Did you know that Blue Monday, the third Monday in January, is considered the most depressing day of the year? It’s considered the gloomiest day of the year for a number of reasons including debt, the cold weather, the festive season is long gone and many of us have usually given up on our New Year’s resolutions.
January 1st had you full of drive and determination for the year ahead, you had goals of losing weight, getting fitter, feeling healthier and now… things just feel challenging and gloomy.
If you’ve got the January blues or you gave up on your New Year resolutions before they really got going, then we’re here with some tips to banish that Blue Monday gloom and to restart your resolutions.
Banish the blues and get your weight loss goals back on track
Get your weight loss goals back on track and smash 2022 with our top tips!
Make sure you’re prepared for motivation loss
Generally, there are two reasons that we fall off the weight loss wagon. One is called an acute relapse, this is when you’re fine until you’re just not. This can happen when your diet is too strict, or you’ve got unrealistic plans for working out and you’re focusing on what you can’t eat, or how much time you have to work out. Rather than what you can eat and a schedule for exercise.
The second is chronic relapse. And this is where your discipline gradually leaves. You start snacking, you make promises that you’ll hit the gym tomorrow (and then don’t), and maybe you don’t even look at your weight loss plan anymore.
Both of these are indicators that you’ve lost your motivation and it’s time to get it back!
Don’t trip over a momentary blip
It’s easy to have a little blip in your goals and lose your motivation and momentum. But you’ve already shown that you can control what you eat and schedule in exercise. So, just brush yourself off and pick up where you were. Stop punishing yourself for those moments of weakness.
Remind yourself of your reasons for wanting to lose weight. How did you feel then? What spurred you on to make a change? What are you hoping to achieve? Get those feelings back and you’ll find your motivation returns in no time!
Now you’re aware of how your motivation can wobble, you can keep those blips at bay. So, if you have a sweet tooth, find a tasty fruit alternative for those cravings.
Instead of focusing on what you can’t eat, shift your focus to what you can eat, and you’ll see there’s still so much potential for variety.
Create a food diary
Creating a food diary to track what you’re eating and when, is a great way to boost your weight loss goals. A lot of people start a diet without writing down what they’re eating but a food diary can help you to see where you may have slipped up, and allows you to avoid making that mistake again!
For example, you might find that you’re great at breakfast and dinner, but lunchtime is a real struggle for you. Or that you’re not feeling full or satisfied so you’re seeking out snacks. When you know exactly what you’re eating and you have a record of it, you can fix the bit that’s going wrong and start again.
Also Read: How to get your workout motivation back
You don’t necessarily have to keep a food diary with pen and paper, there are lots of apps that can make keeping a food diary easy. For many of us, simply seeing our diet written down helps us to see where we’re going wrong or helps us to mix up our diet because we can see we’re eating a lot of the same thing and getting bored.
Meal plan, meal prep
By prepping your meals in advance and batch cooking, it not only helps you to save time, but it can help you to stick to your weight loss goals too.
When your meals are there and ready to go, you’ll be less tempted to snack, binge or reach for the takeout menu. So, whether you’ve had a few days off your diet or found yourself overeating, get planning this week’s meals and you’ll find yourself back on track.
Plus, meal planning makes grocery shopping so much easier. You know exactly what you’re eating so you don’t need to deviate from the list or get distracted by the chip aisle. And when you know exactly what you’re eating, you can find the perfect rewards for your hard work too!
Plan a normal eating routine
We all know that what we eat is important, but when you eat is just as crucial to your weight loss goals. If you start skipping meals, then you’ll quickly find yourself snacking.
Also Read: Does a vegan diet boost weight loss?
Instead, planning your meals and tracking what you’re eating makes it so much easier to stick to three balanced, healthy meals. Breakfast sets you up for the day, so don’t be tempted to skip it for a cup of coffee instead.
Eat meals that are rich in protein to make you feel full and energised. Make sure you’re getting enough fibre, veg and good fats into your meals too.
Make space to treat yourself
It sounds counterintuitive, especially when you’re trying to get back on track after falling off your goals, but a reward here and there is important for your motivation and to help you keep going.
When we’re feeling low or a bit gloomy, or even happy, food plays a big role in our feelings. So, we treat ourselves and then feel guilty. But if you make space for treats or rewards, that can help you to feel motivated.
We don’t recommend scoffing a basket of muffins to treat yourself, but a little treat here and there, such as a new book, some new workout clothes, a new set of weights can help you to feel motivated and on track.
Set achievable goals
So many of us fall into the trap of making huge goals that make our weight loss plan difficult to keep to. Then, when we struggle or have a blip in motivation, we beat ourselves up.
So, any goals you make need to be realistic. This could be your target weight, cutting out junk food overnight or suddenly running 5km every day. Don’t be too hard on yourself, set realistic goals and enjoy the journey.
Achieving your healthy living and weight loss goals is a journey. Enjoy the process by creating milestones with smaller, more realistic goals for your journey. You’ll soon find yourself picking up momentum and ready to smash your weight loss goals in no time!
Ready to start losing weight?
We hope these top tips have you feeling pumped, ready to banish the January blues and smash your weight loss goals! But if you need a helping hand, that’s ok too. Because that’s exactly why we created PhenGold!
It has a multi-action formula that works to boost your body’s natural fat-burning ability whilst helping you curb your cravings and enhance your energy and metabolism.
