Where do I start?
Navigating the fitness industry is no simple endeavor as a novice. There is so much advice on the internet, from friends and family, coaches, trainers, and professionals. It can all become so incredibly overwhelming and how do you know if the advice is right for you? It can feel like an uphill battle with no end in sight. Where do you even start?
Here is the thing. It’s so simple. Start where you are at currently. Not where you where when you were at your prime. Not where you were 10 years ago. Not where you want to be when you reach your goals. Start right where you are now. Without making any changes in your life, begin tracking your daily diet and movement activities. No shame, no guilt, and absolutely no negative self-talk. Write it all down and simply be as truthful as possible. We know you are trying to make changes and you will get there one step at a time. Don’t rush, don’t be impatient, and don’t over do it.
To do this, buy a food scale and start measuring and scaling your food portions. Packaged foods come with serving sizes and nutrition labels, but when you create your own meals from scratch, it is harder to tell exactly how much you are eating. You may not realize what a 4 oz portion of meat or one cup of cooked rice looks like on your plate. The goal isn’t to weigh our food for the rest of our lives; it’s to become accustomed to the amount of food we need to eat in order to fuel our body. When we make the switch from processed to whole foods, the serving size may get lost in translation and you might not be tracking your meals and calories correctly. Narrowing in on what a portion size is and scaling your food will help you tune in to how much you are really eating and make it easier for you to pivot to better habits. When you make a home cooked meal, make more food than you think you will eat and save the rest for later. Now, this doesn’t mean make enough to feed an entire football team if you live alone. It means it’s ok to make a little more than you need for one meal and save the rest. If you are the type to finish everything on your plate, this is your first small change: leave one bite of food on your plate at every meal. Practice mindfulness or incorporate a sense of prayer into your mealtime, reinforcing the truth that you really do not need that next bite in order to feel full.
Remember learning about hypotheses and the scientific process? Independent variables are held as constant as possible and only one change is made at a time to evaluate an affect on a dependent variable. So, in the same spirit, make one small change at a time and tread lightly when incorporating new things into your diet and routine. Part of controlling your hunger and fitness is maintaining your energy levels. Take a thoughtful approach to your routine, and think deeply about how much change you can handle at once without feeling anxious or deprived, overworked or exhausted. The goal (on this blog) is to reset your baseline approach to food and fitness, to create life-long sustainable change. Sure, you will lose weight if you go from couch potato to working out for 3 hours every day. But if you rush into a dramatic weight-loss diet and exercise routine, can you sustain this way of life? Are you trying to be an Ironman Triathlete for the rest of your life , or, rather, do you simply want to see small lifestyle changes that over time result in a big impact on your health?
Things may be difficult when you start a new routine. You may experience challenges or issues and things might not go the way you planned. Communicate with your coach. Let them know what struggles you are facing and let them offer support and guidance. Seek mindfulness practices to incorporate change and ramp up when your body and mind are ready.
You may feel like you are taking two steps forward and one step back. Or one step forward and two steps back. Enjoy the dance. Live in the flow. but don’t lose hope. You are beautiful, worthy, and loved at any size or shape. Remember why you started and that the journey is part of the process. You will get there.