My 5 Cheats to Smash your Fitness Resolution

2/3 of resolutions are health and fitness related. 80% of resolutions fail before February. I've got 5 cheats to help turn the scales!

My resolution is to do 10 minutes of yoga every single day

Happy New Year!

So January always brings around new habits, new plans, new goals and new people. Which I like. I think it's important to have a goal and work away at it every single day.

Even-though I believe we should be making goals all year round and not just on Jan 1st, I think it says a lot about a person who can stick to their resolution for 365 days +.

The top 3 resolutions in 2018 were:

1. To eat healthier

2. To get more exercise

3. To save more money

But how many of them will stick to it?

I read a statistic the other day: 80% of resolutions fail before February

That's a pretty scary statement!

My 2018 New Years Resolutions

So this year I've made 3 resolutions and I can genuinely say I can see the benefits already.

I think it's important to write down your goals and create a plan to accomplish them. Words and ideas are cheap, a plan and direction isn't.

My Resolutions:

1. To do 10 minutes of yoga a day

2. To be more organised

3. To be more stylish (this ties in with me not wearing gym clothes 24/7)

This will be me in 2 months. Stay tuned for the vegan preaching and the yoga man-bun

Cheats to Smash to your Fitness Resolution

I'm going to keep this blog short and snappy so you can refer back to it easily throughout the year. My 5 cheats:

1. Blend you Veg

This is a cheat I use most days. I've mentioned before that I'm not the biggest cooking fan anymore. So I cheat a lot. I usually prepare meat and carbs on one baking tray then after, drink my vegetables.

Let's try something. Stop reading this post for 2 minutes and on your fingers count how many veg you ate yesterday?

...........

The average person in the UK has less that 3!

The solutions easy. Load your freezer up with frozen veg (and fruit!) and at some point in the day fill your blender with 5 different veg and get it down you. You can get your daily allowance in one drink.

2. Say " I don't want that" instead of "I can't have that"

This is a psychological cheat I want you guys to learn.

When you're next at your grandmas or friends or whatever, and they bring out the chocolates and the cakes I want you to say to yourself;

"I don't want that"

This simple statement creates a sense of achievement in your brain. It creates momentum and a rewarding sensation.

If you turn around and say;

"I can't have that"

This statement creates the feeling of restriction. It also creates temptation. PLUS you're more likely to have a weak moment!

Don't underestimate the power of the brain.

3. Count your F**king Calories

When was the last time you watched a VHS or saw a child knocking a big metal ring down a street with a stick?

Things change, technology develops. Apps were created.

I'm going to make a pretty bold statement here:

"If your goal is to JUST lose weight, you don't need a personal trainer you just need to count your calories using myfitnesspal"

I'm on zero commission and I am a personal trainer! BOLD

How it Works

1. You scan or type in what you've eaten

2. Its counts everything

3. You ensure you're eating the calorie total it prescribes

4. You lose a pound a week

The app will also save foods you frequently eat, so you can literally drag and drop to save time.

No fad diets or expensive shakes. Foods you eat everyday, just quantities measured.

Logging your calories in an app isn't perfect, it can be a chore. BUT, it's by far the best method to dropping weight.

4. Plan your workouts

I'm going to get all preachy here. My 2nd resolution is to become more organised and I'm off to a cracking start.

I took about 2 hours out of my day to write down everything I need to do in a week, I then assembled them on Google calendar.

For example a reminder went off this morning at 9 am saying "Blog Writing"

So I poured a coffee and here I am .

I also know at 2:30 pm I'm going to get another reminder reading "Workout"

So I'll grab a pre-workout coffee and hop to it.

Try and get yourself into a routine

For example. Say you watch Eastenders 7:30 pm Monday, or you do the food shop Saturday morning, or you always take the dog out at 6 pm.

You already have a routine to an extent. Just add in your workouts.

Set your workouts in stone and then all you need to do is focus on turning up!

Use Google calendar or the reminder app on your phone to send you a notification 30 minutes before to get you mentally prepared.

5. Find a plan you absolutely love

This is one that I picked up on recently.

I've been weight training for 8 years now. Ever since I could afford my first gym membership.

That's a lot of squats. A lot of pressups. And a lot of lunges.

I had zero motivation in December. I was just going through the motions, trying to think of reasons to skip the gym or cut it short.

I didn't have the drive or the passion I once did.

So I got myself an online personal trainer. I had a 12 week bespoke plan made and started to integrate home workouts and yoga into my week.

I'm loving it. I have a new challenge, something different and refreshing.

I'm now looking forward to getting into the gym or unroll my exercise mat in my living room.

For this reason I would highly recommend asking a trainer or searching for a new plan on the internet.

Find something new that's fresh and against the grain. Something you've never done before to really spark your curiosity and attention.

So. The best of luck to you this year! I really hope the 5 cheats above have an impact on your fitness resolution and you get the most out of your decision to take on a new challenge.

One last thing

On a side note my online training is due to be released before February!

This is a super exciting time for me, so make sure you stay connected with the news on my social media channels. The count down will begin there!

If you enjoyed this post or a friend of yours is embarking on a fitness resolution, please share it on to them (:

Thanks guys

Ben xx