Welcome to 2021! Its a new year and a blank slate. So time to put the happenings of 2020 behind us and start fresh - whatever you did or did not do in 2020 does not define you, so let it go and don't let it hold you back in 2021!

I'm dubbing 2021, for myself and for YOU too, the year of CHANGE and OPPORTUNITY! There's no sugar-coating it, 2020 year was bit of a messed up year, but this year, WE'VE GOT THIS!

So if you are reading this blog, clearly you are ready to take control of your life in 2021 and kick start your healthier lifestyle! So firstly I want you to know, I am SO proud of you for taking the time to look after yourself and invest in YOU! Because you only get one body, so this investment in your health is the BIGGEST investment you will ever make. And I am SO excited to be on this journey with you!!

I remember, back in December 2015, when I first committed to changing my lifestyle and adopting a more healthy, holistic lifestyle. I remember how confused I was - there is so much mixed messaging in the health and wellness space, I didn't know what to believe! So I pretty much did it ALL. And if you are familiar with my fitness and healthy journey, you'll know my 'all or nothing' approach did not end well. Long story short, I ended up with a eating disorder for multiple years before I then gave my all to my recovery and then educating myself about what a balanced, sustainable healthy lifestyle consisted off. I fell in love with all things health and wellness and the rest is history really! And here I am today, a Qualified Health & Nutrition Coach helping others live their happiest, healthiest and most balanced lives!

In this blog post, I'm going to outline the DO'S and DON'TS of starting a healthy lifestyle to help you cut through all the BS and diet culture information that is out there (because trust me, its everywhere) so you can start your 2021 in the healthiest way possible and create sustainable, healthy habits that you can keep with you forever!

Let's jump right into it!!

DON'T: Start another 'fad' diet.

DO: Educate yourself.

I know how tempting it can be with all the promises these fad diets make - "lose 5kg in 1 week", "have a 6 pack in a month", "get a flat tummy fast" etc. etc. But these fad diets fail to take into consideration that we are human and there is no 'one size fits all' approach that is going to work for everyone. We all live such different lives and therefore have different energy requirements, different macro and micronutrient needs, different forms of exercise that our body responds to etc.

Fad diets also promote extremes in order to achieve results which they can then use for marketing and to lure more people in.

So instead of starting the latest fed diet this year, take the time to educate yourself, because knowledge is POWER - learn about all things health, nutrition, exercise and stress management. Follow credible sources on social media, read evidence based articles and learn the facts about how the body works, energy requirements, macro and micronutrients, creating a balanced plate and the best forms of movement for your lifestyle (and thats just scrapping the surface). But it is this knowledge that will help this 2021 healthy lifestyle kick turn into a life long healthy lifestyle.

DON'T: Go to extremes, restrict or deprive yourself.

DO: Practice balance and create habits you can sustain for life!

Extremes are NOT sustainable, so whatever results you do achieve whilst following this fad diet will quickly be undone once you can no longer maintain it. And trust me, there always comes a point when you can no longer maintain it. This is what we call the 'yo-yo dieting cycle'.

Diet culture makes you think you have to go to extremes, restrict and deprive yourself in order to achieve results, but I promise you it is not necessary to achieve results or be healthy! Its all just their clever marketing to make a quick buck.

Our bodies don't like extremes or restriction; they thrive off BALANCE. So don't feel like you need to cut out everything you love, live off salad and do 27 cardio sessions a week. Because those behaviours are faaar from healthy.

Living a healthy lifestyle isn't about being perfect - perfection does not exist. But it is about finding your healthy balance. Balance looks different for everyone, but when I first started working to find my balance I found it easy to use the 80:20 rule - which basically means aim to have 80% of your food come from nutrient dense wholefoods and leave 20% for whatever the hell you want - such as chocolate, ice-cream, pizza, burgers etc! I don't actively think of this now, but I do think it is somewhat engrained in me. I know when my body needs a salad but I also know when its okay to let my hair down and enjoy all the pizza and wine!

DON'T: Do anything that you cannot see yourself sustaining for life.

DO: Focus on balance and long-term consistency.

Following on from the above point, our bodies thrive off BALANCE, they don't like drastic change. So don't ever start a way of eating or exercising that you can't see yourself sustaining for life. Consistency over the long-term is truly the key to success and achieving results. And it is the results that take that little bit longer to achieve, that are maintainable results long-term.

DON'T: Cut out entire food groups.

DO: Enjoy all foods and get rid of food rules!

If a diet tells you that you need to cut out an entire food group to be 'healthy' and achieve results, RUN, run far far away.

