Fall is a great time to reboot. As the new school year starts, it’s a chance to embrace a regular routine. The lazy days of summer give way to more structure, which can help support our goals, whether we’re looking to head to the gym again, recommit to eating better or just get back on track with a health routine. If you’re looking for a jump start, check out this one-week plan; each day is focused on a key element to help kickstart your journey. At the end of the week, you’ll have a strong foundation for achieving whatever goal you’ve set for yourself. Ready to get started? You got this!

One-Week Fall Reboot

Fall is a great time to reboot. As the new school year starts, it’s a chance to embrace a regular routine. The lazy days of summer give way to more structure, which can help support our goals, whether we’re looking to head to the gym again, recommit to eating better or just get back on track with a health routine. If you’re looking for a jump start, check out this one-week plan; each day is focused on a key element to help kickstart your journey. At the end of the week, you’ll have a strong foundation for achieving whatever goal you’ve set for yourself. Ready to get started? You got this!

One-Week Fall Reboot: Make-ahead Sunday

Make-ahead Sunday

Sunday is the ultimate start day—and will set the stage for a successful week. After all, weekdays tend to become busy with work, family life, after-school stuff and social obligations, so take full advantage of Sundays to plan meals, shop and prep. Take a look at the coming week and see how many dinners at home you’ll be able to cook. (It’s inevitable you’ll have curveballs, like work dinners, family get-togethers and kid’s sports events. Skip over those days). Next, decide what recipes you’ll want to make. I try to stick to theme nights around my house (they’re fun and they take some of the stress out of cooking—think, Meat-free Mondays; Tex-Mex Tuesdays, Stir-Fry Wednesdays, and so on). Then, make a list of what you need to grab at the grocery store and once you get there, stick to it. No impulse buys. When you get back home, tackle as much prep as you can. Chop veggies, cook whole grains, like brown rice or quinoa, and so on—that way, it’s done in advance. You can stash it all in the fridge (or freezer, depending on what it is) for when you need it during the week, so it’s ready to go. Saves time and stress! 

One-Week Fall Reboot: Mindful Monday

Mindful Monday

This day is dedicated to being mindful of your hunger and fullness cues. Learn to use a hunger scale before and during meals to keep your eating in check. This is a tool that can help monitor your physical appetite so you know when to start eating, and when to stop. I use a range of 1 to 5; with 1 being ravenous, 5 being stuffed. But you can create a more nuanced scale if you’d like. 

Start by ranking your physical hunger before you sit down to eat. Then at least two times during the meal, put down your fork and rank your hunger again. Finally, when you’re finished eating, do one last assessment. It might seem a bit unnatural at first during meals, but the results can be revealing. 

Here are some tricks to keep in mind:

  • When you start a meal at level 1, you inevitably eat way too fast and end up at an overfull level 5. To remedy this, force yourself to sloooow down. Also, try to identify why you got so hungry in the first place, and make an effort not to let it happen again.
  • When you begin at a normal hunger level of 2, you eat more slowly and mindfully. This helps you recognize when you’re comfortably full and that it’s time to stop eating. Keep it up!
  • When you’re already at a level 4 or 5 (perhaps because of too much pre-dinner snacking?), tapping into the hunger scale will help you choose to forgo the meal or just have something light, like soup or a salad.

One-Week Fall Reboot: Hydration Tuesday

Hydration Tuesday

We’re usually so focused on what we’re eating, we may forget all about what we’re drinking. In fact, for some folks, it’s not until they feel thirsty that they even think about grabbing a sip. Staying ahead of thirst and proactively drinking helps the body function better; the joints are lubricated and ready for exercise, nutrients are delivered to cells more efficiently, organs work optimally, and digestion and metabolism are firing.

Water is always a good option to quench your thirst—it’s convenient and calorie-free. If you’re looking for a little more fun, sparkling flavored water, like LaCroix, is sure to hit the spot. I love them straight from the can or mixed into any number of tasty recipes, including this Sparkling Beach Plum Lemonade, Black Razzberry Slushy, and Cucumber Lemon Spa Water.

As a rough reference: You’re aiming for about half your weight in water ounces. For someone who weighs 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces per day, or about nine glasses daily. If you exercise a lot or live in a warmer area, feel free to increase this amount.

 

One-Week Fall Reboot: Get over the hump Wednesday

Get-over-the-hump Wednesday

It’s inevitable that somewhere along your journey, you’re going to hit a block, slump, plateau or detour. It might be in the form of a slow and torturous Wednesday at the office. It may be a scale that’s stuck. It could be an invitation to a happy hour with friends or an extra slice of birthday cake at the office party. Whatever hump or obstacle you face, it’s always smart to have a plan in place so you’re ready and feel prepared.

I have a few suggestions—feel free to choose the one that works best for you. You can do any of these daily or as needed to feel more settled and centered.

