35 Ways To Make The New Year Your Fittest Year Ever
Is one of your New Year resolutions to lose weight and be healthier? Make the new year your fittest year ever with these tips!
It’s that time of year again – a time for reflection on the year behind us.
(Read about how to make a New Year Resolution that sticks in this post!)
For many of us, it’s also a time to make resolutions for changes we want to see in the new year.
Of those of us who make New Year resolutions, a good lot of us have resolved to get healthy or lose weight before. If we’re being honest, many of us have made that resolution time and time again.
But this year can be different.
You can have the fittest year ever.
In my last post I wrote about the missing piece of your weight loss journey. I talk about why so many of us fail to make lasting changes. Why we start something and quit, and why we can’t keep weight off even if we’ve lost it before.
If you’re here because one of your New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, I want to get serious for just a sec before we talk about all of the ways to have the fittest year ever.
Go read this post and ask yourself some of the serious questions I have posed.
Once you’re done, we can get on with this awesome change you’re about to make. 🙂
If You’re Going To Have The Fittest Year Ever, Here’s The Deal
You’re going to make a promise to yourself. No one else.
That promise is to make a change that lasts and never give up.
You will fall down a few times, if not many.
But you know that the struggle is part of the change, part of the growth.
So you’re going to walk into this knowing that.
You’re prepared for that.
The only thing you have to do is KEEP. ON. GOING.
Make it your fittest year ever.
Because you owe it to yourself to see what happens if you don’t give up this time. End of story.
Okay.
Pep talk done. LET’S GO.
35 Ways To Make The New Year Your Fittest Year Ever
1. Join a fitness community to stay accountable.
There are a ton of fitness-minded Facebook groups out there, but I have one just for women!
Join my accountability group for motivation, support from kind strangers, and fun challenges! We’re gonna have the fittest year ever together. Sing up below and I’ll send you details!
2. Commit to drinking a big glass of water before meals.
It seems like a little thing, but little things really add up. Drink more water in general to keep your metabolism at it’s best and to help you curb hunger throughout the day.
I started buying one or two super nice, large water bottles to help me do this and it’s helped me turn this into a daily habit.
3. Build a frugal home gym so you can workout whenever.
You can build a nice home gym on a budget with just a few essentials. For me, having a little bit of exercise equipment at home means that I don’t have any more excuses.
If the kids are sick, the car is broken down, or the gym is closed, I can still exercise. Start with a yoga mat and a pair of dumbbells if nothing else. For thousands of workouts, this is all you need.
4. Try a new meal replacement or protein powder.
Keeping my favorite protein powder and meal replacement (the Vanilla Ice Cream!) in stock at all times has been a game-changer for me.
It saves me during times where I am slacking on the meal-prep front and would otherwise reach for something unhealthy. It also helps me hit my macros so that I’m sure to get enough protein.
5. Learn an easy meal-prep recipe to add to your repertoire.
Meal prep is one of the hardest things to get in the habit of doing, at least for me. But it’s key in helping to take the guesswork out of what to eat.
Try meal prepping at least one meal (breakfast) for several days in advance to help those little decisions add up. I love to meal prep easy egg muffin cups like these ones with turkey breakfast sausage.
6. Join my Beachbody coaching team or fitness challenges for the ultimate accountability.
If you want to be highly accountable for your own diet and daily exercise, consider becoming a coach on my team! You’ll have the chance to get in the best shape of your life and make money doing it!
I find that since starting Beachbody, I am more accountable than ever for eating right and exercising…plus I am so excited about life!
That’s because I have a community of people relying on me for inspiration and help with exercise.
You can also join me for the upcoming Transform :20 workout program and the fitness challenge I’m running to go along with it. (Update: I am no longer a coach.)
7. Make an effort to eliminate hidden sugars from your diet.
Sugar is hidden everywhere, what with it’s 60+ names and all. But, as some of you may know, when sugar is not used as energy pretty quickly in the body, it is stored as fat.
So eliminating even a little bit of sugar from your diet daily will add up to big results. Learn to eliminate some of those hidden sugars in your diet by checking out this post.