Unless you are someone who suffers from an allergy of disease (like coeliac disease) where your body truly cannot handle a specific food or food group, there is no need to cut foods or entire food groups out. ALL foods can be apart of a healthy balanced diet, and yes that includes pizza, gelato, chocolate and wine - and this is something I discuss in depth in my first Nutrition eBook, so if you want to learn how to enjoy ALL foods in balance and starting living your healthiest and happiest life, check it out here!

DON'T: Try to do everything at once.

DO: Make small, manageable changes and swaps

This is a mistake I see so many people making along their health journey. We want results and we want them now, so we try do everything at once and everything 'perfectly'. But eventually, we can't maintain these extreme habits. We become overwhelmed or exhausted, or stray from these perfect standards, and we feel like a failure so we throw in the towel and give up altogether.

Instead of saying: I'm going to cut out all processed foods (when in fact majority of your diet currently consists of processed foods), trying saying instead: I'm going to swap out my processed, sugar-filled breakfast cereal for a bowl of homemade oatmeal or a smoothie bowl.

They key is to focus on small swaps or changes. Don't overwhelm yourself or try do everything at once. This approach will help you to build strong healthy habits that you can sustain for life, and therefore, allow you to achieve long-term success!

DON'T: Start because you want to 'look' like someone else or look a certain way.

DO: Get clear on your WHY.

Your health journey should be started out of LOVE for your body and wanting to take care of it and nourish it; not out of hate for it. If you start wanting to 'look' like someone else or weigh 'x' kilos - what happens when you get to that goal? What is going to motivate you then?

This is why you need to get clear on your WHY from the beginning. Your WHY will be the driving force for change and your source of motivation on those mornings you want to hit snooze 5 times on your alarm and skip the gym. Your why has to come from within and have a strong meaning for you.

My why is centred around longevity, living life to the fullest, living free of illness and disease, have energy to do the things I love and show up as my best self for loved ones, to have the drive and energy to chase my dreams and to look after the one body I was blessed to get to live life in. These reasons truly mean something to me on a deep deep level. They are not centred around aesthetics, but feeling. And that is exactly what is needed to make a strong, powerful and impactful why that will drive your lifelong health journey.

DON'T: choose a form of exercise for the 'calorie' burn.

DO: Find a way of exercising that you enjoy.

The most important thing is to have fun when moving your body - it is a celebration, not a punishment! So find a form of exercise that you enjoy and look forward to doing, one that does not feel like a chore. Making sure you are moving your body in a way you enjoy will ensure you stick with it for the long-term. Of course if you have goals like muscle gain be sure to choose a form of exercise that is conducive of that. But if its general movement or weight loss you are after, results will be a byproduct of consistently sticking to your exercise regime, which is only possible if you enjoy it!

Your choice of movement may change overtime and thats okay to! Its important to listen to your body and what feels right in the present moment.

DON'T: Constantly weigh yourself to determine progress.

DO: Throw away the scale and use other means of determining progress.

Fixating on weight only creates a negative body image. You are not your weight and weight is not a determinant of health! The number on the scale is merely a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity, nothing more.

There are so many other ways to measure progress that don't involve weight. For example:

how you feel in your clothes or how your clothes fit

• your confidence

• your skin health

• your energy levels

• your relationship with food

• performance in the gym e.g. maybe you hit a PB on your squat this week or did your first unassisted pull up. That is massive progress!

• Your overall happiness!

Bonus tips!

DO: Drink lots of water

Simple, stay hydrated friends! Drinking water is one of the simplest yet most important things you can do for your health. Aim to drink a minimum of 2L a day!

DO: Plan!

I've found planning key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and it is even more important as you are just starting out and working on forming new habits.

Set aside an hour each week (I like to do this on a Saturday or Sunday) to plan and schedule your week in terms of workouts, rest day/s, your weekly meal plan/menu, meal prep, grocery shopping list, appointments etc. This not only avoids double booking or over committing yourself, but keeps you on track and accountable!

DO: Practice gratitude.

When we are so caught up chasing goals, we can often forget to be grateful for what we have and what we are able to do right now in this present moment. The culture of society today teaches us that what we have now is never enough, but we need to break through this and realise we truly do have so much. To be able to get out of bed and move our bodies each day is incredible, to have a warm bed to sleep in each night is something not everyone is lucky enough to have, and to have a loving family or partner who support everything you do is so special. These are things we need to remember to be grateful for as we continue to work towards achieving our goals. Because if you get so caught up chasing something you don't have and telling yourself 'I will be happy when...' you are never going to be happy.

I personally practice gratitude every morning by journaling and if you want to find out more about how to get started with this truly transformative practice, check out this blog on journaling, how to do it and my favourite prompts to use!