Hey, welcome back to the fit me Turo fitness podcast. I'm your host, Turo Virta, and today we are talking about something you see everywhere right now, New year, new you, new body, new life, new everything. And underneath that message, there is often a quiet sentence, the current you is not good enough. And if you have ever started January with mix of hope and shame, if you have ever looked into a mirror on January 1 and thought, now I really have to fix this, this episode is for you today, we are talking about how to change your habits in the long term, how to improve your health, your energy, your strength, without hating your body or treating yourself like a project that is broken. My goal for this episode is simple. I want you to walk into this new year thinking same me, better support, better habits, not new me, because the old one is carpets. We will talk about what's actually wrong with the new year, new you mindset, how you can get how you can want change and still respect the body. You have a simple way to shift your identity without waiting for the scale a seven day plan to start the year in a kind effective way. So if you are listening while walking, cleaning, driving, take a breath. You don't have to fix your whole life in January. So let's get into it. So you have seen this many, many times, and you probably see, if you use any social media, you are seeing these commercials, ads, posts from influencers all the time, New Year New you eight weeks read New year, new you detox. New year, new you bikini body. On the surface, it sounds motivating, but there are three problems with this idea. Problem one, it starts with the same so these marketers are very good knowing your weak points. And the phrase new you quietly says the current you is not okay. We must replace her. And if you start from I'm not okay, anything you do will be heavy. So every missed workout becomes proof. You see, I really am a failure. That's not motivation, that's self attack. And what is the problem? Chew it. It feeds that you're all or nothing thinking so new you, New Year. New you often means new diet, new crazy workout routine, new rules, or more rules and new I will be perfect from now on, and that can work for week maybe two. Then life happens. You get sick, your kid is up at night. You travel for work. There is a birthday, dinner, something, and then your brain says, you see, you broke it the new you failed to the old you. It's like having only two sittings perfect robot or disaster. Problem three is it ignores the part of you that kept you alive, the old you that people want to throw away. She survived a lot stress, kids, work, maybe grief, maybe burnout. She used the tools she had, food, maybe wine, maybe scrolling in the evening to calm down. We We are where all those tools perfect? No, did they help you at some point? Probably yes. So instead of saying everything I did before was stupid, I want you to think I did the best I could with what I knew at time and now, I want better tools, not new. You just better supported you. And let's talk about this idea that people get stuck in it's either I full either I fully love my body exactly as it is, I never want to change it, or I hate my body, and that's my motivation. I don't agree with that. So you can want change and still treat your body with respect. Think about it like a house. If your house has old windows and cold air coming in. You don't stand outside screaming at the house. You are disgusting. You should be ashamed. I'm not coming in until you look like a villa. No, you still live in it. You clean it, you turn on the heating, you invite friends. You keep it functional while you slowly improve it. You don't hate the house. You upgrade it because you care. Your body is your house. You live in it now. Your family needs you in it. Now, your friends get your laughings, your hugs, your presence. Now nothing, then kilos. So we want to talk about the change like this. I want less knee pain. I want more energy in the afternoon. I want to breathe easier on the stairs. I want to feel proud when I pick up the weights, those are goals that come from care, not hate. Let me give you quick two client examples. Ingrid has been with me for years. When we started, her main goal was weight loss. Like for most of the people, she had a strong I'm wrong feeling about her body. Over time, something changed. We still care about tetlos, but she started to know notice other things. I walked up to a mountain, and I would never do that before. I can stand longer. I can play more with my kids, even if I'm not at my ideal weight. Yet I can do so much. More than years ago, her identity quietly moved from I'm the woman who always fails to I'm the woman who keeps showing up even when it's not perfect. Did her body change? Yes, she lost a lot of weight. At the moment, it's almost 20 kilos. But more important, her relationship with her body changed. There is a Samia. Samia had many years of all or nothing, if the scale didn't move fast, she felt broken. We shifted her focus to steps, strength and how she feels during the day. She started celebrating. I hit my 7000 steps. I did my workout, even on a busy week, busy day. I did not give up after success, after a stressful