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The human body is approximately 60% water, which is why getting enough water throughout the day is highly important for the body to not only survive, but to function at its best.
Most people have a hard time drinking enough water to meet their needs. The most common complaint is that it doesn’t taste good. Before I share ideas of how to spruce up the taste of water, I want to discuss the importance of water and how much you need to drink to prevent dehydration.
Read moreLast week, I discussed how to make healthy habit changes. This week I’m covering key elements needed to lessen the difficulty of incorporating new habits.
Think of it as a game plan to creating long lasting health habits rather than winging it.
Consider these elements when implementing new healthy habits:
Before beginning any new habits, have a solid plan and a short back up plan. If you’ve decided to change your eating habits, have a few meals and snacks planned and those ingredients stocked. Meal prep once a week for meals you don’t have time to make. Also, have a plan for when you forget your lunch at home or you’re running errands all day. Perhaps you have a local restaurant or grocery store that you can pick up a quick healthy meal.
Schedule and plan your workouts ahead of time, so when you get to the gym or park you don’t waste any time. Also, have a backup in case you aren’t able to workout at your usual place. This is where being flexible and having a backup plan is needed.
Create an environment that is congruent with your goals. If you’re wanting to eat more fruits and vegetables, then stock your kitchen with fresh and frozen produce. If you want to increase your physical activity, make sure you have clean workout clothes.
Our bodies are sometimes slow to show changes. One week you can lose a few pounds and the next two weeks half a pound. Then the fourth week, you can lose a few pounds again. It’s frustrating, but a reality.
If you are putting in the work, changes are happening. The scale is not the only instrument to document change. Take photos, notice how your clothes feel, and use a measuring tape. These four measurements will give you a better overall picture of what is happening.
Take this process one day, or one meal at a time. If you overeat at lunch, get back on track for your next meal. If you skipped your workout, get back on track the next day.
Consistency is huge. What you do day in and day out ultimately determines whether you succeed or not. One overindulgence or skipped workout will not derail you. Overtime you will be successful.
For years, it has been said that if you want to achieve your goals you must write them in the S.M.A.R.T format. This means they should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
Let’s say you want to lose weight, so you write down your goals, and for a week or two you follow through with them. But, then you have a lousy day, and decide to skip the gym and order pizza instead of eating the meal you prepped. Not a big deal, right. Well, then one night turns into two, which then turns into a week.
Now you have completely reverted back to before you wrote your S.M.A.R.T. goals. What happened? What went wrong? Did you lack willpower?
Your S.M.A.R.T. goals, as great as they were, did not account for the habits/behavior change needed for you to succeed. Willpower means nothing when it comes to successful dieting.
Instead of focusing on goals, I want you to focus on behavior/habits. Consider these 5 steps to creating actionable goals. At the end of this post, download the printable to help you set actionable goals.
Choose a strong why. It needs to be important enough that when life gets busy or you want to quit, you won’t. Your why can be anything, as long as it is important to you.
Ex. Why – I want to look good.
Choose a realistic outcome goal. What do you want to accomplish? This goal is going to be your finish line. Something you’re aiming for. Unless you have a time specific goal such as running in a race, put this goal in the back of your mind.
Ex. Outcome goal – I want to lose 10 pounds.
Choose a behavior goal that will get you closer to your outcome goal. When deciding on this goal, I want you to consider your lifestyle. If you enjoy Sunday brunch with friends, don’t cut out all restaurant meals as your behavior goal. Yes, you can probably stick with it for a while, but you will most likely be unhappy. Pick something that you know you can accomplish.
Ex. Behavior goal – I will eat more fruits and veggies.
Choose an action goal that fits with the behavior goal. This will become a habit that will lead you toward accomplishing your outcome goal.
Ex. Action goal – I will eat 1 cup of veggies with lunch and dinner and 1 serving of fruit with snacks.
Use your action goal to create a routine that fits within your lifestyle.
Ex. Routine – Eat a fruit with breakfast and afternoon snack every day. Eat a salad with lunch and a roasted veggie with dinner every day.
Once your action goal becomes a habit, then you will choose another action goal. If you’re consistent with your behavior and action goals then your outcome goal will take care of itself.
One last tip, tell your goals to at least one person you trust. This can be a friend, a significant other, or anyone. Telling someone will help you be accountable and will give you support when you want to give up.
Click on the link to download the printable Set a Goal & Crush Them . Use this printable to crush your goals.
