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1. Get your mind right

This is half the battle. If your head isn’t in the right place and you are not ready to make changes, you won’t, it’s as simple as that. You need to make a choice. You have to want to change. So ask yourself, are you ready to change? If not, why not? If you need more of a hand with this one, check out this blog http://www.blueskyfitness.com.au/its-just-all-in-your-head

2. Don’t be on a diet

When most people are on a diet they think they are going to miss out on something. That the food is going to be boring, too hard, tasteless, they will be hungry, moody.

It’s time to change your mindset. Don’t start a diet, instead it’s a healthy lifestyle change. One that will help you make healthy choices for the rest of your life. Eating lean, eating clean, eating natural healthy foods allows your body to get the nutrition it needs and will also get the body you are after.
I tell my clients to be good 80/90% of the time. When you eat clean (no processed crap foods, have lean protein, a good fat and good carbs at each meal (including any snacks) and watch your portion size and you will see results. You are allowed ‘cheat’ meals/snacks, but don’t do it out of habit, or just to have it, actually listen to your body.

If you find you are out at a party, function etc and you are put in a tough situation with food/drink, ask yourself if ‘it’s really worth it’. How will you feel tomorrow, or how will you feel if you eat it/drink it.

3. Have a think about why you fell off the wagon in the first place

Are you stressed? Are you busy? Are you tired? Whatever the answer is, write it down and try and come up with solutions to fix them.

Will eating healthier and getting back into exercise make it easier – time out for you, more nutrients in your body, earlier nights etc?

4. Set yourself a new goal and make sure its SMART

• Be SPECIFIC – Lose ???cm from my body
• Be MEASUREABLE – might be your measurements, or running a certain distance, or running a certain pace.
• Be ACHIEVABLE – do you really believe you can achieve the goal? You need too!
• Be REALISTIC – think about what you want to achieve in your time frames, your lifestyle and your commitment level
• Be TIME BASED – 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months.

Write down how you will reward yourself when you achieve your goals. Eg – A pamper day, shopping spree, holiday etc

5. If food is your issue..

It’s time for a cupboard/fridge clean out. Get rid of the crap in your house, go shopping and fill your pantry/fridge with nutritious goodness. If the crap food isn’t there, you can’t be tempted.

6. If exercise is your issue…

Get off your butt NOW and go and do something – go for a walk, go up and down the stairs 10 times, go for a swim, get off your butt! Get up early tomorrow and get back on your exercise bandwagon and start from scratch again tomorrow!

7. Get rid of the guilt, what’s done is done.

You can’t change the past, but you can change the future, so get to it. Positive attitude, move on, and make healthier choices from now on!

8. Take stock of how you feel right now and how you don’t want to be in this place again!

Remember how low, sad, guilty you are feeling now, probably because you feel out of control and feel like a failure. You don’t want to feel like this again right? Well only YOU can change that.

9. Have a plan in place if you find yourself slipping…

What is your plan? What are your goals? How are you going to change your thoughts/mind so that you don’t get back to a bad place? Write down some triggers – get busy at work, get stressed at work, friends coming to stay, busy time of year, lots of parties etc – well YOU are the only person that can set your boundaries. YOU are your boss. If you let these things happen they will, if YOU let yourself slip back into unhealthy eating, no exercise etc, you can only blame yourself. Get your priorities right.

Happy, healthy YOU, Happy healthy everything else.

10. Stop making excuses and just do it!

Forget the excuses, they are a load of rubbish. Think of solutions, no excuses. There is always a solution, you just have to want the results badly enough. Toughen up!

Amanda is a mum to 2 year old Chelsea, a Personal Trainer and owns her own Women’s Only Outdoor Fitness Business, Blue Sky Health & Fitness, based in Melbourne. Blue Sky Fitness offers Women of all ages, sizes and abilities a supportive & friendly environment in which to get fit, get healthy & be happy (but it’s also challenging!) For more information on Blue Sky Health & Fitness classes, please visit www.blueskyfitness.com.au

Amanda has recently launched Mummy Bootcamp @ Home, to help women (mums in particular) lose weight, tone up & feel great about themselves. For more information on the 28 Day Body & Mind Transformation Bootcamp visit www.mummybootcampathome.com.au