Change your mindset this January
We have all been there: eaten too much, drank too much and done practically no exercise over Christmas. And this past year especially with all that’s going on in the world, perhaps we felt that we needed it more than ever! Now what? What’s the plan? Let’s do something that gives you a real chance for sustained improvement with your health in 2023.
This time of year you will see numerous articles in the media and on social media about “detoxing your body” and how to “cleanse” your system to repair the damage of the Christmas madness. “Detox” and “juice diets” appear to be more and more common with the list of suggested benefits almost limitless. Sadly however, the health benefits of “doing a detox” are greatly exaggerated and not supported by current science. Particularly in the context of fat loss. For example, the rapid weight loss often reported as one of the main benefits occurs largely from a loss of water weight and carbohydrate stores, but importantly, almost no body fat is lost in a short period of time.
Even when people know this they still often go ahead and do it anyway to get a ‘quick reset’ or ‘fast start’! I personally do understand the need to feel like you are making progress but time and time again I see people trying to take shortcuts with their health and it ending with disappointment.
What I am asking you to do is think much bigger than just weight. This January can be your best January, why? If you think of practical things you can commit to, be consistent at and still be doing in next December and beyond that is something you can call a success. Taking on 10 things for the next 3 weeks and soon realizing it’s not sustainable will have you back where you started and maybe even more disillusioned than ever.
Instead of a single focus like fat loss consider these things:
- Your kitchen setup
- Your food prep system
- A list of healthy recipes
- Building a positive mindset
What’s your system?
A tidy kitchen that has all the tools, ingredients and things you need to create nourishing meals is vital for efficiency and building a positive mindset towards good food habits. Trust me, I know how frustrating it is to have pans that burn food easily, blunt knives and no order for where things should be. It creates stress and frustration and you just won’t enjoy the process of cooking. Coupling that with not having any plan for the way you approach your nutrition is a ‘recipe’ for disaster.
Having a better understanding of the times in the week you need to be planned for, the specific meals you are making and knowing what ingredients you are going to use is vital to having a successful ‘system’, ask yourself:
- What are the meals you are going to eat this week?
- Do you have the key ingredients you need to make those meals?
- Have you planned your exercise sessions and the meals you are going to eat before and after that session?
At the end of the week reflect on if you actually executed those tasks and how did it feel to have executed that plan? We often neglect to really assess how a plan feels to have been implemented well.
How does it feel?
You did a good job, how does it feel to eat well? What are my energy levels like? What would I do differently? You will be amazed that if you take this approach you will add layer by layer of your own learning and build new much more consistent behaviours.
Improved mindset
Here are 5 key things I want you to think about this January, consider these things and I can assure you that taking this mindset can have an immeasurable impact on your ability to be consistent with your nutrition, health and lifestyle.
- Think about food and nutrition in a positive way. Allow your thoughts about food and how food makes you feel to grow and evolve as you continue to learn about food and what works best for you.
- Knowledge does not necessarily translate into best practice. Healthy eating is a habit. You have to put conscious effort into creating habits and routines in your daily life if you want to see consistent positive daily outcomes.
- Nutrition is one of many pieces of a jigsaw that fits together to make a healthy lifestyle. No component works in isolation.
- Building a positive relationship with food is an absolute necessity for long-term, sustainable healthy eating habits. A guilt-driven and negative relationship only creates a vicious cycle of negative emotions and a short-term focus on your goals.
- Create values for your home around food and cooking. If you live with a partner, family or friends, try to get them involved and to buy into these values. These can be based around:
- Cooking and sharing meals together
- Eating seasonal foods
- Supporting local producers
Taking a sustainable approach
Stay tuned for our next article on resetting this January, which will cover mindset, self talk and sustainable habits.
If you are looking to really get back on track then devise a clear plan based around your personal nutritional needs, you can book in for a consultation with one of our nutritionists or sign up to one of our online programs.
Email expertsupport@daveynutrition.com for more information.
