How to Get Back on Track After Summer (Without Starting Over Again)
Written by a millennial mom, recovered type A millennial mom, helping busy women create sustainable routines rather than chasing perfection.
This is for the middle aged woman who feel like summer completely threw off their routine & ready to get themselves back…but so overwhelmed with how & where to start!
Learn the exact framework I use with my clients to go from stuck, to “back on track”: feeling confident in their bodies & consistent with healthy habits!
Travel and parties happened.
Your workouts became inconsistent.
Meal prep disappeared.
Sleep suffered.
You’ve been relying on convenience foods, eating out more often, or simply operating in “survival mode.”
And now you’re feeling sluggish, unmotivated, frustrated, and wondering how to get back into healthy habits.
And TBH- This happens not just after summer. It’s every trip, holidays or even when the kids get sick.
You don’t need to keep doing this on off cycle!
The good news?
You don’t need an extreme reset.
You don’t need a cleanse, detox, or to punish yourself for enjoying your summer.
You simply need to build your routine in a way that works for your life (that you can maintain all year round).
If you’re new here – then hi, I’m Allison!
I help women Look, Feel and Function at THEIR personal best using a whole body, functional medicine approach to health. Without using extremes or cookie cutter approaches, I provide the framework AND the support needed to create optimal energy, balanced hormones, and a body that you feel comfortable and confident in! Â
CLICK HERE for details on how to work with me.
FIRST…Stop Trying to “Catch Up”
One of the biggest mistakes I see women make is trying to undo two, three months of inconsistency (and low level chaos) in two weeks.
This often shows up like:
“I’m cutting out all carbs. I’m going to work out every day. I’m starting hardcore Monday, and I will be perfect all week”.
But hellooooooo we know this approach doesn’t last.Â
Here’s how to reset your health routine after summer.
Let’s build consistency, confidence & feel healthy/energetic in your body!
STEP 1: Take an Audit
Take a good 10 minutes and ask yourself these questions. This is the exact framework I use with my clients to go from stuck to confident & making changes.
“What have been the biggest barriers to staying consistent?”
“Do I need structure/systems, accountability or both?”
“What are 1-2 areas of my lifestyle that if I changed, would have the biggest ROI on my health?”
Brainstorm FIRST before taking (random) action.
Remember: Consistency creates confidence. Confidence creates momentum. Momentum creates results.
STEP 2: Rebuild Your Routine (Around Non-Negotiables)
You do not need twenty new habits. You probably need three.
Decide on your “health minimums”, meaning the CORE behaviors that happen daily, weekly that really give you a huge ROI on how you look, feel and function.
Examples:
Movement
Maybe that’s:
- Three strength workouts per week
- Daily walks
- Ten minutes of stretching
Nutrition: Focus on adding before restricting. Can you…
- Eat protein at breakfast?
- Include vegetables at two meals?
- Drink enough water?
- Do you have a schedule with grocery shopping & food prep?
Self Care: Often overlooked by women, but essential to mental & emotional well being! Start with:
- Consistent bedtime
- Morning sunlight (I have a whole other blog post on this!
- Five minutes of quiet time
- Deep breathing before meals
STEP 3: Implement Habits
Focus on Habits, instead of Motivation.
Motivation comes and goes. Habits reduce decision fatigue and the mental load that comes with being a busy woman and/or mom!
Habit stacking is a great place to start when you turn new behaviors into easier, more “automatic” habits.
Examples:
- Before I make coffee → I drink a glass of water.
- After dinner → I go for a ten-minute walk.
- Before checking emails & my phone → I stretch for 5 min.
- After brushing my teeth → I set out my workout clothes.
CLICK HERE to read more about Habit Stacking.
STEP 4: Implement Systems
Think of systems as a series of habits during the day or week. For example, your “system” for healthy eating includes:
- Deciding on menu and items needed on Friday
- Shopping or grocery pick up/delivery on Saturday
- 1-2 hours (max) on Sundays washing produce & preparing batch items, like chicken & sweet potatoes
Don’t forget: Systems work GREAT for kids too! 🙂
STEP 5: Utilize a Healthy Mindset & AccountabilityÂ
Expect Imperfection – Life will happen & things are NEVER “perfect”.
The goal is to stop turning one missed workout into two weeks off.
Healthy women don’t stay consistent because they never get off track.
They stay consistent because they know how to get back on track quickly.
Getting back on track doesn’t mean: Completely starting over, beating yourself up for “missing” the mark, or doing everything perfectly
It means:
âś“ Planning ahead
âś“ Reducing decision fatigue
âś“ Creating realistic systems that fit your lifestyle
âś“ Prioritizing habits that support your energy, hormones, and metabolism
âś“ Showing up imperfectly, but consistently
âś“ Pivoting when things go differently as planned & doing your best, given the circumstances!
We know “trying” isn’t getting results. But that’s where accountability comes in.
We can know WHAT to do, but you need support in actually DOING IT (and not falling off, again!)
My big secret that works???
I provide both the structure AND accountability you need for long term success.
It’s creating a routine where we figure out “what could we reduce/delegate/simplify” so we aren’t adding MORE to your day, but making it easier! 🙏
Here’s my client Connie sharing her story working with me:
“After working with Allison for the past year, I can honestly say that at 35, I look and feel better than I have in my entire adult life! I have established better habits, and I’m not afraid of going backwards because nothing I’m doing feels like extra work since it’s enjoyable and a part of what has now become my normal routine. Allison is not about quick fixes and was able to help me integrate manageable changes over time in my exercise, nutrition, and other wellness behaviors.”
Final Takeaways how to Reset your Health Routine After Summer:
If you’ve felt out of rhythm after summer, travel, or any sort of holiday, you’re not alone. Use these 5 tips to stop feeling overwhelmed & make the first change.
Choose one habit. Practice it consistently. Give yourself time & allow momentum to build (it takes more than a few days!)
Sustainable health isn’t created through all-or-nothing efforts, but built through small actions repeated over & over, so that they don’t feel like “work”, but simply become part of who you are!
LET ME HELP
You don’t have to keep doing an extreme overhaul of your diet & exercise, self sabotaging & falling “off track” every 2 weeks.
I help women 30+ finally commit to a sustainable health routine so that they can lose weight, get fit & strong, & ultimately create an overall healthy routine, that they enjoy & can maintain.
Let’s build you sustainable routines, not restrictions…Where you wake up feeling energized, focused, motivated & confident!