Begin your day with positive thoughts.

Every morning, take a few minutes to look on the bright side, be positive, embrace your blessings, no matter how small they may be. It can be after the alarm sounds but before you roll out of bed, while brushing your teeth or on your commute to work. This may be the simplest and most powerful step you can take to improve your mental wellbeing and enhance your outlook. Use this time to think of three things that you are grateful for OR three things you’ve done in your life that make you proud. You’ll instantly feel more optimistic and less bogged down by the negative stuff life throws your way. You can think of mental exercise as prayer, meditation, or positive self-talk, but however you view it, it has to be a consistent part of your daily routine.

Do some deep breathing.

Setting aside time to meditate or do deep breathing exercises can help manage stress and promote feelings of calm so you’re better able to tackle whatever comes your way. You can do this anywhere—your bedroom, living room, even your office. Put simply, it involves focusing your attention, minimizing outside thoughts and distractions, and slowing down your breathing.

There are different types (guided, mantra, mindfulness, Tai Chi and yoga are a few examples), and you can easily search for tips online. Deep breathing is one of the easiest places to start. Find a quiet, comfortable place to sit. Take a normal breath, then follow it with a slow, deep breath. Breathe in slowly through your nose. Pull air through your chest, letting your stomach rise as your lungs fill up (to the count of four). Then, exhale slowly through your mouth (to the count of four). Do this a few times until your heart rate slows and you feel more relaxed. Repeat as often as you’d like throughout the day. 

These strategies can help you shake off any negative feelings and boost your positive efforts to keep you moving in the right direction. 

 

One-Week Fall Reboot: Try something new Thursday

Try-something-new Thursday

Today is all about trying something new. I’m going to focus on food (of course). Challenge yourself to find and make a brand-new recipe today—look online at your favorite chef or nutritionist’s website or social media for inspiration, borrow a friend’s cookbook or take one out at your local library, flip through a food magazine or ask a friend or family member for one of their favorite healthy dishes. Been meaning to give a new cuisine a try? Do it! Or head to your local grocery store or farmers market and ask about a new ingredient or produce item to incorporate into your cooking today. It’s not only fun to try new things, but it will help keep things fresh and interesting.

One-Week Fall Reboot: Fitness Friday

Fitness Friday

You won’t be surprised to find exercise on a list of things to do for improved health, but (ready for this one?): If you don’t like it, don’t do it. What I mean is: you’re only going to stick with activities you enjoy, especially over the long term. So, if the gym isn’t your thing, forget it. If you don’t like running, don’t even start. Find something that brings you joy or puts a smile on your face; maybe it’s dancing or hiking, or it might be yoga or joining an adult team (basketball or volleyball). Your goal is to work up to 30 minutes of physical activity most days.

And I would also recommend incorporating strength training. You can use your body weight (push-ups, planks, lunges and pull-ups) or free weights and machines. Building muscle through strength training offers a number of benefits. For one, the more muscle you have, the greater the boost to your metabolism. Not to mention, it also keeps you agile and can help protect you from injury. Try to build in two to three days of strength training to your routine.

 

One-Week Fall Reboot: Sleepy Saturday

Sleepy Saturday

This is one of my favorites…who doesn’t love a tip that recommends getting more rest?! Here are a few snooze strategies. First things first: Your goal is to aim for 7 to 9 hours of shuteye each night. Snoozing lets your body and mind reset and recharge. It helps decrease the risk for diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and more. And it increases your energy during the day.

Tips to help you hit the mark:

-Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This will help your body develop a rhythm and routine. Try to do this even on weekends, when you’re tempted to stay up later and sleep in longer. If you’re nowhere near this 7-hour mark, slowly build up by adding 10 to 15 more minutes each night until you work up to an hour. That may mean turning off the TV and putting the phone down so you can hit the sack a little earlier. Research shows the blue light from screens can suppress melatonin (the sleep hormone). Try to keep phones and computers out of the bedroom.

-Be careful what you eat or drink before bed. A few cocktails can make you sleepy at first, but alcohol impacts sleep quality, leading to repeated awakenings. Skip sipping at least four hours before bed. Also lay off heavy meals, which switches the body’s attention from sleep to digestion. Try to eat your dinner at least three hours before bed. And finally, aim to have your last caffeinated drink 8 to 10 hours before bed. Caffeine has a half-life of about 5 hours, meaning half the caffeine you drink will be in your system about 5 hours later, and it can take long 10 hours to leave your bloodstream. 

-Finally, create a sleep haven by making your room as comfortable as possible; set your thermostat to 65 to 70Ëš and consider a weighted blanket. Remove any distractions by investing in darkening blinds to block any light and using a noise machine to drown out noises from the street or a snoring partner. Sweet dreams!

 

Love coffee? Try these low-cal coffee hacks.