There is risk for failure whenever starting something new, but great things are always worth taking that risk! The goal is to avoid getting burnt out before finding success. Here are some of our secrets to avoid burning out on our meal plan!
Be Real with Yourself
Do you often find yourself setting high goals and never accomplishing them? Maybe you follow a meal plan for a solid few weeks, but by the end of the month you find yourself falling off. This is what burn out looks like, so what we suggest is to just be real with yourself. Set a goal that you can actually see yourself sustaining, not the goal that you want to see yourself sustaining. Yes, we know that you want to follow the meal plan every day of the week, but you might work 50+ hours per week, so instead find a realistic goal to set. Maybe you have extra time in the morning. Try aiming to follow the meal plan breakfast most days of the week. A small realistic goal is much easier to follow and sustain. Eventually these small goals add up to that larger goal you want.
Integrate the Meal Plan into your Life
As much as change is desired, forcing it doesn’t make change happen. If you have to force something into your life, chances are it won’t be around very long. What’s the solution? Don’t force a meal plan that doesn’t work! Being able to customize a plan with foods that you actually like is the key to success in following any diet. Making healthy changes can be hard, but they are even harder when their forced. Find ways to easily integrate aspects of the meal plan, before forcing a huge change. Avoid burnout by slowly adopting pieces of the meal plan. A great example is to figure a way to incorporate your favorite recipes with the meal plan in mind. Enjoy your food and loose weight while you’re doing it!
Keep it Interesting
Healthy doesn’t have to be boring! Healthy can be tasty, fun, and nostalgic. Finding new recipes doesn’t have to be a chore either. Have a dinner night where you get to tryout the recipes you’ve say you’ll always try but never have. Use your cheat meal as a way to explore recipes that are a little outside of your comfort zone. Sticking with the same “healthy” recipes you’ve been using for years can lead to a faster burnout. It’s not that you have to get rid of what your used to, just try a new recipe and you might discover something you never imagined you would love!
This is the time of year when our motivation is high and we’re following through with our resolutions. However, the key is to stick with your gals without burning yourself out. New diets and fitness goals are hard work, so don’t push yourself past the limit! Set yourself up for success by keeping the motivation flame going all year!