Do this one thing to see long lasting results in nutrition
There is so much information out in the world about nutrition, diets, quick fixes, or cleanses. So many of these diets ask you to completely uproot what you eat every day for a short period of time, or for the rest of your time!
The one big problem I find as a nutrition coach is that these diets or programs usually set you up for failure right from the start. Completely changing your diet or way of eating is most likely going to backfire. You might be able to hold on for a week, maybe a month, but eventually your old habits and routines will come back into play, as these are what you have been doing for your entire life.
That being said, there is hope, and you can make change. One of my favourite ways to start changing your nutrition is to choose one small thing that you can change right now.
Yes. One thing.
This one thing will be actively built into your life for you to become accountable for.
When we talk about one thing, we are talking about something that can be done in five minutes or less, or there abouts as a start. A simple action that will help you in the long run. Five minutes, one thing.
Here are a few examples:
- Choosing to swap your morning/afternoon snack for a piece of fruit
- Choosing to drink a glass of water before your morning coffee
- Setting aside five minutes in the evening to plan your meals for the following day
- At the supermarket, instead of grabbing the biscuits, picking up extra fruit
- When you want to grab a snack, going for a walk around the block first
These are just some examples of the five minute one thing which you can bring into your life to start making change.
The examples I’ve given won’t suit everyone, but the most important part of the five minute one thing is that you change something – so choose something you know will work for you.
Change can be hard, but starting small helps build up your successes and helps prove to yourself that you can do it. Once you have a track record of following through with your goals (even the small ones), you start building a reputation with yourself that you can do it. Once you have this belief in yourself, bigger changes will be much more manageable and you will have more success!
Alice is a Nutrition Coach who works with people one-on-one and in group settings to help change their habits and behaviours towards food and eating to help them achieve their goals. She is contactable on Instagram at @alicemshogan.