Raise your hand if someone has ever said this to you….
“Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”
*Everyone’s hands raising*
It’s kind of annoying right?
No one wants to win or improve their life at a snail’s pace.
So when it comes to your diet and improving your nutrition, the whole approach of “don’t bite off more than you can chew” isn’t an ideal slogan. It seems too dang SLOOWWWW.
Because let’s be honest here…
You want body composition results NOW (like yesterday). You don’t have time to take a moderate approach. You’re ready! Let’s GO!
You’re going to want to smack me for saying this next part, but I want you to hang in there, because I’m going to ask you a few vital questions about why you’re trying to improve your nutrition in the first place.
I want you to SLOW DOWN.
Here’s why….
Do you want results next week? To take part in some program that will be utterly miserable? To take part in something that CERTAINLY won’t last because it’s highly unsustainable?
….Or….
Do you want to learn to change your lifestyle forever? Do you want to take part in an approach that will allow you to KEEP your results so you don’t have to keep searching for more solutions? So that you don’t have to keep starting over?
Now..the approach...the “hack” that ACTUALLY works for improving your nutrition will never show up in a sponsored social media ad, promoted by a well known/sassy #fitspo who lives in a matching sports bra and high waisted leggings.
It’s not sexy.
Patience is a hard sell.
So, since taking the slow and steady approach to nutrition seems like the rebellious thing to do these days - let’s go the rebellious route and talk about HOW.
Whether or not you are excited to hear this, it IS all about building one SMALL habit at a time.
Finding consistency with it (1-2 weeks minimum) and then adding something else in.
Here are a list of ideas on how you could go about this:
BREAKFAST
- Don’t currently eat breakfast at all? Start eating breakfast
- Typically eat cereal? Swap it out for a higher quality, real food like oatmeal with a little bit of fruit
- Instead of just toast, start balancing the meal by adding a scrambled egg on top and a slice of avocado
- Instead of just toast, pair it with a scoop of protein powder with water
- Need something to consume during your commute? Make a balanced smoothie with greek yogurt, a scoop of protein powder, some fruit, a little almond milk, and a handful of spinach
- Meal prep your breakfast the night before so you won’t have any excuses if you wake up late the next morning
- Reduce the amount of sugar you add to your coffee. Ask for only 1 pump of syrup. Slowly reduce the sugar with the goal of ONE DAY eliminating it altogether
LUNCH
- Typically roll through the Chick-Fil-A drive thru? Today, get what you always do but maybe go sans fries
- Get the regular sandwich you always get, but bring a piece of fruit from home to go along with it
- Pick a different restaurant that has better, higher quality options
- Hit up the grocery store for lunch and grab a pre-packaged meal. So many grocery stores have fresh options for sandwiches, salads, chicken breast, roasted potatoes, and veggies
- Keep a water bottle with you at all times. Staying hydrated will curb more cravings than you think
- Control your snacks. An apple with some jerky or cashews might save you from frequenting the donuts in the office break room
DINNER
- Pro tip: Most of the lunch ideas above could easily apply to dinner
- Swap ONE sugary soda per week out for a glass of water
- Reduce your nightly beer intake from 2 to 1
Whatever FIRST STEP you pick - remember - do it consistently for a minimum of 1- 2 weeks until it becomes a habit in your daily routine. Then move onto the next small change.
The idea is to build one habit at a time.
The micro suggestions mentioned above make a much bigger difference than you can probably even imagine because the cumulative effects of making those changes over the course of weeks and months starts to add up in a HUGE way.
When you change ONE habit at a time, you will be able to look back after a year and see how drastically different your nutritional habits have become without ever having to go through the overhaul all at once.
You will feel in control, and you will be able to hold onto and live with those desirable results forever.
Good Luck!
-Miranda
P.S. Check out this Coaches’ Roundtable video on Youtube where we discuss several ways to control your fitness, including the topics of fruits + veggies, limiting alcohol consumption, drinking water, and the palm method. Enjoy!
