Starting out any nutritional program can be a challenge. Changing your daily habits and acting with your health as a priority can be a learning curve. Of course, most of us know the basic principles of a healthy lifestyle, but more often than not, healthy eating can be a guessing game until we’re taught differently. Whether you’ve just begun your journey with us or are 5 months in, the most common thing we hear from clients is, “I’m having trouble staying consistent”.
Unfortunately, staying consistent with both your nutrition and exercise plan is the key to seeing long-lasting results. Consistency leads to healthy habits, ones that are sustainable enough to keep throughout your life. The good news? We have some ideas to keep you on track!
Be Candid with Your Certified Nutritionist
Never underestimate the role that nutrition plays in your customized program. Of course, getting the necessary exercise plays a large role in how your body begins to take shape, but nutrition factors greatly in the results you see. This is why we encourage every client to as questions about their nutrition plan. You can’t be expected to keep a habit up if you don’t understand why you should. Don’t be ashamed of what you don’t know. If there are foods and meals on your plan that don’t make sense to you, ask your nutritionist why they’re important. Demystifying your food can make committing to consistency far easier.
Many people struggle with the idea that eating well means eating boring, flavorless meals. On the contrary, your nutritionist will try and make your meal plans as dynamic as they are purposeful. If you’re not liking a certain food, however—to the point that it’s keeping you from consistency—be candid with your certified nutritionist. At times, learning how to eat differently means relearning your personal food likes and food dislikes as a team.
Track Your Habits
We always recommend documenting your journey however you see fit. If you’re looking document more than what you’ve eaten in a day or your weekly goals, try tracking your habits. List out each habit you want to cultivate. Dedicate a journal page to your habits, making small squares for each day of the month, and assigning a habit to it that’s giving you trouble. It could be one habit, or it could be 10, regardless, make this table for each that you’re choosing to focus on. This could be eating a nutritious meal before a workout or consuming a gallon of water a day. Set daily reminders for your habits on your phone, and at the end of each day, fill in a small square box for that day and task.
For the first few months, you may notice that most of the squares aren’t filled in. See which habits are difficult to find consistency in and make the mental effort to put more work in for the following month. What you should notice is progress, big and small. Take pride in the fact that you’re working toward consistency, even if it takes time.
Be Friends with Your Food
Sometimes eating what we know is unhealthy and unhelpful to our journey is more satisfying than eating well. Notice when that’s happening to you. Are you feeling unhappy with your food nutrition plan because it doesn’t bring the same comfort as foods from your past? Remind yourself that old, unhealthy food habits are hard to change.
Be patient with yourself, but stay persistent. Not every person you meet in life will become a fast friend, and you should view clean eating in the same respect. Make friends with different foods. Get to know them and recognize the way they make you feel over the span of a day, week, or month. With time and consistent behavior, you might surprise yourself with how much you enjoy their company.
