New Goals

6 TIPS FOR SETTING REALISTIC GOALS IN THE NEW YEAR

Setting goals and forming sustainable habits 

When it comes to making promises for the New Year, we are all in the habit of letting ourselves down and breaking those resolutions just a few weeks into the year. So, how can you go about setting realistic goals and forming sustainable habits that will bring about real, lasting change in the new year? 

When it comes to developing new goals for the future, it helps to work toward them with a more gradual approach rather than expecting to change immediately. So, here are some tips on how to set attainable, realistic goals for the new year using strategies that really work. 

1. Write your goals down and review your progress 

Simply writing your goals down and sticking them up somewhere visible in your home is already a big step towards helping you view your New Year’s resolutions as more permanent objectives.

In the same way, journaling about your progress can help you keep your goals in mind and track your achievements so that you have something concrete to refer to during times that you find yourself straying from your resolution or losing sight of your goals. 

It’s important to regularly acknowledge the progress you’ve made and the small achievements you accomplish every week. Keeping a diary is also a great way to note any areas that you’re currently struggling or any habits that you’re having trouble with breaking.

2. Allow yourself some flexibility 

Setting goals is a great way to work towards achieving a set objective (such as losing weight, getting a promotion or improving at a sport) but, if you find a resolution too difficult to stick to, it’s always much better to re-evaluate and rework your long-term goals instead of completely dropping your New Year’s resolution when it starts to seem too challenging. The key is to focus on setting more fluid objectives rather than rigid, inflexible goals. 

When it comes to developing long-term, sustainable goals, don’t be afraid to adjust the goal to a lower intensity in the beginning and continue working towards the same end result over time.

3. Avoid quitting habits ‘cold-turkey’

Quitting habits ‘cold turkey’ will often result in a higher degree of failure, and the effect of this sudden change to your routine can actually be counteractive.

For example, declaring yourself completely junk-food free or totally plant-based in the new year is a great objective to work towards, but a very difficult change to make off-the-bat.

Instead of making your goal to eat less unhealthy food, why not focus on trying to eat more healthy food at the start. You may feel more deprived if you think of taking something away. But choosing to add good, balanced and hearty foods to your diet is a great way to slowly replace those unhealthy foods and work towards the same end goal. 

4. Set goals that are realistic and attainable

While it is always important to dream big, it’s essential that you consider whether the goal you’re setting is really applicable to you and your current lifestyle. Time restraints, lack of experience or financial restraints could be working against you, and you run the risk of losing motivation and setting yourself up to fail when you don’t take these considerations into account.

When setting goals, the most effective strategy is to plan your steps towards achieving these goals wisely and establishing a realistic time frame, process and action plan.

5. Be smart about how you achieve your goals

Sticking to a new workout routine or eating plan can be difficult, and when you are working towards a challenging goal, things are bound to get a little tough. Having someone at your side to motivate and encourage you along the way will help to make the process a little easier, and it’s the perfect way to keep one another accountable. Remember to seek advice from your partner and ask them about their own struggles or accomplishments that they have experienced along the way.

Try to design goals that can be accomplished with a partner. Surrounding yourself with constant encouragement from someone else who is following your progress and working towards the same end goal will get you one step closer to maintaining motivation and achieving your objectives. 

6. Reward yourself for small achievements

Remember that change doesn’t come overnight and rewarding yourself for achieving small milestones can be a great way to keep your motivation levels high and renew your inspiration as you continue to work towards real, permanent change in your life. 

This could be something as simple as taking yourself out to breakfast at the end of the week, setting aside time to read a book you enjoy for 30 minutes, making a delicious, gourmet dessert or even just enjoying an at-home spa day.

Giving yourself small rewards along the way will help you to better enjoy the journey towards building sustainable, long-lasting habits. The idea is not to punish yourself for failing to attain your goal but to reward yourself for the small steps and signs of progress you’re able to make.

New Goals

Reboot the New Year with WellBe 

Here at WellBe we want to give you the right tools to strengthen your mind and your body. That’s why we’ve developed our two new 12 week nutrition and training guides to help you live every day with a clear intention to get closer to achieving your goals and living a more happy, motivated life.

Our easy-to-implement, lifestyle-focussed nutrition, training and health solutions are fun, simple and the perfect way to improve your focus and renew your motivation for the year ahead with a variety of healthy, balanced meal plans and killer workout routines.

Want to learn more? Check out our Instagram page or contact one of our friendly WellBe team members for more information today.

