If there’s one thing that has been coming up with clients these last two weeks, it’s been feeling totally knocked off the right track as far as health habits. Whether you have kids running around, are figuring out working from home, or are just a bit unsettled by everything happening some of our most entrenched health habits have slipped – and we’re feeling worse for it. So I have a worksheet and four steps to shift back into your feel good routines this week.
I shared a post on social media on Monday, about why nutrition matters now more than ever. Not in a scary way, must only eat vegetables or you’re going to die way, but a reminder that getting enough good stuff is at the base of all of our body’s functions. That includes immune health, fertility, fitness, mood and neurotransmitters, fat loss, cell repair, digestive health…..you get the picture.
So consider this a gentle push if you’ve been needing one. And if you have been off kilter, jump off that shame and guilt wagon. 95% of clients I worked with last week were too. I have also had some ups and downs with food, routine and exercise. Heck, I ate three freshly baked cookies after having waffles for breakfast on Sunday (both delicious) – but I also snuck in plenty of veg, water, and a walk. Let’s find the balance and get our footing back together by narrowing our focus to what really moves the needle. No jumpstarts, cleanses, or shifty fad diets needed.
4 Steps To Getting Back On Track
Before you keep going, you can download and print out a worksheet and tracking tool here! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u9GV6PfMu8S5tf1TusRQlFZQRLFeVA86/view?usp=sharing
1. Remind yourself what your bigger goal is. Why are you eating well?
Do you need more energy, are you trying to prevent something like Diabetes that runs in your family, are you trying to lose weight so you can feel comfortable in your clothes and skin again? This is personal, so spend a minute pondering the bigger goal instead of just writing down the first thing that pops in your head.
2. Make a list of key habits, tasks, or actions that you know help you feel better, eat better, or mentally be more “in the game”.
Set a timer for 5 minutes and list as many as you can think of. Everything from a weekly meal planning date, to 8 hours of sleep, to veggies at every meal, to stopping coffee by 1pm counts. What food or health habits really get you feeling good and on track?
3. Now, pick the three MOST important.
Which ones give you the biggest bang for your buck in terms of progress, energy, soothing your gut, lowering cravings or mentally making your day easier? We’re not giving up on the others, but it’s really important when you’re feeling off track to start small. Our brains do best with concrete, check off-able wins. And these little wins means we’re more likely to start doing other healthy things more naturally, and the snowball builds. So stay focused on the small stuff, I promise it helps to resist the urge to go all in.
4. Find a way to monitor your wins, and see where you need to focus.
Where our attention goes, energy flows. So put your attention not on what isn’t working, but on what you need to do. Tracking can be a labour intensive or triggering exercise for some, so I’ve created this worksheet https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u9GV6PfMu8S5tf1TusRQlFZQRLFeVA86/view?usp=sharing
to make it more focused and less obsess-y.
Print it out, grab a pen, and leave it somewhere you check in every day. At your desk, beside the bed, in the bathroom so you can look at it while you’re brushing your teeth if that works. Get through at least 2 weeks of consistent wins (think nailing those habits 5-6 out of 7 days) before adding or changing the goal.
Bonus step: If you can find a person to share this with (who’ll be supportive, not judgey), do it. Being accountable and open improves success rates both in the research and what I see with clients. It might be your partner, sister, friend, therapist, RD or dog. Whoever you trust to check in with you and you can be honest with.
If you know that you could use extra support, accountability, and personalized advice on navigating your health and eating with everything going on, book a free Find-Your-Fit call with me. We’ll make sure it’s a good fit, chat about options and then leave you to percolate on the best choice for where you’re at.
Need some help getting your meals for the week balanced and prepared? If you’d like to receive our free Meal Planning Getting Started Guide AND get in on our weekly emails about all things nutrition so you can get clarity and confidence on what you’re eating, join us here!