Katie's Post Holiday Tips

Katie's Tips Post Holiday

It's that time of year when we start gearing up for that post-New Year's dump of cleanses, detox pills, and ridiculous fitness gadgets that are supposed to make you lose inches, fat, and god knows what else in just days. It's the same thing every year, and it's maddening and NOT healthy. So instead of buying the crap, what about changing the narrative this year and making a healthy lifestyle change that lasts for ALL of 2023 and beyond?! Do it the right way so that you can do something for yourself that is sustainable, healthy, inspiring, and may motivate others to join you! And if you are looking to get back on track after the holidays or if you are looking to make a HUGE lifestyle change, here are some of my favorite ways to get started before the New Year! My tips involve NO guilt…NO shame…NO detoxes…NO restrictions…NOTHING that is insane or will exhaust you. Yes, it will be challenging at some points because change can be uncomfortable, but this is your health, and there is nothing better than feeling strong, confident, and motivated to feel your best from the inside out!

Portion Control

Let's face it, Americans have a very BIG problem with portions! And these larger-than-life-sized portions are poisoning the human population. Let's talk about portion control.

If you are starting a new weight loss journey or want to get back on track after the holidays, there are a lot of excellent health and wellness gadgets out there that help you out, keep you on track, educate, and keep that motivation going, so you can achieve those goals! A food scale is a great tool to monitor what you eat, especially after the holidays when portions are a little more.

**REMINDER** It is okay to enjoy yourself during the holidays, during vacation, or whenever you need a piece of carrot cake. It is all about finding a balance that works for you, your lifestyle, your workout goals, and what you want to achieve for overall health.

But back to the food scale, it is an effective health tool to check yourself and get back on track or start your new health journey. It can also be a very educational tool because you can learn what a "proper" portion size is.

The Elite Digital Food Scale

The Elite Digital Food Scale is developed with professional chefs and bakers in mind. Its high-capacity stainless steel kitchen scale provides precisely what its name states – reliably precise measurements every time.

• Weighs up to 15 lbs / 7 kgs in 4 measurement modes: ounces, pounds, grams and kilograms in graduation increments of 0.05 ounce / 1 gram

• Subtract weight of any bowl, container or subsequent ingredient with the Tare feature

• Oversized stainless-steel platform with extra large crystal white backlight backlit LCD Display with auto shut-off after 3-minutes

• Includes FREE EatSmart Calorie Factors Guide – portion control and calorie counting made easy

• Runs on 4 AAA Batteries (included)

Daily Movement

We HAVE to move our bodies daily and build our endurance and strength! It is essential to have a strong core and muscles, healthy functioning organs, and good posture because when we don't have this, we don't have anything. So start now and start moving your body daily. You can do it on your own, or you can do it with a group. You can join a gym, yoga studio, or spin studio. You can work out at home, outside, or in your garage. I LOVE to create at-home workouts that require minimal equipment, only take 30-45 minutes, improve your strength, core, and endurance, and, most importantly, help you move daily and feel strong from the inside out.

JOURNALING

If you have decided to embark on a new healthy journey in 2023, it is essential to track your progress, keep you motivated, and help keep you accountable. When you start to write out your daily workouts and meals, it can be a great tool to see what changes you can make to reach your goals better.

I love to journal, and I love to track my workouts! I have always been a planner, and I like to keep it old school by writing my exercises down in my planner and then crossing off my workouts when I train. It is an instant ego boost. Regarding tracking food, I don't do it as often as I used to because I have a pretty good idea of what I'm eating daily, BUT if I need to tweak it and make some changes, I have no problem going back in and tracking again. I also started journaling in the early morning hours a few months ago. I typically carve out about 15 - 20 minutes to write about anything. It is a great way to release whatever has been going on physically, emotionally, personally, etc. I always feel mentally lighter, focused, and inspired to tackle the day positively.

GRACE

I cannot emphasize this enough and will repeat it again and again! It's hard to make BIG changes that involve your health and fitness, especially in today's society when so much toxicity is being put in front of our faces. Don't give up! Stay Strong! And always remember to give yourself grace because this journey will have ups and downs, and that is OKAY!

And to be even more honest, it takes a lot of TIME, WORK, and PATIENCE. Making a lifestyle change can't be fixed overnight or with a pill, a cleanse, or a detox diet. Is it worth it? YES, YES, YES! HEALTH IS WEALTH! When you have your health, you can do anything.

2023 is HERE, so if you are still on the fence about living her healthiest, most robust, and best life, take some time over the next few days to put together a plan, follow some of my tips, rally up your family and friends, and start telling yourself that you are worth it and you deserve to live your best life! You can do this, I believe in you. Now you have to believe in yourself!

Let's do this 2023!