It's tempting to go ALL IN on changes, especially in January, thinking you'll be motivated to stick with it this time... Clean the fridge, empty the pantry, buy new containers, start the meal prep, join a gym, cut dairy, gluten & sugar, start the new diet plan. Cut all the bad stuff. Make HUGE commitments for HUGE changes.
It sounds great on the surface, but the reality is that this mentality (which is typical diet culture btw) breaks one of the first standards of long-term change: IT MUST BE SUSTAINABLE. Because if it's not sustainable, you'll be right back where you started, or worse.
While not nearly as glamorous or Instagram worthy, small changes - applied consistently over time - are proven to be most effective in creating long term changes in health (fitness, nutrition, weight etc).
So as you peruse the latest posts, articles and influencers telling you to make massive changes this year (especially big changes that make them $$$ by selling you products), let me encourage you along a different route. Make a list of small, positive changes you can add to your daily life, and apply them one-by-one, over time. Nothing is too small or unimportant. In fact, having some small wins are exactly what you need to get the ball rolling towards a healthier you.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- drink 1/2 your body weight in # of ounces of water each day
- add more steps to your day
- add 15 minutes of sleep
- eat fruit/veggies at each meal
- find 5-10 quite minutes to de-stress each day
- make your bed every morning
- eat protein with each meal
- read 5-10 pages of a book each day
Choose 1. Apply it faithfully this week, then try to add 2nd next week, then a 3rd the following week, and so on... keep layering your healthy choices. If you get really excited, keep a journal of what you're doing. After a while, the small changes will become second nature, and you'll be shocked to look back and see how many improvements you've made.
If you need help, or want more coaching or accountability, reach out. Let us know how it goes!
