I'M GETTING A LITTLE PREACHY UP IN HERE....

I’m gonna get a little preachy in this post, so bear with me. When you start focusing on healthy habits, your goals will happen.

As busy moms trying to make changes to our health for whatever personal reasons we have, it can be difficult to look at the ENTIRE thing you’re trying to change and not feel overwhelmed by it. Any mom who has walked in the door after a long day and comes home to a disaster zone knows what I’m talking about. Sink full of dishes. Piles of laundry. Dog got into the trash and spread it EVERYWHERE. Kids toys are all over the house. Marker on the walls.

If you know, you know.

You can look at that mess and just feel…defeated. You’re tired from work and running errands or taking care of kids all day, and it is daunting to think, “How in the world am I ever going to get all this cleaned up?”

So, you start with the trash. Once that’s done, it might be the dishes so you can get dinner going. If you have the time or the energy later, it might be one of the piles of laundry.

But just focusing on one area at a time makes it seem less overwhelming.

I’m going to using weight loss as an example, but it doesn’t just apply to losing weight. It applies to any area of health or wellness you want to improve – managing an illness, training for a competition, balancing your hormones.

If you are used to eating a certain way your entire life (burgers, fries, mac and cheese, pizza, soda), and you decide you want to lose some of the weight you have gained due to aging, childbirth, hormone imbalance, slower metabolism, etc., changing the entire way you eat in one swoop is a LOT to process.

Or trying to run a 5K without training first. You’re probably not going to do very well or might even injure yourself if you just jump right in and don’t build up your endurance first.

But when you focus on the HABITS, your entire health starts to change.

Some people call it Habit Stacking. Others call it Chaining, Or Dominoes. Or Routine Building.

My version is Healthy Micro-Habits. 

But by building your healthy habits, the results follow. Example, if you set the goal to lose 20 pounds and part of the way you're going to do that is to eat more fruits and vegetables, that’s good. But setting the goal to eat a fruit at 10am for a morning snack might eliminate a sugary snack at mid-morning or overeating during lunch.

You’re not actually thinking about, “Where am I at on my calories? Am I overeating? What about my points/macros/carbs?” You’re just creating the habit of eating a piece of fruit every morning.

And the results follow.

It’s creating the habits that matter. Your ultimate goal might be weight loss or running the 5K or getting your blood sugar under control, but those things will happen as you work on eating more fruits and vegetables, increasing your jogging every day (even if it’s only one block at a time), drinking more water, etc.

Each habit brings its own rewards, and are not mutually exclusive. Creating the habit of drinking more water each day is going to improve more than your blood pressure or exercise performance. Each small habit you establish and grow is going to lead to another successful habit.

But the point is, by taking the pressure off of reaching your goal and being frustrated by where you are in your progress, this way the only pressure is, “Did I do my habit for today?”

Did you drink your water?

Did you eat your fruit?

Have you eaten enough protein?

Did you stretch before bed?

And before you know it those habits are so ingrained, you’re not even asking yourself anymore if you’ve done this habit or that habit. You just DO IT.

And that’s when building the next habit begins. Once the water habit is fully internalized into your routine, your movement begins. Or your protein. Or more veggies. Or whatever fits with your ultimate goals.

That’s when you realize you’ve lost 10 pounds, seemingly without even trying. Or you A1C level has gone from a 7.2 to a 5.8.

By changing your mindset from ‘It’s too much’, to ‘What’s the easiest thing I can do today?’ it will take the pressure away and you’re just eating healthy today, not “DIETING!” Or you’re just making a delicious meal for you and your family that also happens to be healthy. You’re jogging a block instead of trying to run 3 miles. You’re doing a few stretches before bed instead of an entire yoga routine where you twist into a pretzel.

Create the habits. The results will follow.

And if you would like to learn more about how health and nutrition coaching can help you work on your habits, set goals, and change your mindset, Book a FREE Consultation Call with me to help you get started.