How to get B-A-C-K in shape after the holidays:
B – Begin with specific goals
- Start by setting goals that you want to achieve in terms of your health or health behaviors. For example: “By the end of 2022, I will be cooking my own meals at least once a day during weekdays”. I prefer being specific with my goals because I realized that writing down “I will try to be healthy this year” just doesn’t work.
A – Take Action
- Even if you have written the smartest goal, if you don’t take action, nothing will happen. So, as soon as you have visualized what you want to achieve, take the necessary action and commit to it. For example, if your goal is to eat better, plan your meals now and search for healthy recipes online, go to the grocery tomorrow and cook a healthy dinner. Write down your goals and strategies now AND take them into action as soon as you can.
C – Be Consistent
- Similar to a quote by James Clear, getting in shape is not a once-in-a-lifetime transformation but rather a product of daily habits. So, taking action once is not enough. Cooking your meals for one day is not enough. Consistency is king as it helps you build habits, be it daily, thrice a week, weekly or monthly – as long as you do it on a strategically regular basis. For example, cook one meal a day for 4 days every week. Once a strategy becomes a habit, it will take less resistance for you to do it. Motivated or not, keep going.
K – Keep it simple
- Speaking of resistance, one of the reasons why we stop doing what we started is because we later on realize that our strategies are too difficult, restrictive, expensive or time-consuming. So, as you start, keep your actions simple. For example, if your goal is to cook more often, then search for easy recipes that include minimal, affordable and available ingredients. This way, you’d feel that the benefits of a healthy habit outweigh the cost – time, money, effort – of doing it.
Speaking of affordable and available ingredients, I have been writing and talking a lot about potatoes because:
- Some of my posts are sponsored by Potatoes-USA-Philippines (shoutout and thank you @potatoesusaph) and
- My advocacy has always been about making good nutrition accessible to Filipinos and this makes potatoes fit into what I am passionate about. Potatoes are:
Affordable – their price hasn’t increased significantly during the pandemic
Available – they are always available in local markets, supermarkets, groceries and online, and
All-around – they can be boiled, fried, roasted, or baked. They can be made crunchy, soft or chunky.
They can be bought fresh, frozen, or dehydrated. They fit well into basic Pinoy dishes or American/Western dishes if you’re feeling extra.
So, to help you start 2022 towards the right direction,
Begin with setting specific goals, Act on them, be Consistent and Keep things simple.
Incorporate simple and nutritious ingredients such as potatoes in your meal preps as part of a healthy diet.
Remember, a healthy diet means:
Balanced – having the right mix of carbs, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals plus fiber
Moderation – because too much of a good thing can still be bad
Variety – aside from potatoes, don’t forget to include other nutritious starches, fruits, vegetables, protein foods and healthy fats and oils.
Let’s bring sexy (and strong) BACK this 2022.
Stay tuned for Part 2 ?
This post is sponsored by Potatoes USA Philippines. All opinions are mine.
For potato recipes, visit www.potatogoodness.ph.
#potatonutrition #USPotatoPower #potatoesusaphl #potatopower