Welcome to the first Monday of a brand new year! Personally I love the start of January (weird I know.) For me the start of a new year feels like you’ve been given a fresh slate, and (even with the current situation) I’m optimistic for the future. I realise I’m probably in the minority with this one, so if you’re still feeling like you’re in that post-Christmas slump, perhaps these following tips will help ease you out of it.
Get moving, whether it’s a walk or a workout. If you’re lacking motivation to exercise, try doing it first thing in the morning. Do it as soon as you wake up, before you can talk yourself out of it.
Lay out your workout clothes before you go to bed so that you don’t waste time searching for your gym leggings. Remove as many barriers to exercise as possible. If getting changed is stopping you working out, exercise in your pjs! (Full disclosure, I’ve been doing this a lot over the Xmas break!)
Eat a nutritious breakfast. If you’ve been indulging in pancakes loaded up with Nutella over the last couple of weeks swap to a low sugar, high protein & complex carb breakfast eg porridge with blueberries & Greek yogurt or poached eggs on toasted rye bread. This type of breakfast containing slow release energy will help you avoid that mid morning energy slump and will set you up for the day.
Cut back on the alcohol. This is one that will make a big difference. If you’ve been cracking open a bottle of sauvignon blanc at wine o’clock everyday during the holidays, try to eliminate or at least cut back. If you’ve been drinking every night, cut back to every other night. If you’ve been drinking four nights in a row, cut back to two. Alcohol is an empty calorie (void of nutrients so doesn’t benefit the body.) It’s also high in calories having more calories per gram than carbs and protein. It’s also an appetite stimulant.
If all this feels too much dont be too hard on yourself. We survived 2020 but we're still nowhere near out of this Covid nightmare. Just do the best you can do and focus on small daily wins. You can do this but do let me know if I can help.