For the month of January, Orgain has partnered up with RD, Dietitian and Wellness expert Megan Roosevelt to help you on your healthier eating and weight loss journey. For her first post, Megan explains the importance of setting goals and tips for resolution success. Mindset Shifts For Healthy Weight Loss By Megan Roosevelt, RDN and Founder of HealthyGroceryGirl.com A healthy lifestyle involves a holistic, whole body approach. Good nutrition, frequent exercise, stress management, these are just a few pillars of a healthy life. How we think about our choices and life also plays an impactful role in how we achieve, maintain and enjoy a healthy lifestyle! Make Up Your Own Dietary Rules Do you ever feel stressed by the overwhelming options for how to eat today? What is best? Paleo, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, raw, Mediterranean… the list goes on and on. The truth is, no one knows your body better than you! It’s okay to not have a dietary “label” and it’s okay to make up your own dietary rules. Nutrition is not one-size-fits-all and so what works for one person is not necessarily going to work for everyone! However, whether you’re Paleo or Vegan, research studies do show that a diet based in real, whole, plant-based foods is best for short term and long term health! Think fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains and so on! The details on exactly what you eat, however, is a personal choice and up to you! Once you give yourself permission to eat your way, this can relieve a lot of stress, which can make eating well and achieving your weight goals more enjoyable! Life is short; eat to the beat of your own drumstick, or legume or kale salad. Workout The Way That Works For You An active lifestyle is key for weight loss, weight maintenance and also a positive mindset! You’ve probably heard the saying, “You’re only one workout away from a good mood!” In fact, regular exercise has been shown to have profound effects on depression, anxiety, better sleep, memory and a better mood! The type of exercise you do however… is up to you! The best exercise is the one you enjoy! If you enjoy the way you workout, you are more likely to stick with it and consistency is key for achieving your health and weight loss goals. Whether you enjoy group exercise classes, personal training, long walks, jogging, yoga or watching YouTube workout videos in the privacy of your own home, there is no right or wrong way to move your body. Workout in the way that works for you and be proud of yourself for moving your body, in your own way, everyday! Reduce Stress For A Healthy Mind, Body and Soul Stress has many negative side effects that cannot only affect our waistline, but also our mental, emotional and physical health. Chronic stress increases the hormone cortisol in our body, which essentially puts your body into fat-storing mode! Stress can also trigger overeating, skipped meals, skipped workouts and can interfere with sleep. Today, many live such an on-the-go busy lifestyle that they may not even realize they are stressed; They have embraced business and feeling frazzled as their new normal! While we can’t avoid stress completely, we can learn to manage it. Take a moment to think about all the things that stress you out and then write them down. Underline or highlight the stressors that you feel are realistic for you personally to eliminate, avoid or reduce. For example, you may get stressed first thing every morning when you check your email inbox before you do anything else! Instead, make a shift to wait until after a workout and nourishing breakfast to check your inbox when you may find yourself in a better place to handle the task. Yoga, meditation, music, a diffuser with calming essential oils such as lavender, more hugs and simply saying “no” to things that stress you out are also amazing tools to help you reduce, eliminate or manage stress in your life! What Is Your Why? Let’s get real… we have all have experienced a time when we wanted to lose weight yet we gave into too many treats and sweets, skipped too many workouts and our old habits returned because they were comforting. It’s easy to give up if we do not have a powerful motivation, what I like to call your “WHY” behind your goals. To find your WHY, think about why you want to achieve a healthier lifestyle, something that has nothing to do with the number of the scale. Think about how a healthier lifestyle will help you feel, what you can achieve, enjoy and how it will improve the quality of your life! Perhaps you had a recent health scare after a Doctor’s visit and you never want to find yourself in that place again; this could be your WHY. Perhaps you are a new parent and you want to be a good role model for your children and also have the energy to enjoy your busy days! Your WHY is personal to you and it can be as grand or as simple as you want it to be. Take time to write down a few reasons why achieving your health goals and also maintaining your health goals are important to you! Then, when you feel like giving up you can refer back to your WHY for inspiration and motivation. Remember, health and wellness is a lifelong journey. A healthy lifestyle is not about being perfect; rather it’s about small daily wins and choices that nourish your mind, body and soul!