The passage to a New Year often feels like a fresh start. It is a time when many of us think about the types of things we’d like to focus on, achieve, or experience in the upcoming year.
Many of these intentions are surrounded around health and nutrition.
It’s great to think big. Keep in mind that change takes time and needs to be sustainable long-term in order to stick.
Think of your goal and work your way backwards into baby steps that are realistic.
Want to increase your hydration? Use baby steps!
What does that look like?
Let’s say your ultimate goal is to follow the recommendation of half your body weight as the number of ounces of water you drink daily.
Begin by fIguring out how many ounces of water you drink per day without much effort. Instead of trying to hit the new big goal right out of the gate, try to drink an additional 10 ounces consistently until it is easy and routine. Then try to increase another 10 ounces until that is effortless and so on.
Have a goal body weight in mind? Use baby steps!
What does that look like?
If a person drops two to three pounds a month, that could lead to 24-36 pounds of fat-loss in one year. That is a significant amount of weight! Keep that going and the potential grows as high as 48-72 pounds in two years!
Time and time again we hear people express frustration for “only” losing two pounds in one month. However, when you look at the big picture, this might be EXACTLY on track. Two pounds shed is movement in the right direction. Keep moving in this direction and at a sustainable rate and you will get to your goal.
Often when people try to make big changes too fast, the pendulum will come swinging back in the other direction because their timeline or action plan isn’t sustainable.
If you try to reach a goal weight too fast by making changes that you are not prepared to maintain for the rest of your life, it is likely that the change won’t last and the cycle of losing and gaining will continue.
If you use baby steps for change, you will be layering on small habit changes that will most likely become a permanent part of who you are.
There will be days when you don’t keep up with the habit changes you are making. Do the best you can on those days. Don’t say “Screw it, I”ll start again tomorrow.” Those days are not lost. Salvage what you can where you’e at and stop the pendulum from swinging too far in the other direction.
You are not going to do this perfectly – habit change doesn’t work that way. You may need to pivot and adapt your plan. That is a part of this process of change.
Use baby steps and don’t give up! That’s our 2-cents for this New Year check-in.