Sure Way To Fail

A sure way to fail........Doing too much at once.  How many times have you told yourself “after this (insert life event) I am doing on overhaul of everything! I am going to finally be the person that I want to be and make my health a priority.”

This way of thinking will always lead to failure! When starting to make changes DO NOT say to yourself I should start everything at once, i.e. eating 100% clean, working out every day, practicing mindfulness every morning, changing your entire sleep schedule. It is just not sustainable! ALSO even the “healthy” people you see on social media don’t do all of those things 100% of the time.

Becoming healthy is like a ripple effect. You start out with one small change that inevitably leads to another change. Before you know it all of those small changes lead to your end goal.

Don’t believe me? Let me tell you about Sam…..

Sam’s Overhaul Story

Sam wanted to lose weight, have more energy, and reduce the amount of medications they took. Enthusiastically Sam decided to start finally using their gym membership and committed to going to the gym every day after work. The weekend before Sam’s “big change” they went to the grocery store and bought only vegetables, chicken, and rice. Sam has no idea how to cook these vegetables and had actually never eaten most of them before. Sam felt nervous about buying all new foods, but said “it is now or never.”

Four days into Sam’s “big change” they were hungry, only eating raw vegetables, boiled rice,  and a grilled chicken breast for lunch and dinner. Since Sam hadn’t worked out in months their whole body ached from working out AND the increase in physical activity only increased their hunger.

On a Friday night Sam went out to eat with friends. Sam’s friends encouraged them to have a slice of pizza instead of ordering a more balanced option. Hungry, tired, and second guessing if Sam could keep this new way of living up they decided to have one slice of pizza….

But one turned into two and since Sam had already had two they ate three breadsticks as well. Feeling like a failure Sam headed into the weekend and binge ate high calorie low nutrient dense foods. All the while saying they would just start again on Monday.  

Does Sam’s story sound familiar?

Sam could have been more successful though if they used the ripple effect! Here is what Sam should have done:

Sam’s Story Using The Ripple Effect:

Sam was realistic and decided to start going to the gym two to three times a week after work. On the nights that Sam didn’t go to the gym they looked up new recipes with vegetables THEY LIKED.

Two weeks into working out Sam was less tired and able to start making the new vegetable dishes on the nights they didn’t go to the gym. Sam made sure to make extra so that on gym nights there was food ready when they got home.

Sam continued these small changes and few months later they began trying new recipes that incorporated new vegetables they had never had before! Now Sam was eating vegetables with lunch and dinner.

Since Sam was now making most of their meals they are saving money instead of spending it eating out. Sam even started going to bed earlier feeling tired from working out and is now getting a full eight hours of sleep every night compared to six before.

Feeling like a beast going to the gym two to three times a week, Sam was able to increase the amount of days they went. Sam joined a spin class for an extra day and realized they loved cycling. Six months later Sam purchased a road bike and now rides 10 miles every morning before work.  

One year later, just because of two small choices, Sam feels like a new person. Sam has lost 30 pounds, sleeps like a baby every night, has so much energy they no longer need their afternoon cup of coffee, has reduced their medications and has developed a confidence in achieving their health goals.

Which way of change sounds better? The constant cycle of trying and failing or making small changes that add up????

How are you approaching new lifestyle changes? Are you overhauling everything at once or are you using the ripple effect?

Trying to figure how and what to start with can be challenging. If you are interested in creating a ripple effect in your life and need a helping hand schedule a FREE 15 min call with me. Let’s work together to making lasting changes that feel effortless!