The path to change...one step at a time.

Changes are hard, but not impossible. Especially when those changes are designed to create a new, or better, you.

I was speaking with a new client about changing her diet, and her family's diet. Right now it's fast food. Not because they can't afford good food, not because they don't know how bad it is, but because they don't have the time to prepare balanced and nutritious meals.

As we talked, I realized this client was overwhelmed with ALL the changes she needed to make. From soda, to white bread, to fried foods, to pastas and potatoes...there is so much information to take in. This daunting task proved too overwhelming for her; so we settled on step-by-step plan.

Rather than sit there and give her a list of changes she needs to make, we wrote up a schedule together

Rather than change her shopping habits and eating habits overnight, we designed a tiered framework for this massive lifestyle change. For each week we listed something small (but nutritionally poor) to remove from her diet. For each month we listed a much larger lifestyle change.

The small items were addressed first. During week one of June soda was out, in exchange for water and diet iced tea. The next week white bread was out, in exchange for high quality whole grain breads. The third week of June, white potatoes were out, in exchange for sweet potatoes. The last week chocolate disappeared in exchange for fruit.

The larger item was McDonalds. Starting in June the family no longer ate at McDonalds. Rather than going to McDonalds, the Subway (which happened to be 1 block away from the neighborhood McDonalds) became the alternative.

June is the furthest out we scheduled. During the last week of the month, we'll conduct another planning meeting to develop July's plan for changing and switching.

These small steps make something so daunting, so far away, seem reachable. Lifestyle change is the same as anything else; a new job, buying a house, moving away, even starting your day. Everything is one step at a time.

So, like I said...Changes are hard...but not impossible.

--BA

Fit2You Fitness, LLC
www.fit2youfitness.com
Philadelphia and Main-Line In Home Personal Training, Yoga, Nutrition and Corporate Health and Wellness