11 Nutrition Tips To Kickstart Your New Year The Right Way 2024 Dietitian Insights

Time to start the year effectively!⁠
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I know many athletes find that starting the year well is the hardest part so I wanted to help you out in case you struggle with this too!⁠

With new years resolutions, dieting trends, poor advice, and life admin…it’s not hard to fall into traps when it comes to your nutrition goals and do things the wrong way.

Not to mention the fact that there is so much nutrition misinformation around with new pieces of B.S. arising each new year to prey on the post-festive season vulnerability. 

You may very well be doing this nutrition thing the wrong way. Or not in the most optimised way at least. 

Time to change this…
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In today’s blog, I share 11 ways to kickstart your year when it comes to your nutrition, fitness, and health.

New year, new you?

Of course, it’s what we all say right…

But when the decision needs to be made on how you approach your nutrition this year…which will you choose?

The quick fix results in January and February? Or the long-term real results that take TIME?

Today it’s about setting you up for the latter. Let’s explore some nutrition tips to get to started in 2024 with more direction and effectiveness.

#1: Set a SMART goal that inspires

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Based.

The inspiring aspect comes from ensuring your goals connect your WHY - the deep reason you want to achieve the said goal.

Put two together, and you have something alot better than a generic new years resolution. 

#2: Think about what you want your whole year to look like

Frame your whole year. Have a bigger vision. Think long term.

STOP thinking just about an arbitrary goal and the months of January, February, and ol March.

If you don’t think about how your gameplan will be for the whole year, you have a new quarter resolution. Not a new year/life resolution. 

#3: Focus in on your protein game

Up the proteins!

The protein macronutrient is one which can help stabilise your diet and ensure you are achieving better balance and more strategic edge.

It can help with satiety and is important for healthy body composition growth. Both of which can be very useful for a fat loss plan or an athletes performance toolbox.

#4: Become more “meal portion” aware

So many people struggle with nutrition because of a sheer lack of awareness - across the board in various potential ways.

However, one of the biggest culprits is the lack of awareness when it comes to meal portions and what you should be eating. 
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This year, start working on learning about meal portion control and linking it to your individual needs. This is where individualisation comes in and a Dietitian can help so reach out if you are interested in professional coaching. 

#5: Avoid fat diets and crash diets

Fad diets are not doing it for you. They are created on shoddy science and are typically either harmful or ineffective long term.

Crash diets are reactive decisions to weight gain in the hopes of losing alot of weight quickly. This is also not a recipe for long term successful fat loss.

Instead take a step back and think about a strategic and flexible dietary framework. And choose a diet you can actually stick too, jeeze. 

#6: Re-start meal prepping as soon as possible

One of the first things that goes out of the window come the Christmas season, is our routine and habits.

Meal prepping and nutrition is one of the main ones that get pushed to the side when the end of the year rolls in and other duties arise.

However, meal prepping is a staple of good nutrition practice so it is important that you work on re-establishing this ASAP.

So re-start your meal prepping sooner rather than later and see the new years food game flourish. 

#7: Pause your focus on supplements

People are always focusing on which supplement to buy and what powder will streamline and hack their way to results.

It doesn’t work that way.

This year I want you to put a pause on your pursuit of supplementation for the time being and work on your food first approach, your habits, caloric balance, and lifestyle behaviours. 

#8: Add more colour to your life

More colour = more nutrients.

So up your veggie and fruit game this year to repa the rewards of a well balanced diet that makes you feel good and not just look good.

The more colour the better. Aim for 3 different ones per meal as a starting point. 

#9: Avoid diets you have failed before on repeat

You know that diet you have tried to do 2-3 (or heck, more maybe) times before and it always ends the same?

STOP IT!

Stop doing that same diet and hoping for something different. Unless you have a nutrition specialist in your corner to review your past attempts, it is likely that what you were doing was not “the right stuff” so don't repeat it this year. 

#10: Look beyond the scale

This year is the year you stop only focusing on the scale weight and step into a new you that focusses on things behind a number.

I want you to find ways to assess progress beyond the scale.

Look at things like how clothes fit, mood, energy levels, total body composition, building strength and fitness, visual assessment, gut health, and habit building.

The list can go on and on. Choose something and add it to your list of metrics to track. 

#11: Focus on 1-2 changes at a time to build up your momentum 

Last but definitely not least, we have this point right here. A certified gamechanger in my opinion.

Stop biting off more than you can chew.

Instead focus only on 1-2 changes at a time and juice those low hanging fruits to build some small wins and ultimately build up your momentum in the first part of the year.

Rinse and repeat. See your year flow better and the progress come more smoothly. It’s about the small changes leading to the big wins. A cliché of truth. 

Recap

So there you go!

Now you are equipped with 11 potential nutrition spark plugs to kick off this year with more impact - for your goals and your state of mind.

Let’s start doing this game differently and reap the benefits you have been chasing for years.

Also, now before I leave you…I do want to ask you some things because maybe you need someone you be your guide on this journey once 2024 is well and truly kicking into gear…

Do you feel you need expert guidance when it comes to your fuelling, recovery, and nourishment?
Not seeing the body you feel happier, healthier, and more confident in?
Performance lagging like an early 2000’s dial up internet setup?

I may be able to be of assistance. 

If you are ready to take your nutrition and body to the next level and elevate your performance in a way that doesn’t make you want to punch your Sports Dietitian, then let’s chat.

I have developed a bespoke nutrition coaching solution that allows you to work with me personally 1:1 to help start bridging the gap between where you are now and where you want to be with your physique & performance. 

In this program, I'll personally coach you using my flexible nutrition system to help you harness the power of calories and macro strategy to regain your competitive edge - think of it as a bespoke nutrition solution that empowers you to eat better to achieve better. 

If you want to have someone in your corner guiding you with all this, ensuring you only focus on the ‘right stuff’, and get better results while doing it all… send me an email and let’s chat.

I do high level nutrition coaching for active professionals and athletes and I have spots open for new clients wanting to leverage the power of nutrition with a Sports Dietitian

Interested in learning more? 

Simply email me at: [email protected] to have a chat about this and see if we are a good fit to work together and get you your best results yet. 

Or to apply now to see if you are a good fit, simply CLICK HERE and start the process for reaching your peak potential. 

Coach Aleksa 

Brisbane Sports Dietitian and NUtritionist