Avoid my #NewYearNewMe mistakes

It’s January. Notoriously the worst month of the year, right? WRONG! I actually LOVE January. 

I love a fresh start, I love a new year, I love setting goals, but I’ve made years worth of “new year new me” promises that don’t even see February, so I thought I’d share my lessons with you for how to have a great January… that can last for a whole year.

Lesson 1: You don’t need to change

I’ve started many a new year thinking about all the things I need to do to change my whole life to become Robyn 2.0 but actually I’m Robyn 1.0 through and through and that’s just fine!

Nowadays, what I focus on at New Year is making improvements from where I am today. If I’m getting in 2 workouts a week, I’ll try to push that to 3, if December steps have been a little lower than usual I’ll add an extra 2,000 a day. Just adding in a little more helps get me feeling good again.

Lesson 2: Your diet doesn’t need a complete overhaul

After Christmas it’s so easy to feel a bit slow and sluggish, I know I’ve enjoyed myself and over-indulged but now it doesn’t FEEL good. And that’s what I’ll focus on, not the calories, just eating more of the foods that make me FEEL good and give me lots of energy. 

So, if your plates has been filled with more calorically dense, fattier foods and a few too many puddings (especially around Christmas) then focus on filling half your plate with fruit and veg, a quarter with some good quality protein and a quarter with carbs …and keep the chocolates for an after-dinner dessert rather than for breakfast (I’m looking at you… Terry’s chocolate orange for breakfast on Boxing Day!!). 

Please know you do not need to go vegan, paleo, vegetarian, keto, low fat, low carb, no sugar. 

You probably just need some more colourful fruit and veg and less wine and crisps.

Lesson 3: Creating a more active lifestyle is better than few hours of HIIT

You do not need to HIIT away your December over-indulgences. 

HIIT workouts can feel great, I have loads on my members site but you know what’s incredible for your health… moving more, building a more active lifestyle that you enjoy. 

That’s the key, movement you LIKE!

If you don’t like going to a spin class …don’t go!

If you detest running …don’t run. 

Maybe you love dancing (even just around the kitchen!) or you love getting outside for a weekend hike, or taking the kids on a bike ride, great, do more of this. 

I would love for you to focus on 8,000 steps a day, working towards a 70,000 step target across the week is a great achievement. 

Little and often is the goal; parking further away, walking to the local shop, taking a work call on your headphones and moving instead of sitting, create a life that makes it easy for you to keep moving. 

Our older body’s will thank us!

Lesson 4: Be kind to yourself, give yourself a break

Over restricting in January is the worst way to start the year, it’ll be miserable, and it will likely just cause you to rebound on 1st February! If I tell you not to think about pink elephants …it’s all you’re thinking about.

The same as, if you tell yourself you can’t have chocolate EVER AGAIN, all  you’re going to want is chocolate! 

And chocolate is DELICIOUS! 

Have some, every day if you want to, make room for it in your day, if you love a cup of team mid-afternoon with a few chunks of Cadbury’s have it, every single day, the main thing is to enjoy it, guilt free and then carry on with your day. If it brings you joy, keep it in your life.