Skip to main content

why avoiding certain foods may not be the answer

approach goals vs. avoid goals


Are you having a hard time avoiding certain foods?  Are you trying to cut out sugar, grains, or dairy, but just can’t seem to fight the call of a mid-afternoon visit to the vending machine?  Maybe avoidance isn’t the answer for you.

Maybe you need to make an “approach” goal instead of an “avoid” goal.

What I mean by that is maybe your goal should be “I will drink 60 ounces of water a day.”

Or maybe, “I will eat 100 grams of protein a day.”

“I will eat two eggs per day.”

“I will eat three cups of vegetables per day.”

“I will spend 20 minutes outside each day.”

“I will exercise 30 minutes each day.”

You get the picture. 

Set a goal for something you will do, not something you won't.

Setting yourself up for success and celebrating the wins is always better than punishing yourself for the transgressions.

These are all examples of goals I personally have for myself.  If I’m craving a cookie, I tell myself that if I’ve done all the other things I had planned then I can go ahead and have a cookie.  Usually, by the time I’ve eaten my protein and veggies, drunk my water, and taken a walk, I’ve pretty much forgotten about the cookie.

Of course, if you want to be successful, you need to build these approach goals into your daily routine.

Make sure your water bottle is always with you.  Have some protein already cooked in your fridge.  Cut up your veggies ahead of time.  Block out time for exercise—preferably first thing in the morning or right after work so nothing else can interfere.  Get some sunshine during your lunch break to build your vitamin D stores for immunity, strong bones, and mental health.

Then give yourself a pat on the back instead of a kick in the shins.  Chart your progress with gold stars instead of demerits and see how much better you feel about the process.  Hating yourself healthy (or thin) never works, friends.  Your body may be a bit rebellious at times, but ultimately, you’re on the same team.

You've got this, friends!

If you'd like to talk to me more about creating a wellness and nutrition plan that works for you, I've got you!  I'm a certified Nutrition Coach who will create a simple, customized meal plan for you and coach you through how to implement it into your busy life.  We also talk about all the pitfalls that make it hard, and help you make it the anchor that keeps you healthy, energized, and sane through the whirlwind of your everyday life.

I'd love to talk to you about the program, so please book a free consultation with me by clicking the Calendly button. I look forward to talking to you!



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

meditation on a rose

The universe was trying to tell me something this week.  First, I got a bouquet of beautiful pink roses from my daughter’s boyfriend for no particular reason (who does that? He’s a keeper!) The next day I read about the Heart of the Rose meditation in The Monk who Sold his Ferrari . In this form of meditation you gaze into the heart of a rose for several minutes, soaking in the beauty and clearing your mind of all other distractions. I tried it briefly, but honestly, I wasn't really into it. Later that day, since I apparently didn’t get the message, my coworker gave me a beautiful rose from her garden. So now I had a rose on my desk at work, roses on my table at home, and a book on my counter reminding me to take more time to meditate. I had been on a great streak of meditating ten minutes a day while I was at home all day this summer, but since I went back to work, that was one of the first habits to quietly slip away. The stress of the pandemic sneaks up on you. You think ...
Post a Comment
Read more

create a new habit in 6 steps

Habits make our lives easier. They make things automatic and free us from the decision fatigue that hits us near the end of the day. However, you probably already know how hard it is to create a new habit. The old ones are so deeply ingrained. It should be simple—there really are only 3 steps involved. Trigger, behavior, reward. With some things it really is that easy. Walk into the bathroom, brush your teeth, enjoy the reward of fresh minty breath. Unfortunately, other habits are not so easy to implement. Habits around food can be the hardest! That’s where we bring in the big guns: habit stacking. Throw every trick you’ve got at it. There are lots of things you can do, but here are some of the most powerful tools I have found for creating better habits around food: 1. Put it in front of your face. If you want to drink more water, fill your water bottle and take it with you everywhere. If you want to eat according to a plan, print it out and post it on your fridge....
Post a Comment
Read more

I slipped and fell off the wagon!

In an effort to keep the Christmas spirit alive and well this year, I baked all the usual cookies and treats:  buckeyes, fudge, caramels, snowball cookies, chocolate crinkles, ginger snaps... Everyone has a different favorite, of course, so I had to make them all, despite making proclamations that we would not go overboard this year and I was going to narrow down the list of things we would make.  I could try and make gluten-free, sugar-free versions, but what would be the point, really?  My kids wouldn't eat them, I would be stuck looking at them and feeling guilty that I wasted the time and money on them, and would feel obligated to eat them all myself.  Usually we make cookies and keep them in the freezer, doling them out little by little as we make our rounds of holiday parties.  This year, however, there are no parties to go to, and home baked treats are not as well-received as in years past. So...guess who's eating the cookies this year?  Yep, I fell ...
Post a Comment
Read more