How many times in life have you heard the phrase, “Progress not perfection”? It may seem cliché, but there is a lot of truth to it.
I recently read a Facebook post talking about how every diet you try is successful, until it’s not. It highlighted how any diet you implement will be successful for the period of time you are putting in effort, but then there’s always that rebound when the end date comes. How many of us have implemented diet and lifestyle changes for a week, a month, six months, only to abandon them and sink back to where we were before it all started?
While some statements in the post I didn’t agree with, there was a statement about how the only diet or lifestyle change that is going to work is the one you will stick to for the entirety of your life. Whether it’s keto, counting calories, cutting carbs, etc. if you aren’t willing to stick to it for life, the changes in your body aren’t going to stick long term either.
As a nurse, I was taught that harm reduction is better than no change. It is better to instill one small change that patients can stick to, then to preach all the changes that need to happen in one doctor visit. It’s a very simple concept, but one that most people push back on. For some reason, us humans like comfort and control and don’t like change, even if it’s in our best interest.
When the cost of staying the same is greater than the pain of change, change can happen. When you see your parents die at a relatively young age from preventable causes, you may be more willing to change. When you aren’t able to walk from the parking lot to your grandsons soccer game without becoming out of breath, you may be more willing to change. When you have to go buy new clothes in the size up…again, you may be willing to change. When your body aches and its difficult to do the things you used to do, you may be willing to change. Just because you’re getting older, doesn’t mean you should become more sedentary.
I know change is hard. I know letting go of the things that you love is hard. On the flip side, having declining health is hard. Missing important events in your loved ones lives is hard.
It is all hard. Life is hard. Making the right choices for your health, when you are tired, stressed, or addicted is simple, but it is not EASY. You have to find what your priorities are for the future. The choices you make for your body today is what determines your health for the future. It’s not immediately gratifying to choose healthier food options…it takes time to see the impact.
With all of that said, it takes just one small change at a time to make positive progress in the long term. Here are a few small changes that you can master over time. Just choose one, master it, and then implement another. Remember, we are in a marathon, not a sprint!
- Walk immediately after every meal (5, 10, 15 minutes-whatever you have time for)
- Commit to making food at home
- Make your lunch
- Make dinner for a specified number of nights each week
- Decrease the amount of times you order take out
- Commit to drinking a specific amount of water each day
- Stop drinking alcohol, or at least reduce your intake
- Eat one green leafy salad each day
- Eat more protein and fewer carbs
- Stop eating food that comes in a package
- Don’t fear consumption of fat
- Explore intermittent fasting (maybe cut out breakfast)
- Read about metabolic health each day
- Benjamin Bikman
- Other resources
As a reminder, don’t do everything at once. Choose one item and go from there. If none of these suggestions work for you, then make up your own.
It’s not about perfection, it’s about consistency and long term commitment. Everyone has weak moments. Every one indulges from time to time. The bigger question is, “What are you going to do after your indulgence?”, are you going to say forget it and not try, or are you going to accept responsibility and start again tomorrow? One day of indulgence will not ruin long term progress. Consistency is key, perfection is an impossible standard that will only cause discouragement.
What is one change you can make today that you can stick to for the rest of your life?
Comment your change so others know they aren’t alone.
XO, Blaire
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