One of the biggest progress killers we see is when someone tries to change everything at once. On top of that, the focus is usually on small, nuanced things that don’t really need to consume our energy. Here’s an example to paint a picture for you:
It’s the new year and you decided you are going to lose 30 pounds by March. Currently, your eating routine is pretty chaotic and you haven’t been moving your body. You decide to sign up for a gym membership where you will be working out 5 days a week! Along with that, you decide that you are going to begin a raw vegan diet where you only eat in a 6 hour eating window. Week 1 is pretty tough, but you manage to barely pull through. By week 2, you decide the raw-vegan-fasting situation wasn’t for you and you move to an all keto diet. Because your habits moved from one extreme to the next, the cycle continues.
Can you, or someone you know, relate to this? Here is a more sustainable way to approach your goals and stay on track long-term.
It’s the new year and you decide you want to put more time into focusing on your health. Currently, your eating routine is pretty chaotic and you haven’t been moving your body. To be realistic, you set a small goal to start walking for 20 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during your lunch break. You noticed you don’t see many colors in your meals, so you are setting the goal to add a colorful fruit to your breakfasts. Once you master those two goals for a few weeks, you add another small goal! You decide to add in 1 day a week of yoga and you’ll watch a Youtube class so you can do it at home. Along with that, you are now eager to add colors to all meals. The cycle continues and you are consistently working on improving yourself throughout the year.
There is a pretty drastic difference between the above scenarios. In the first scenario, the person is going from 0 to 100(+)! They are being pretty unrealistic overall, but also putting to much energy into super nuanced things. For example, they went right into focusing on a raw vegan and keto diet. In reality, most people just need to focus on drinking enough water, getting colors in their meals, seeing protein at each meal, and fueling their body with a variety of macronutrients in order to see health changes! Making your diet more complex does not equate to it being a more successful option.
Always remember: master the basics! Most times, even the most advanced athletes and individuals can benefit from revisiting some of their “basics” and working on those. Here’s a list of things you can focus on improving, if you’re feeling confused on where to start:
- Getting at least 7-9 hours of good quality sleep per night
- Seeing colors at most meals
- Increasing your step count
- Allowing yourself time to rest
- Fueling yourself adequately and consistently (this means eating at least every 3-4 hours!)
If you need help setting some goals, talk to your coach!
