Hello! So I hope you all had a great Christmas and that you are looking forward to the New Year (I know I certainly am!).
This blog post is all about your 2016 New Year’s Resolutions.. or rather what they SHOULDN’T BE! Setting goals for the year ahead is a great way of visualising what you want to achieve but far too often we can set ourselves up for failure or just go about it in completely the wrong way.
In my latest video I’ve teamed up with the amazing Hannah from Wedges & Weights to talk you through our top 5 DIET MISTAKES TO AVOID IN 2016 – or you can scroll down to read them too.
And after you’ve finished watching this video don’t forget to head over to Hannah’s Channel to watch our 5 FITNESS MISTAKES TO AVOID IN 2016 too!
5 DIET RELATED MISTAKES TO AVOID IN 2016!
- 1) AVOID FAD DIETS – Fad diets are those ‘fashionable diets’ that promise dramatic weight loss and/or consist of strict dietary rules that are just not sustainable in the long-term. Examples include the cabbage soup diet (self explanatory) or diets that restrict whole food groups or too many calories (which could lead to nutrient deficiencies, headaches, low energy or even binge eating). There is A LOT of money to be made in the dieting industry and so a lot of money is pumped into the marketing.. if it seems too good to be true (raspberry ketones spring to mind there!) then it probably is. Listen to your brain and remember that weight loss takes time, effort and consistency, with a healthy and wholesome diet (coupled with exercise) being the only way to lose body fat and stay healthy. Check out my Beginners Guide on How to Lose Weight for more information!
- 2) DON’T IMPULSE BUY LOTS OF EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT – Good intentions may be high at the start of January but think twice before you splash your hard earned cash on expensive kitchen gadgets. To avoid ending up with a cupboard full of dust think about how often you would use the gadget and if the answer is ‘not very much’ then maybe leave it on the self! If you are looking to invest though for 2016 then I would personally recommend looking at a food processor (as shown in my ‘Healthy Kitchen Gadget Essentials’ blog post), a blender and/or a spiralizer (as featured in my Healthy Christmas Gift Guide)!
- 3) DON’T GO COLD TURKEY – When you cut out foods (that you love!) you can end up craving then even more. We must STOP defining foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ as it’s not one food in isolation that causes weight gain or us to be ‘unhealthy’ it’s the quantity and frequency that it is eaten in that counts. Take a step back and look at the whole of your diet, how often are you eating foods such as chocolate? If it’s not very often then there’s no reason to ‘ban’ it from your diet – especially if you enjoy it! Focus on eating more of the ‘good stuff’ such as fruit, veg, nuts, beans and lentils and then you’ll naturally eat less of the not so nutritious food. Remember The 80/20 Rule!!
- 4) DON’T LET A SLIP UP TURN INTO A LANDSLIDE – Having a slip up in your diet such as eating your body weight in chocolates (when you didn’t plan on it!) ISN’T the end of the world.. but it is your reaction that could be. If you see a slip-up as ‘oh the whole day or week is ruined so I may as well carry on eating more than I was planning on’ then you will only set your self back from achieving your weight/health goals. Ask yourself; if you dropped your phone would you say “oh I’ve dropped it now I may as well smash it up” or would you pick it up and be more careful next time? No body is perfect and it’s OK to have slip ups (it’s completely natural!). So next time you find yourself going a little crazy in the kitchen STOP what you are doing, REMOVE yourself from the situation, LEARN from it (why did you start overeating), PLAN what you’re going to do (e.g. give away those remaining chocolates to someone in need) and REMAIN POSITIVE. I talk through the concept of ‘slips’, ‘trips’ and ‘falls’ in the video which I hope you can relate to and remember, failure isn’t falling down, it’s failing to get back up.
- 5) DON’T MAKE UNHEALTHY HEALTHY CHOICES – Don’t let marketing ploys fool you; a healthy biscuit is still a biscuit and may actually contain as much as or even more calories and sugar than the standard (especially if you eat a few of them!). Always check out the ingredients list before you buy and remember that a salad may be healthy but if it’s loaded with creamy and sugary dressings then it could contain more calories than your friend’s burger (!). Focus on eating whole-foods, and if you do buy packaged food make sure to read the nutrition label first!
Do you know of any more classic mistakes that people make when it comes to their diet?! If so do let me know in the comments down below or under my video!
Have a healthy and happy 2016 everyone!
