As we move into 2023, take a little time to reflect on the year gone. Think about the positive times when you have felt good and happy and also how you have tackled the tougher times and lessons you may have learnt. It's a good time to re-evaluate where you are and what changes you want to take towards the life you imagined.
Throughout your life it’s important to look after your health which becomes much more of a priority as you get older, illness waits for no one and you need to respect your body and do as much as possible to help yourself. It’s no good waiting until you are forced to make changes, why not make 2023 the most positive and feel good year to date. Be more healthy, re ignite that feel good factor and find a new zest for life.
Here are my top 30 health tips to help you look good, lose weight, re energize and supercharge your metabolism in 2023
1 – Ditch ‘white death’ in other words cut back on as much sugar as possible, especially sugar rich fizzy drinks
2 – You can’t out train a bad diet – 80% of losing weight is down to eating the correct food
3 – Train smart, seek advice from a professional and make sure you are eating and exercising correctly targeting what you want to achieve
4 – Cut processed food from your shopping list, if its not in the house you won’t be tempted
5 – Drink 2-3 litres of water per day, as well as keeping you hydrated it will help stave off hunger and keep you fuller for longer
6 – Avoid shopping when you are hungry, this can lead to you buying unnecessary items such as quick fix processed food
7 – 75% of diet and exercise regimes fail within the first 3 weeks, unless you set yourself a target. Always have short and long term goals
8 – Snacking during the day may have become a habit, eating more protein based main meals will help, as you will stay fuller for longer
9 – Exercise more, join a class or a group, do something different, this will also boost your self confidence
10 – If you are looking to lose weight and feel fresh, cutting down on alcohol is a good place to start
11 – Boost your metabolism by adding different spices to your food
12 – Exercise in short quick bursts. Make interval training a priority to help you become fitter, stronger and get those feel good factor endorphins flowing
13 – Be accountable to someone, make sure you hit your targets on a regular basis and have it checked by a third party, this will help keep you focused
14 – Think out of the box and set yourself a brand new challenge or target. Attempt something you have never done before, this will freshen things up for you
15 – Make one or two changes to your daily food intake to help you lose weight eg if you have 4 slices of bread a day, cut it to 2. You will save 730 slices a year. Small everyday changes over time can change your life.
16 – Preparation is the key, plan your week’s meals. Too busy to eat healthily is not an excuse
17 – Excuses are a sign of weakness, be positive and attack your targets. When you hit them set more challenges therefore progress is continual
18 – Take a Vitamin D supplement during the winter, this will help promote musculoskeletal health and can improve your mood
19 – Add more healthy vegetables to your diet and steam them, it takes minutes. I would recommend asparagus and broccoli
20 – Go to bed earlier and try to sleep longer, the benefits are endless, constant lack of sleep can promote the stress hormone cortisol, which can increase your appetite and therefore lead to possible weight gain
21 – Eating lean and clean food is what we are designed to eat. Form new healthier habits and the results will follow
22 – Berries – blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries are the best type of fruit to consume and the lowest in natural sugar
23 – Mix your training up, your body will get used to the same workout and tempo very quickly. Change the resistance, speed, weight and order of training on a regular basis
24 – Not sure where to start with exercise – take yourself out for a walk, over time progress your distance and speed. See if you can add a jog, then run. As your fitness builds look to vary the type of exercise eg class and so on…… you have to start somewhere!
25 – Motivate yourself – use technology to monitor your steps per day, look to improve weekly
26 – Kick your metabolism in to action every morning by eating breakfast – lose the sugary sweet cereals though…look towards eggs
27 – The best meal – lean meat or fish with a load of green vegetables. Plain fresh food is your path to leanness.
28 – 100 sit ups a day will help strengthen your core but will not progress you to a six pack unless you are eating correctly – this is the only way to strip your body fat down
29 – Ditch any thoughts of thinking fad diets work, long term. They will often mislead you, cost you the earth and lead to disappointment. If you want it badly enough you just need to make a few consistent changes to your daily life. If you stay strong mentally you will succeed.
30 – Why not donate all your chocolate, sweets and Xmas cake leftovers, this way any temptation at the start of the year has gone.
Those who feel they have a long way to go on their health and weight loss journey, think again. Clean lean food combined with the right exercise only works, your life could be transformed in a matter of weeks.
David’s Summing up
Be positive and strong this year, make a real difference to the way you look and feel. When you feel good about yourself your whole life becomes easier and you can concentrate much more on what makes you happy in 2023.