week. And those are forms of respect. Those are ways of saying to your body, I'm here. I'm listening. You matter enough to play around you, so I want you to hear this clearly. You don't have to love every part of your body to treat it with kindness. You can still want changes. You can still want fat loss, but the energy behind it can be, I am worth taking care of instead of, I'm disgusting. I need to be punished. So let's talk about identity on this podcast, we often say your actions follow who you think you are. If you believe I am the woman who always quits. I am the one who can't say no to food. I am just lazy. Your brain will look for proof. It will collect little moments. You skip the workout. There you see, you're lazy. You ate chocolate at night. There you see there is no control. And then January becomes just another attempt to fight with yourself. So instead of New year, new you, I want you to try new year, same me, but different story, not a fake story, not I am a fitness machine who loves broccoli, 24/7, just a slightly better story. And let's create now one together. I want you to ask yourself, what is the old identity sentence that hurts me? Maybe it's I'm not a sporty person. I always gain to weight back. I don't have discipline. What is softer, more helpful? Identity I can practice this year, try maybe something like I'm someone who comes back after breaks, and especially after breaks, I'm learning to move my body consistently. I'm becoming a woman who takes care of herself even in a busy seasons of life, and you don't have to fully believe it, yet, think of it as a direction and because, because, more often, those are every time you are able to think it. It's kind of thought for yourself, for your new identity. And I will give you a simple exercise. After this episode, grab a piece of paper and write in 2026 I'm the woman who and then finish the sentence with one thing, not 10 things, just one maybe keeps her promises to go for a walk three times a week. That's strength training twice a week to stress, to stay strong. Doesn't give up for three weeks just because of one bad day. That identity sentence is like a small compass. You're not suddenly a different person, but you are pointing yourself in a new direction. And here is the key, your habits should fit that sentence. If your sentence is under woman who does strength train, who does strength training twice a week, and then your January plan should be, should not be six workouts, 10,000 steps every day, zero sugar, perfect trade, perfect tracking, because your plan should match your identity, it's starting two strength sessions per week, maybe six to 8000 steps on most days, some focus on protein and sleep. The identity leads and the habits follow, not the other way around. I tell it again, the identity leads the habits follow, not the other way around. So let's make this now very practical. And here are four mindset shifts for this January. You don't have to use them. Use all of them be just one, maybe at the most two that feel real and realistic for you. So shift number one is from punishment to support your old January style, I ate too much now I must do detox. Two hour workouts, no carbs, no fun, until I'm good again and your new January style. Would ask yourself, What does my body need to feel a bit better this week. Often it is not more pain, more restriction, more rules. Often it is water in the morning, protein at first meal, walking outside, getting some daylight, if possible, going to bed a bit earlier, instead of, how can I punish myself for a December? Ask, How can I support myself after December? Those are sentences you tell to yourself. You might think that it's the same thing. It it doesn't change a lot, but that changes everything. Shift number two is from huge goals to one anchor habit. Old version might be maybe have tell that this year I will lose 15 kilos. Run three times a week, go to gym four times per week. I never eat sugar again. I drink three liters of water and meditate every day. By January, 10, you are exhausted a new, new version of you would say that this month, my anchor habit is just one, strength training two times per week, or 8000 steps per day, or 50,000 per week, or protein at breakfast every day, or pick by 10:30pm three nights per week, your anchor habit is like the one One peg in the wall that holds the code. So if everything else is messy, you can still point to your anchor and say, I did that. I'm on the path. Then there is a shift three from before after photos to a progress passport. And before after is nice, but it hides everything in between. I really, I still highly recommend everyone to take pictures in the beginning. It's not that I'm saying that you shouldn't do it. Take it even because I have worked with so many people in past 10 years, and there is not a single person who, after six months, was regretting that they took pictures. Most of the people don't do it because they feel guilt. They don't like I'm I don't enjoy taking pictures from myself either, and I don't do it very often, but I did it in the beginning, and then you have something to compare. But it it's because those changes, they they don't happen overnight. You we almost all feel like