5 tips to get your health back on track after the holidays.

I gave myself permission to completely and wholeheartedly enjoy my food over the holidays. No more hating myself, cross-examining myself over food choices or counting calories.

Do you know how freeing it is to release yourself from the jail of self-loathing? I didn’t eat to a point of feeling sick or too full, I just ate a little of everything I wanted to eat.

It was a blast.

We ate roasts, pavlova, nacho dip, cheese sticks. Festive food is THE BEST and enjoyed every, single bite. I also vowed not to weigh myself the entire time. My scales were given a hiatus.

Now, it’s time to get back on track and wean myself off having too many treats. I love feeling fit and healthy. It’s good to indulge, but not every day. The kinds of foods you eat over Christmas and New Years aren’t meant to last all year. And here’s my big tip – don’t stop exercising, especially when you’re indulging.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Female For Life. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.

Modern mums lead busy lives. We’re always dropping the kids off on the way to work, grocery shopping on our way to the gym and picking up abandoned toys on our way to bed. We need our sportswear to be comfortable, flattering and versatile. And we need coffee, lots of coffee.

Here are my 5 top tips for embracing your health this year:

1. Stay motivated.

Nothing makes me feel more motivated than wearing comfortable, flattering clothing. Majority of women feel the same, 87 per cent according to a recent survey. Thank goodness active wear is so stylish these days. I can go from the gym to the grocery store or school drop off to the gym and still look great. Check out Female For Life for a great range.

2. Set goals and mini goals.

Setting goals is a brilliant way to stay on track. I always try and eat cleanly in the month of January before allowing myself indulgences. It’s like a mini-detox which helps drop most of the holiday weight and then I keep up my healthy habits, allowing some indulgences here and there. By sticking to a month I know I can stay motivated and stick to my healthy eating plan. Just four weeks to be back to your normal self.

3. Plan your workouts.

Each week I program my exercise into my iPhone so I know exactly what I need to get done. I’m not very good at waking up early so I exercise when I can. It doesn’t matter when you do it, as long as you do it. I normally do two gym classes each week, two jogs and one day a week I complete my favourite work out video. I set reminders in my phone diary to keep track and keep it like an appointment.

4. Get your friends on board.

Nat is a brilliant motivator when it comes to healthy living. She knows EVERYTHING about fitness and health. We all pepper her with food questions and when my knees started hurting from jogging every day she urged me to cut it back and mix it up. She’s my guru. Also, talk to your friends. My sister-in-law and I love discussing our latest attempts at refining our health and my best friend is trying to convince me to give up sugar. How will I live?

5. Treat yourself.

Each month I try and treat myself with new clothes for work and exercise. At the moment I am addicted to buying brightly coloured sports bras to wear under my active wear. I’ve also started getting facials. My skin is terrible. I’m 38 and I have pimples AND wrinkles. It’s most unfair. Still, a good excuse for a facial.

Following a healthy diet, exercising often and owning a good range of active wear as well as excellent exercise shoes is essential for any modern woman. Don’t forget some brightly coloured sports bras, just because.

Our families deserve the best and we can only give them the best when we look and feel fabulous. Have a fabulous year. If you need to make healthy changes, don’t wait until tomorrow. Start today. You won’t regret it.

 

It’s not too late to get your fitness goals back on track! Female For Life have a range of fabulous activewear and yoga wear to get you into the groove. Comfortable and flattering the gear motivates you to train harder and for longer. ON SALE NOW at www.femaleforlife.com.au.