For every self I’ve been

* Identify your common self-sabotage patterns and notice what situations, emotions, or thoughts tend to trigger them. Prepare a battle plan ahead of time when you are in the right frame of mind.

* One off-track meal or missed workout does not erase your progress. 

* Set realistic goals that fit your current lifestyle rather than aiming for an all-or-nothing approach that requires an insane level of discipline and long-term self denial that you have literally never possessed.

* Keep healthy foods easy, quick and convenient while making less healthy choices less accessible.

* Create a backup plan for busy or stressful days, such as healthier take-out choices, pre-packaged meals kept in the freezer, and 10 minute equipment-free bedroom workout videos saved in your playlist.

* Never think that you’re above celebrating your small wins, including drinking more water, adding vegetables to meals, or completing a quick workout. Even if it's the same old same old. You should keep celebrating these new habits because a year or two ago you were striving to be this version of yourself.

* Avoid using food as a reward or punishment.

* Track habits instead of just outcomes so you can recognize progress even when results are slow.

* Remember your deeper reasons for wanting to be healthier and revisit them regularly.

* Surround yourself with supportive people who encourage your goals and healthy habits, even through the content you consume.

* Acknowledge your habits that lead to a setback and focus on your next positive choice rather than dwelling on mistakes. Get up, move forward.

This is a really good question! I had to think about this for a while because honestly the answer is constantly changing and for me it’s a combination of things.

- mainly, it’s just routines. If I spend the bulk of my Sunday afternoon prepping food for the week, I’m less likely to choose other things to eat because it then makes me feel like I wasted time/effort/money. The night before I try to think to myself or make a note on what I’m going to eat the next day so it’s not a spur of the moment decision or room to think of something else to eat, it’s just already decided.

- asking myself: is it worth it? Working towards our goals takes so much effort and energy that unless the “less healthy” option is really worth it; after considering it, I usually decide that it isn’t. But sometimes it is (a really good piece of chocolate cake on vacation for example = totally worth it)

- I don’t keep things that trigger my unhealthy eating habits in my home. For me that’s mainly chips and pre-packaged stuff. I’m wayyyy less likely to eat something if I have to go out and get it (and I’ve never been one to doordash). The more difficult I make it for me to make unhealthy choices, again, the less likely I am to make them.

- I turned eating out/at restaurants into a date night thing only, something I do with Clay (or occasionally friends). I don’t even really think about getting fast food for dinner or lunch because eating out is something we do together and usually only once a week and I don’t want that one time to be somewhere like McDonald’s.

- I do a lot of journalling and reflecting on how good I feel when I fuel my body with food that makes me feel good and moving my body in a way that makes me feel relaxed (walks) or strong (strength training). This way it feels more like devotion to myself rather than trying to strong arm my brain into doing it for an end goal of losing weight. This one has probably been the mindset that’s shifted the most in my journey. I try to frame it in a view of self love and devotion to myself and making me feel the best I can by keeping promises to myself and upholding the routines and plans I made to get to where I want to be.

- with ^ thought it’s also sometimes just going through the motions and gritting my teeth to get through it. It’s like the uphill part of the hike or walking back to the hotel in the sand at the end of the day, sometimes I just have to suck it up and walk faster to get it over with so I can get there faster instead of dragging out the process and suffering for longer than necessary. Clay always jokes that I hit a speed boost on hills when I hike and that I seem to do them faster but in reality, I’m just trying to get the hard part over with so I can enjoy the end destination faster.

- telling myself I can consider X choice tomorrow and if I still want it, I can do it then. Most of the time I either forget or it doesn’t sound good anymore because I was actually just emotional or needing another outlet rather than actually wanting X.

- this goes along with ^, but really checking in with myself when I start feeling frantic or rushed or like I have to do or eat X right away. Am I feeling lonely? Sad? Anxious? Have I drank enough water? What am I trying to fix with this choice?

- going to bed early. I get up at 5:15 every day and in order to get enough sleep, I’m pretty much in bed every day by 9ish. The more tired I am and the later I stay up, the more snacky I get, even if I’m not actually hungry.

- keep your pantry closed/food off the counters. If you’re constantly being barraged with the sight of food, your brain is going to keep saying 🤔 every time and that’s not good for me.

- make sure you’re actually eating enough. I tried to do way too much of a deficit at times and it wasn’t sustainable or healthy. It led to some unhealthy cycles and I would’ve gotten to where I am now faster if I had stuck to a smaller more reasonable deficit. I pack in as much protein and fiber as I can!