (Obvious right?)
Consistency is key. The world has grown impatient, everyone wants everything NOW. But let me tell you, the bad habits that you’ve spent years drumming in, won’t go away overnight. – I’m sure I already said that, must be habit!
People will start to feel like their same old selves VERY quickly after the New Year buzz wears off. The festive period has gone, payday is a million years away, the weather is AWFUL and we have nothing to look forward to until summer. With this goes their consistency, drive, motivation and resolutions.
I see this all the time, and I also see a sort of acceptance from society, like its OK to fail at what you want to achieve each year, like it’s the norm. I used to work in an office and people used to joke about it sarcastically, ” Yeah I had enough of the diet.” or “Dry January? Stopping is for quitters and im no quitter.”
Really?
Why is that acceptable? Why is it OK to revert back to the same old same old. Why do you not want to grow? To break the mould, to GET OUT of your comfort zone and experience a new life?
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
STICK. TO. IT.
When I was bodybuilding (learning exactly how NOT to diet so I could transform the lives of thousands,) I thought about WHY I was doing it every single time things got tough.
I thought about the things that people used to say about me, that I was too skinny, that there was more meat on a sparrows kneecap.
I thought about every time I was laughed at for going to the gym. I thought about every time I was stared at, made fun of, even just ignored. THIS was the fuel for my fire to succeed. You why MUST be stronger than your reason to stop. My why was to prove people wrong.
What is your why? – Is it to have enough energy to run around with your kids? Are you getting married this year? Is there a bit even on that you want to attend? Do you want to look good on the beach this summer?
Make it strong, make it meaningful and make it move you.
Understand that it might not look like progress every week. The scales might not always move and there are a million reasons why that could be the case if you’ve still stuck to everything you were supposed to. – Change, progression is still happening.
Have a goal. What are we trying to achieve in the first place? Make it specific, so its measurable and you have something to aim for.
Remember this…
You might fall short of your goal. But you will NEVER reach it if you don’t have one in the first place.
So what is your goal? – Inbox me. I would genuinely love to know.
So there you have it. FIVE points to get the BEST out of your year ahead. If you need any more help, you know where I am.
I wish you the best for this year and beyond.
Adam
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