By: Nick Niedzwiecki
Have you ever been on a diet? How long did it last? Six weeks, twelve weeks, if you made it six months you’re a superstar! Typically what happens with a diet is we start, see some progress, then fall right back into the ways of old. This is because we do not set ourselves up for long term success from the beginning. These 5 tips are the key to success and lifelong change!
- Seek Help
Change is hard, whether it’s food, quitting a job, moving to a new city, or anything else life throws at us. Help makes change easier. When it comes to nutrition, this is a massive undertaking and not something we should approach lightly. Having someone to guide you along this journey is key to your long-term success.
- Establish Measurable Goals
Aesthetics, weight, and pictures can be motivating in the beginning of a journey but, in the long run, can be detrimental to our success. When comparing ourselves to older versions of ourselves, it is easy to only see what we always see as a problem, even if it has drastically changed over time. A better approach is to establish goals that we can measure against over time. Health and performance goals fall into this category. My blood sugar has decreased X amount since my last blood panel, my mile time has gone down X amount since my last test a year ago, and I’m lifting heavier weights than I ever have in the gym. These are all metrics that are measurable, and we can see the progress over time.
- Log What You Eat
This is a great habit to establish in the beginning so we can see exactly how much food we are eating on a daily, weekly, and monthly level. Think of it like your bank account; you don’t (or shouldn’t) go through life taking out more money than you are putting into the bank, and our food intake is no different. Getting started, we are not worried about what the intake is, just start logging what you eat to get a baseline.
- Commit
Approach this new change as a lifelong pursuit and not a six-week challenge. A diet is defined as “the kind of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eat.” This means that whatever you’re doing now is classified as a diet. McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Chick-Fil-A daily are all diets, and going on a “diet” will never be a lifelong commitment. Eliminating all the “bad” foods that you eat now will never last, and we don’t expect it to. Try a different approach and commit to making life long changes, knowing that there will be some bumps along the road.
- Find Support
Healthy habits are much easier to create, manage, and commit to when you have a great support system and community. If you’re surrounded by Coke and McDonald’s all day, odds are you can keep it away for a little while, but as a product of your environment, you will fall back into your olds ways. Create your own health path by seeking out a community of like-minded individuals who will encourage you along the way!
We have all 5 of these keys to your nutritional and lifestyle changes at CrossFit Athens! Shoot me an email to setup a time to come in a talk about getting started, Nick@CrossFitathens.com
By: Nick Niedzwiecki – Owner, CrossFit Athens
December 20, 2024
