2 Simple Ways to Stay on the Wagon

If you are busy like I am, you may not have the time to cook, but want things to taste good.  So this is the quickest, easiest way I have found to get in nutrients (the more colorful your food, the more nutrients you’re getting).If your body knows it’s getting nutrients, you are less likely to overeat.  You also doing have to spend a lot of time on grocery shopping and meal prep.  There is just enough variety not to get bored.  Books and books have been written on salad and smoothie recipes.

Giving yourself permission to eat whatever you want outside of that limits that feeling of deprivation that can set off a binge

2. Do not go more than 2 days without moving your body in some way. 

It is not a punishment. It is not a rule.  Commit to giving yourself the GIFT of movement.  The way I look at it is, I can goof off, complain about being tired, let spur of the moment activities come up for 2 days, but on the third day, I’m moving my body in a way that feels good to me for at least 30 minutes because that is MY minimum baseline.**A minimum baseline is the minimum amount of activity that you are committing to doing for the rest of your life.  A promise that you make to yourself, so I always suggest that my clients who haven’t exercised in a while start with 5 minutes every 2 days.

Most of us can usually workout 5 days a week, rest the weekend then easily start back up on Monday, but if I skip Monday, 3 days turns to 4, 4 turns to a week, a week turns to…you get my point.  So that’s how I came up with the 2 day principle.  That might even be why they only give us 2 days off a week, anything more than that and I get back to work, I don’t remember codes, I can’t think of my computer password. Hmm…

3. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t do it
The last thing I’ll say on the subject is that to use the phrase “falling off the wagon” would not be a problem, except for what we make that mean.  That we failed? We did bad? We did something wrong?  Life happens.  If you don’t drink a smoothie today the world will not stop turning.  If you don’t exercise for a week (provided you continue to listen to your body when it comes to hunger and fullness cues) you will not gain a bunch of weight.It has been my experience that when we feel bad, we do bad.  I can give you all the tips and techniques in the world, but if you don’t become aware of how you talk to yourself when you don’t live up to your own expectations, you will be trapped in the cycle.

So I want to hear from YOU.  What gift of movement are you committed to giving yourself?