8. Don’t grocery shop when hungry.
If you don’t want to overeat or eat the wrong things, DON’T BUY THEM. The easiest way to end up buying those things is to shop when you’re hungry and in a hurry.
To stop doing that, start using free grocery pickup services that are available at a ton of stores.
This way you can avoid the temptation of having chips, ice cream, cookies, and more right in front of you. I do this and am able to quickly plan my clean-eating with Walmart’s free grocery pickup.
Try it today to get $10 towards your groceries!
9. Snag some new gear like a new sports bra or new running shoes to keep you motivated.
Everybody likes new swag…and if you’re like me, some cute workout gear is a great motivator!
Go ahead, spoil yourself with some new kicks and consider it an investment. 🙂
10. Try some new recipes you find on Pinterest.
Your fittest year ever involves food! Have a favorite dessert? Try finding a lighter version of it!
Or maybe just find a few new meal prep recipes (like my breakfast egg muffins)! Just start playing with healthier meal options so that you can add some to your usual rotation. Everything counts!
11. Follow some fitness influencers on Instagram for inspiration. (Follow me here.)
I am inspired by tons of fitness people on Instagram, ranging from the super-fit to the super-unhealthy.
They all have one thing in common, and that is that they are prioritizing their health. I encourage you to follow some regular ole people who are on a fitness journey, as well as some people who are super fit and starting from scratch.
If you’re looking for an incredible weight loss transformation, follow @fatgirlfedup and thank me later.
12. Try a new way of eating.
You’ve probably heard of the 21 Day Fix. Or keto. Or the Whole 30. Maybe it’s time to try something new to keep you motivated!
Doing new things regularly is seriously key for a lot of us. It’s been a game-changer for so many people! You can get the portion control containers, try fun new recipes, start meal prepping, or whatever!
13. Wash all of your fruit and veggies as soon as you get them home.
A simple commitment that can have a big impact. Wash up all of your produce as soon as you get it home to cut back on prep time and EXCUSES later.
14. Try the Wildcard Workout card game.
It’s important to switch up your workouts often. I created the printable card game I call Wildcard so that you can have a different workout to do anywhere! Print, cut, sweat! Click to get the workout.
15. Add in a little extra daily movement, like the way I add in a workout on laundry day.
I think it’s important to increase your overall movement throughout the day rather than just showing up for a 30 minute workout. The little extra calorie burn will really add up.
That’s why I do thing like my laundry day workout. Add a little extra movement (like a few squats) in throughout your day. You can also try some of the short & sweet programs from BeachBody if you need something to follow! There’s one called 10 Minute Trainer that I’d suggest trying
16. Start a fitness blog to share your journey with others.
This is a big commitment, but it has made a huge impact on my life. Not only does it earn me money, it helps me stay accountable for my own weight loss.
If you’re interested, let me help you start your own blog so you can do that, too.
17. Consider hiring a personal trainer.
It’s a big investment, but it’s an important one. Even if all you do is commit to three months, you’ll learn so much about how to get a great workout (and use all the equipment available) if you try it out. Here are the many benefits of hiring a personal trainer.
18. Batch-prep a few healthy snacks per week.
Hard boil 6-8 eggs. Wash and cut up some veggies. Portion out your nuts & seeds. Whatever it is, make it super easy for yourself to get a healthy snack in.
Rather than reaching for a bag of chips or going through a drive-thru.
19. Ask yourself if you are really hungry when you’re thinking about food.
Practice being more mindful! Simply ask yourself, “Am I hungry?” It might be that you’re just bored or stressed. If your body doesn’t need the fuel for energy, don’t give it food just for comfort.
20. Try a new home workout program.
Fitness is supposed to be fun. It can be convenient, too! To make it a big part of your life, it’s important to find something that you enjoy!
Try my home workout program, Restore The Core to see if working out at home is for you.
21. Try a workout streaming subscription to see if it’s right for you.
You don’t have to go to the gym to get a good workout. Try streaming workouts from home with something like BeachBody on Demand – there’s even a free 14 day trial!
