As New Year’s Eve approaches, we will all be pushed the latest New Year fad diets, promising to give you the best results. Every year many set new year resolutions, making promises to themselves that it will be different this year! Research shows that the British adult will only stick to their New Year’s resolution for seven weeks before giving up their new habit and 21% of British adults only lasted a month before breaking them.

Many fail to stick to their New Year resolution because they buy into the hard and fast approach which doesn’t work, rather than appreciating the habits they currently have and building on them. As busy mums, we can feel disadvantaged when it comes to health and fitness due to little time and trusted resources. I promise you can put yourself first in 2024 without sacrificing time with your children. But first, you must set realistic goals which are suitable for where you currently are and with the time/resources you have.

Whether you have small children, school-aged children or your children have flown the nest, many mums I speak with every day talk about how they would like to feel like themself, gain more body confidence and feel stronger in their bodies. But unfortunately feel they have to follow a hard and restrictive plan, so just think screw it! This makes me sad. As a busy mother of three young children, I am here to tell you, that you can prioritise your health and fitness in 2024 without it feeling hard. Before you give up on yourself and re-create a new version of yourself, I want you to know you are enough just the way you are. Self-confidence starts within, we must first show self-compassion and work from within. I want to share with you my top tips to help you create a plan for 2024 which you will stick with and appreciate you for where you are.

1. What do you want? Whatever your goal is, why are you wanting to achieve this? Forget about what your friends have spoken about or what you have seen on social media. Is the goal you are working towards in line with your core values? Let’s take health and fitness; you may like to become a fitter, stronger and healthier version of yourself so may have signed up to couch to 5km but hate running (but your friend is doing it) so you sign up. But you know deep down you do not want to do this and won’t stick to it. STOP right there. Don’t think of exercise as a chore, think about it as a movement. What movements do you enjoy? Do you enjoy walking, dancing, swimming? Whatever it is, then choose that discipline and then build on it.

2. Eat for energy and fulfilment, not for weight loss. Come January everyone is removing all the things they love from their diet which is pretty miserable. This all-or-nothing approach is where you are going wrong. You are putting foods into good and bad categories, rather than seeing nutrition as fuel. You know having a highly processed diet packed with refined sugars is not going to give you the energy you need to perform at your best. So rather focus on including foods in your diet which are going to give you the energy you need. I love the 80:20 approach; focus on 80% of your diet packed with highly nutritious foods and 20% of your food processed. This way you can have a little bit of things you love but still reach your weight loss goals. You would be surprised if you removed the processed foods from your diet and replaced them with freshly prepared meals, lots of fruit and vegetables how much better you feel every day and weight loss will be secondary to this.

3. Slow is better. The hard and fast approach will not give you consistency. Focus on the smaller daily actions and building on these actions is the recipe for success. Look at what you currently do and add 1% to this. You do not have to be pushing it hard in the gym to get results. Focusing on more restorative movements to complement strength-based workouts is the perfect combination. Enjoying the process and seeing the changes will also keep you consistent and in it for the long game.

4. Celebrate the small wins. Like businesses at the end of each quarter, assess your progress, and take time to see how far you have come. You might not be where you want to be yet but you are on the right track. As long as you keep showing up every day and chipping away I promise you will to where you want to be. Plus look at what a fantastic role model you are to your children.

This year don’t follow the same path you have chosen year on year, choose differently and then you will get the outcome you desire. If you are looking to create healthy habits in January, check out my new challenge coming to the FIT MAMA Powered By Mari Carmen Fitness app. Forget the 'New You' cliche. This 30-day FIT MAMA challenge will empower you to feel great in your own body, without restricting or punishing yourself. With energising workouts, nourishing feel-good food, daily wellness tips and a focus on positivity, energy and repair, this challenge will help you form new habits and get you feeling like your very best self.  With workouts including strength, yoga, barre and pilates and a 30-day meal plan that fits all dietary needs, what are you waiting for?