When you decide you want to improve your nutrition, it’s easy to feel like you need to change everything at once.
Eat more protein.
Drink more water.
Cut back on sugar.
Meal prep.
Exercise more.
Being healthy starts to feel like a full-time job.
The problem usually isn’t that you don’t know what healthy eating is. It’s that you’re trying to make too many changes at the same time.
You don’t need to change everything at once
When I coach clients, I encourage them to focus on one or two priorities at a time.
For example, instead of trying to change your entire diet, you might start by:
- Adding a protein to breakfast
- Adding a serving of vegetables to dinner
- Drinking a glass of water with lunch
- Adding a 10-minute walk after work
Once that becomes automatic, you can build from there.
Starting with small, specific goals can make changes more manageable, while trying to take on too much at once can get in the way of consistency.
Focus on what will make the biggest difference for you
Not every nutrition change is equally important for every person.
Maybe your meals are balanced, but you’re constantly snacking between them.
Maybe your nutrition is good, but you’re not drinking enough water or getting much movement during the day.
Or maybe your biggest challenge isn’t food at all. Stress, sleep, work, travel, family responsibilities, and your daily schedule can all affect how easy it is to follow through on healthy habits.
Instead of asking, “What else should I be doing?”, ask:
“What is one change that would make the biggest difference for me right now?”
Make your goals specific
Instead of:
“I need to eat more protein.”
Try:
“I’ll add eggs or a protein smoothie to breakfast.”
Instead of:
“I need to drink more water.”
Try:
“I’ll drink 8 ounces of water with breakfast and lunch.”
Instead of:
“I need to exercise more.”
Try:
“I’ll take a 10-minute walk before dinner.”
The more specific the behavior, the easier it is to know what you’re actually trying to accomplish.
Your plan needs to work on your busiest days, too
It’s easy to eat well when you’re home, have plenty of time, and your schedule is predictable.
What happens when you’re traveling, working late, eating out, tired, or dealing with a stressful week?
If your plan only works when everything goes right, it’s probably not sustainable.
Instead, think about your minimum baseline.
What are the few things you can continue doing even when life gets busy?
Maybe it’s having a protein-rich breakfast, carrying a snack, drinking water throughout the day, or getting a short walk in.
Those habits may seem small, but they’re the ones that keep you from completely falling out of your routine.
Expect setbacks
There will be days when you don’t follow your plan.
You’ll travel. You’ll eat out. You’ll skip a workout. You’ll have dessert. You’ll have a stressful week.
You’re still making progress. Setbacks are normal and getting back on track is part of the process.
You don’t need to quit. You don’t need to start over. Just get back to the next healthy choice.
Give yourself time
If you’ve been eating a certain way for years, it’s going to take some time to develop a different routine. The goal isn’t to be perfect from the beginning. It’s to become more consistent over time.
Nutrition should ultimately make your life better—not make you feel like you’re constantly failing.
And if you’re feeling overwhelmed by where to start, nutrition coaching can be helpful. We can look at what you’re currently doing, identify the areas that will have the biggest impact for your goals, and work through the changes together.
Message us on Instagram or email us at info@thecancerteam.com.
Sharing Healthy Love,
The Cancer Team