I am your personal BeachBody coach if you sign up, so feel free to ask me as many questions as you like! (I used to be very skeptical and I’m glad I cleared up my misconceptions!)
*Again, no longer a coach as of 2018!
22. Eliminate your exposure to harmful hormone disruptors that can restrict weight loss.
Health has many components, and weight loss can be impacted by many things. Learn about hormonal issues caused by common chemicals and see if they are impacting your weight loss journey.
23. Switch to healthy cooking oils.
A simple switch that will go a long way for heart-health. Switch to avocado, coconut, or olive oil for cooking. Stay away from canola & vegetable oils. You can learn about the different types of fat in this post.
24. Try free grocery pickup to make healthy grocery shopping easier than ever.
I mentioned not shopping when hungry, but I’d like to mention how much healthier you can eat if you use grocery pickup.
If you’re getting serious about meal planning, use something like Walmart’s free grocery pickup service to meal prep like a boss and save a ton of time while doing it.
25. Try a meal service to take the guesswork out of eating healthy.
There are so many companies out there who will ship ready-to-cook meals right to your door. If eating well is one of your challenges, consider investing in (or at least trying) a meal plan like this one.
26. Watch healthy documentaries on Netflix to keep learning and stay motivated.
I am loving the Netflix docus right now. I highly suggest What The Health, The Magic Pill, & Food, Inc.
These documentaries have really opened my eyes and motivated me to eat better.
27. Track your food intake for a day or two to get a REAL idea of how much you’re eating.
You can’t have your fittest year ever if you don’t consider what you’re eating. You can use MyFitnessPal to do this and it’s super easy. Use it to find out if you’re overeating or not getting the right nutrients!
28. Add just 5-10 minutes of exercise to your daily routine at a time.
If you’re not ready to add in 30+ minutes of exercise daily, start with just a few minutes. It’s a great way to segue into a more rigorous exercise regime and every little bit counts.
There are even workout programs designed to be short and sweet!
29. Carry a meal replacement or healthy snack with you on-the-go.
Having healthy snacks and meal replacements at home is one thing, but what about when you’re on the go?
Get in the habit of keeping a healthy snack in your purse, backpack, etc. at all times. That way when plans get thrown to the wind, you can still make a “better” food decision. Your fittest year ever depends on it!
30. Try a core-strength workout program before jumping into more rigorous exercise.
Many people jump into workout routines without thinking about injury protection or where they really are as far as strength. Focus on strengthening your core with something like my home workout program called Restore The Core.
31. Go in with a game plan when you go to restaurants.
If you can, look up the menu online and make a food choice before you get to a restaurant.
This will help you make an educated choice that is likely healthier than the one you might make with tempting menus full of decadent pictures in front of your face.
32. Make your fitness journey known to those in your circle.
Sharing your journey is a little scary, but it’s encouraging to others and you might find some support there.
Plus, if people are on board with your journey, they’ll be more understanding when you turn down the dessert at the next family get-together.
P.S…If you don’t have people in your corner, please consider joining my challenges! We are there for you!
33. Try DietBet or HealthyWage.
These two apps are a fun way to stay accountable on your weight loss journey. The idea is that you bet on yourself.
You pay to participate and your money goes into a pool. If you lose the weight you promise to, you can not only earn your money back, you can earn extra!
34. Stop sitting for more than an hour at a time.
Sitting is a big issue in this country, especially with our obsession with electronics. Get up for 5-10 minutes as often as you can. Walk around, stretch out, and get your circulation moving!
35. Start keeping a fitness journal.
Reflecting on your journey is a great way to celebrate your successes and learn from your mistakes.
Start writing down a little bit about how things are going at least once a week and look back through it every now and then!
Now you have no excuses not to have your fittest year ever!
I’ve given you tons of ideas and tons of ways to make this your fittest year ever, so get after it! Do you have any other ideas? Tell me below!
Psst! Click if you need healthy hobby ideas!
-Chantal
You might also like: 11 Simple Ways To Get Fit On A Budget