that. It's going You don't realize how much there might happen something. So I still recommend you to take those pictures. But the goal is not to not to game or get the best possible or fastest possible transformation. But the goal is to actually start looking your habits, your progress, what happens in between? And the real change happens in between those pictures. And the reality is that some weeks the scale is going up from water, some weeks your clothes feel the same, but you are sleeping better, and some weeks you will train well, but there is no visible change yet. So instead of only one metric and the tail, create a simple progress dashboard. For example, each week. You can note weekly weight average, not just one day, not just once every Monday or two times a month. Take make yourself every day, but look only weekly, average waist measurements, once a month, number of workouts, number of days you hit your step target, how you rate your energy from one to 10. When a client says, I'm stuck and we look at their dashboard, we often see they are sleeping better, they are stronger. They have added some weight in their workouts. The race is smaller, even the scale is not going down as quickly as you would like, but that is still progress, and that matters. Shift four is from self attack to curiosity. Curiosity. Old pattern might be that you overeat at night. You wake up and think I'm disgusting. I ruined everything. I always do this new pattern. Could be that you overeat at night, you wake up and ask what was going on yesterday? Maybe you were tired, maybe you were sad, maybe you were lonely, maybe you were under eating earlier in the day, maybe you were saying yes to everyone else and had no time for yourself. Now, you are not yelling at yourself. You are collecting data. You might say, Okay, I see I skipped a lunch. I had two coffees instead of proper meal. I walked very little. By 9pm I was exhausted, and of course, I wanted chocolate. From there, you can ask, what is one small thing I can change next time? Maybe you add protein in the afternoon. Maybe you go for a 10 minute walk after work. Maybe you turn off screens 30 minutes before bed. Curiosity moves you forward. Same keeps you stuck. Now, let's build a plan that you could start today or latest tomorrow when you listen this episode is coming out on January 1, so this is the perfect timing. So this is nothing radical. It's just a kind reset for the next seven days. Try this. Pick one identity sentence, write on a paper or in your phone. Notes in 2026 I'm the woman who and here are some examples. What you if you don't know what to write, you could write that's strength training two times a week. Doesn't quit after a bad weekend. Takes care of her body, even when life is busy. Step number two is choose one anchor habit for this week. Ideas, two strength workouts, seven, 8000, steps most days, or any other number protein at two meals a day in bed by the same time three times this week. Make it something that deep inside, you know, is realistic, always also when life happens. And then Step number three is use day after routine, when things go off, if you have a heavy meal, a party, a pinch, whatever the next day, please pick glass of water in the morning, protein at your first meal. At least 20 to 30 minutes of walking, go to bed as early as you reason reasonably can no drama. No I ruined everything. Just Okay. Back to my anchor. And then step number four, at the end of seven days, ask three questions from yourself, what went better than last week? Where did all or nothing show up? What do I want to keep doing for the rest of the month? That's it. There is no crazy detox, no new you, just you with slightly better systems. So as we start this new year, I want you to remember this, you don't need a new you. You are not software that needs to be deleted or reinstalled. You are a human being who has lived a real life. Your body has carried you through everything so far. You are allowed to want to change. You are allowed to want less pain, more energy, different clothes, but let that desire come from I deserve to feel better. Not I'm not enough until I do look different. And if this episode gave you even one idea, here is what I would love to you. You to do, when you finish listening, write down your identity. Sentence in 2026 I'm the woman who then you choose one anchor habit for the next seven days. Keep it small and realistic, and if you want extra accountability, you can send me message on Instagram or email me. Fit me Turo at fit me turo.com and share your identity. Sentence your anchor habit, sometimes just writing it to someone else makes it more real. And if you enjoyed these solo episodes, it would mean a lot for me if you leave a quick review on iTunes, leave a five star rating on Spotify for the podcast, or share this episode with a friend who is tired of New year, new you pressure and needs a kinder way to start the year. Thank you for listening. Thank you for trusting me in your ears. You are not behind. You don't need a new you. You just need support, time and a bit of patience with yourself, same you better habits one week at a time. Have an amazing start to the year, and I will talk to you in the next episode.