When I have worked with clients who came to me because they didn’t feel their best (energy, weight, food issues, etc.) I always like to help them set small, achievable goals. Some people who came in wanting to completely overhaul their entire eating plan, want me to write up exactly what they should eat, or make other extreme changes would sometimes be upset that I pumped the breaks.
I try to help them understand how going after the low hanging fruit actions would not only be more sustainable, but will make impactful changes in their health. Here are 5 examples of small goals I often set with clients to help them make big improvements in their life.
GO TO BED ONE HOUR EARLIER
Sleep is everything. I honestly start my night routine once the girls are down. I shower and my PM skincare routine is usually all done by 7:30pm. I love getting in bed to read by 8-8:30 and lights out around 9-9:30pm. Over the weekend we stayed up a little later (10:30pm lol) and I felt like crap the next day.
Aim for at least 7-8 QUALITY hours of sleep a night. It’s a game changer.
DRINK MORE WATER
And skip sugared beverages. So many people consume consume added sugar in their beverages without thinking twice and it adds up quickly. Sweetened drinks offer no nutritional value and will leave you craving more sweet food. The sugared creamer in your coffee, the sweetened ice tea, the soda, the chai latte, etc.
Very rarely did I have a client that was drinking enough water and sometimes I was shocked how little water some people consumed. I totally get that it can be a challenge to get in enough water, but start small. If you’re drinking 24 oz water right now- don’t try and drink a gallon starting tomorrow. Try to slowly bump it up by 8-12 oz/day until you’ve reached your goal.
Being properly hydrated impacts many aspects of the body including hunger signals. You’ll have more accurate hunger signals if you’re drinking enough water and you can trust what your body is telling you.
DON’T WAIT TO EAT UNTIL YOU’RE STARVING
Waiting until you’re a 10/10 on the hunger scale to eat usually backfires. You likely don’t make the best food choices, eat too fast, and eat too much. This could also lead to a cycle of wanting to restrict after overeating, waiting too long to eat, overeating/binge eating…repeat. Also if you’re properly hydrated per my point above, you’re hunger cues are much more accurate giving you assurance you can’t trust what you’re body is trying to communicate. Feeling hunger isn’t a bag thing. Plan ahead, honor your hunger, have a balanced meal or snack and move on with your day 😉
EAT MORE COLOR
Add at least one piece of fruit or a veggie to each meal. Many times with clients I will take their food log and highlight eat food they have eaten with the color of the food so they can visualize the colors they are consuming. Often we will see mostly brown, yellow, and white colors. I then have my client set the goal of having at least 2-3 bright colors with eat meal (red, orange, green, blue, etc.). It’s an easier way to think about food sometimes. Variety is important and each color represents different nutrients the food contains. More colors = more nutrients.
LIFT WEIGHTS
I think one of the best things I ever did for my body and health was to shift my mindset about working out. I still love cardio and incorporate it into my weekly routine, but I make sure I’m lifting weight (heavy weights) 2-4 x week. I wrote a post here about strength training for women.
xx, Alix
