What are your top tips for successful change?

If you are feeling a bit low after the post-Christmas splurge, you certainly won’t be alone! Many of us gain weight over Christmas and by January we are feeling the consequences.  Loss of energy, tight fitting clothes, and a few more aches and pains can all be a sign that you have over indulged at Christmas.

For many of us The New Year is often when we think about making positive changes in our lives.  How we go about making these changes can make a huge difference to the likelihood of being successful. Celebrity diets, ‘quick fix’ weight loss solutions or unrealistic goals usually all end in failure and can end up doing us more harm than good!  We are often in a rush for immediate results and get disillusioned when they don’t happen quickly enough. On top of this life can have a nasty habit of tripping us up every step of the way!

If this pattern sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone! Don’t be hard on yourself. Assess where you are NOW, in terms of your motivation and confidence to change and use this time to stop the same thing happening again.

Why not try these simple steps today and see how you get on.

 Set yourself a simple & achievable goal e.g.

Eat at least three pieces of fruit everyday

·  Half of my plate will be veg or salad at my main meal of the day.

Eat more slowly and make meals last at least 15-20 minutes

Serve food on smaller plates

Chart Your Progress

Keep an eye on how you are getting on e.g. you could make a chart and place it somewhere visible to you e.g. on the fridge / inside a cupboard. Tick each day that you manage to achieve your goal.

Get Yourself Support

To help you stick to your goal you will need support and encouragement along the way. Have a think about where you will get your support from e.g. a partner, friend, family member, work colleague, group or even an online forum. Having someone to say “How’s it going?” on a regular basis can make all the difference to your confidence and chances of success in your chosen goal.

Look after YOU

When you feel good about yourself, you’re more likely to think and act more positively. It could also help you to stick to your goals. Why not think of some things that make YOU feel good then try to build them into your life: daily, weekly, monthly…

Read a good book

Go to the cinema or theatre

Meet a good friend for lunch

Walk the dog

Garden

Join a Dance class

Relax in a luxurious bubble bath by candle light

Listen to music

Take part in your favourite sport

Have  friends round for supper

Clothes shop

Go for a sauna or beauty treatment

Just by following these simple steps you are increasing your chances of success, which ultimately is going to make you fitter and healthier for the long term.