3 Unhealthy Habits You Need To Break Up With

We're all guilty of it - missing the gym just to sleep in that extra bit longer, or ordering takeout after a long day at work, unable to fathom the idea of slaving away in the kitchen. It happens to the best of us; but like a true friend would, we are here to pick you up and help you break up with these habits that are doing you no good.

1. BREAK UP WITH HAVING ONLY COFFEE FOR BREAKFAST

We’ve all heard it before – breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why?

Breakfast is important as it breaks your overnight fasting period, which kick starts your metabolism. It also helps with replenishing your glucose levels and supplies you with the essential nutrients needed to retain your energy levels throughout the day. Skipping breakfast has also been linked to weight gain. A study published in the Journal of Rural Medicine in 2014 found that skipping breakfast was more strongly associated to weight gain than eating before bed. So, how do we kick start the healthy habit of eating breakfast you ask?

• Get up 15 minutes earlier. For those who are time poor; quit hitting the snooze button and get yourself into the kitchen. You can even make overnight oats or chia pudding the night before to grab and go.
• Eat a smaller portion. If you’re not hungry in the morning just grab a banana or sip on a smoothie throughout the morning.
• Stop yourself from ordering ‘the usual’ coffee and banana bread as your morning breakfast at work. Making your own breakfast at home can reduce the unnecessary calorie intake you consume from this routine order. A piece of banana bread can contain the same amount of calories as a Big Mac. Now imagine eating a Big Mac every single day. Plus you'll save yourself a tonne of money by the end of the year. Money that could go towards your summer holiday fund instead!
• Break the rules a little – you don’t have to eat breakfast food for breakfast. Go on; eat the left over stir fry in the fridge.

2. BREAK UP WITH THE "I'LL START TOMORROW" EXCUSE

We don't like when people give us repeated excuses, so why should we constantly tell ourselves excuses. A big one we tell ourselves? "We'll workout tomorrow, I'm too tired today". These cold winter mornings make getting out of bed hard, but don’t let that defer you from slaying your workout. Warranted, if you truly need a rest, then take it. But if you find yourself telling yourself this more often than not, its time to breakup with this sabotaging habit.

• Create a vision board. As soon as you wake up look at the vision board and remind yourself why you started your fitness journey; this is a great way to keep you motivated.
• Buy some new workout gear, you deserve it. Just like your motivation, your active wear can wear out too. New tights that fit all the right places will give you that boost of confidence to hit the gym and show off those glutes you’ve been working on.
• Pick an activity that MAKES you want to get up in the morning; whether it be jogging along the beach, yoga, or hitting the gym. Don’t make your workout a chore.
• Workout with a friend; therefore you’re not only accountable for yourself. Working out with someone else also makes exercising way more fun, and who doesn’t want that?
• Sometimes, pushing yourself to hit the gym even when you're not feeling positive can really help. Exercise helps release endorphins in our body, the 'happy hormone'. You'll be thanking yourself after a sweaty session for pushing yourself out of bed and proving to yourself you can do it.

3. BREAK UP WITH FAST FOOD

‘Treat yourself’ you whisper as you take a bite of the pizza you ordered for the third night in a row. Now we aren’t saying there is anything wrong with treating yourself. We all love a cheat meal every now and then, but don’t let a cheat meal turn into a cheat day, turn into a cheat month. In this time poor world we are living in, its easy to reach for what’s most convenient; so here’s our quick fixes to save time AND money:

• Meal Prep. Nothing to do on a Sunday afternoon? Prepare your meals for the week and portion them into containers to grab and go from the fridge.
• Examine your habits. Keep a food diary of what you’re eating and calculate how much you are spending on takeout a week. Trust me, seeing how much you’ve spent on Thai for the week will be a great appetite suppressant.
• Put aside some money specifically for food for the week e.g. groceries and Friday night pizza. Keep yourself accountable for any unnecessary expenses that could have been avoided by having your meal prep that day.
• Choose healthy options that are easy to make & you can feast on your leftovers! Our vegetarian/gluten free friendly Quinoa Risotto range and Hemp Falafel Mix are both easy to make options that give ample nutrition and servings.