How to set goals, even during the holidays!

It can be hard to adopt some new healthy nutrition habits during the holidays, but in my opinion, this is the best time to get started!

You’re probably more likely to stick with new goals in the beginning, so why not conquer the toughest time of the year and have a leg up on everyone else before new year!

When setting new health goals, we often start out motivated and in control only to find that we eventually get off track and abandon the goal altogether. Then we feel like a failure and beat ourselves up for not staying on track until the next round of motivation hits and the cycle repeats.

Sound like you? I hear you sis, we have all been there!

So, what can we do to get through those times when life inevitably gets in the way?

Start by setting behavior goals instead of outcome goals.

What does this mean? Say you want to lose 10 pounds. This outcome goal is what we want at the end of the process. The problem is that outcome goals can be thrown off by life events, kids getting sick, busy job, traveling, etc. 

Behavioral goals instead focus on what we can do consistently every day to help us reach the outcome we want. This gives us something to focus on to simplify the process of achieving larger goals.

So where do we start?

First step is to sit down and think about a health goal that is important to you. For example, if you have diabetes, then you may want to improve your hemoglobin A1c or someone who is overweight may want to lose weight to prevent a chronic disease.

Next, think about why this goal is so important to you. Why do you want to improve your blood sugar or lose weight? Once you get an answer, keep asking yourself “why?” to each answer so you can dig deeper. When you get to the root of your “why” it may feel a bit uncomfortable because the answer may be something you’ve been trying to hide from for a while now.

For example you might want to lose weight because you feel embarrassed that you can no longer bend over to tie your shoes or that you won’t be able to keep up with your children during playtime. Each person’s “why” is unique, so when you have 15 minutes to sit down, ask yourself why you really want to achieve this health goal until you get to the root of it.

Next step is to break it down into specific behavioral action steps you can accomplish every day. If you are trying to lose weight and flatten your tummy, you can start with eating all your meals slower.

Did you know this one simple trick improves digestion and results in naturally eating less food over time? It also helps us be more mindful of what we are eating by focusing on what it tastes like and why we like it. This can help you reduce those times you mindlessly eat from the open cupboard too.

If you are trying to lower blood sugar, you can start by swapping 3 of your desserts per week to a piece of fruit instead. By starting with something small like this and accomplishing it, you will give yourself more confidence and motivation to continue making changes and eventually reach your outcome goal of lowering your hemoglobin A1c or losing some extra pounds.

When focusing on these behavioral goals every day…

You learn to love the process by telling yourself that each day you accomplish your goals, you are moving ever closer to your larger outcome goal!

It takes daily actions like these to reach lasting and forever change. When getting started, use a log to track each day you met your behavior goal. That way when you start losing motivation you can think about your big “why” and look at the progress you already made to help you stay on track.

I hope you take some time to sit down and think of a health goal you would like to start working on right now.

Use the holidays to set some small or simple goals that will propel you into the new year.

For me, I plan to stick with a meal routine. I find that when I plan my meals ahead, I make better nutrition choices and will be less likely to eat out. I also love not stressing about what I am going to eat all the time.

Looking for some guidance? Reach out and book a discovery call so we can chat about what goals are right for you!