Following a nutritious diet

BOUNCING BACK AFTER A BABY: GET BACK YOUR CONFIDENCE & A HEALTHY BODY

A number of new moms will start to wonder just how long it takes to lose their baby weight and bounce back to their pre-baby body. While many might wish you could magically lose the love handles and hips the moment your baby is born, the fact remains that no one, not even celebrities, can snap right back to their body before their baby so quickly. 

And give yourself some credit, you just carried a baby inside your womb for 9 months. Your body was bound to change as your baby developed and your hormones conjured up what seemed to be a hungry, tired and sore body (unless you’re one of those pregnancy unicorns who glows and walks around on clouds, then kudos to you). 

So, just how much weight do you lose the moment you give birth? 

This will depend on the size of your newborn, he or she should weigh between 3 to 5 kgs, then there is the weight of your placenta and amniotic fluids, which you deliver at birth. All in all, you can expect to instantly shed 5 to 6 kgs during delivery. Hooray! 

So, where is the rest of the weight sitting? In your blood supply, breast tissue, enlarged uterus and fat stores. In fact, when you give birth you should not expect the instant weight loss to automatically shrink your belly, this might take about 6 weeks until your uterus shrinks back to its original size. 

Losing the baby weight

There are a number of ways you can go about trying to lose your baby weight but remember to give yourself a break. You literally just birthed another human being. Things have moved around, grown and stretched out a bit. This means that the trick is not to focus on getting your pre-baby body back, but rather to create a happy, healthy and slightly-differently-shaped you! 

1. Setting reasonable weight loss goals

A good place to start is to chat with your doctor or a qualified dietician for them to help you set a reasonable and safe goal. Remember that everyone sheds weight at their own pace. There are also a number of factors that come into play when it comes to weight loss. One of these is your age. Your metabolism slows down as you get older – have a look at this blog on how to naturally boost your metabolism.

Another factor is your diet. If you adopt healthy eating habits (which will not only benefit you but your baby too if you are breastfeeding), then this will help immensely in your weight loss journey. While you’re here, have a look at these healthy and happy meals

And lastly, your activity levels and exercise routine also plays a role. 

2. Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a great way to burn calories while sitting down. In fact, some experts suggest that breastfeeding can burn up to 500 calories a day! It also stimulates the release of hormones that will aid in shrinking your uterus back to its pre-baby size. So, if you can, breastfeed your newborn. Some moms suggest breastfeeding for the first two years of your little one’s life. 

3. Following a nutritious diet

The first thing I need to warn you about is to never jump into a ‘get-thin-fast’ kind of diet. These kinds of ‘crash’ diets might have you shedding a few pounds in just a few weeks through excessive and restrictive dieting, but when you start eating normally again, you will only put the original weight you lost (and some) back on. 

Your body needs proper nutrition to recover from the delivery, fight off infection and aid in feeding your baby. Which is why you should not consider any forms of restrictive diets

You need to ensure you are getting enough calories to breastfeed your little one. There are a number of delicious, healthy and easy to follow diet plans out there, especially for new moms. The WellBe Team is happy to help if you want some expert advice on where to start and what kinds of foods you should be eating as well as what kind of exercises plan to follow. Having a wellness coach is one of the best things you can do for your body and your wellbeing. 

A good place to start is by cutting out on junk food, processed food and fast food and choosing whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean meats. But if you want a slice of cake, treat yourself. The key is moderation when it comes to implementing a healthy lifestyle. 

4. Following an exercise routine

You might feel exhausted, rundown and sleep-deprived, but keep in mind that exercise, even a brisk walk, will not only do wonders for your physical appearance, but it will also boost your mood and leave you feeling great. So before you head to the couch after putting your little one down for an afternoon nap, why not pop a yoga video on the TV or a quick little workout video to follow? 

It’s a good idea to find activities you actually enjoy doing and ones that don’t take up too much of your time. Being a new mom doesn’t leave you with a lot of free time on your hands, so try to get in exercise anywhere you can. Invest in a pram you can jog with or pop a few squats the next time you ‘pop a squat’ in the bathroom. Trust me, incorporating these little exercises into your day will make the world of difference. 

5. Staying positive

The key to all of this is staying positive and being easy on yourself. Focus on the things you have accomplished and the weight you have already lost and remember than fitness if more about the number on your scale. 

The fact that you’re reading this blog is a step in the right direction, so here’s to you!