Have you ever tried to give up something that you just didn’t want to? I’m sure you have. We all have. That favorite food, drink, or dessert can be almost impossible to live without.
It can be tough at times, but I have a little tip that can help. It is meant to be applied to factors regarding nutrition. However, if you feel it will help in other areas then feel free to give it a shot.
Now before I talk about the tip I want to mention one thing. I do not believe that in order to be healthy you have to completely avoid certain foods. I think that is a recipe for disaster. If you do not indulge every now and then, you may wind up overeating those foods.
I believe that you deserve your favorite “not-so-good-for-you” foods at times, but not all the time of course. It is in that perspective that I am writing this post. If you indulge in soft drinks every day of every week, then obviously you need to make a change. That is where this tip can help.
So here it is: Take a week off. That’s it!
Photo Credit: https://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-take-the-week-off/
Let’s use the example from above: drinking 1-2 sodas every day. All you would need to do for the next week only is to not touch soda. Again, just for that 1 week only.
If you are struggling with weight loss, thinking about giving up your favorite food/drink can be scary. It may be something you have enjoyed for awhile. You love the taste and the feeling it provides. This is completely understandable.
The cool thing about this tip though is that it does 2 important things:
1) Since this task is short-term, that fear of giving it up isn’t as high now. All you have to do is give it up for 1 week, then if you so choose you can go back to it.
2) It allows you to see that once that food/drink is removed from your life it isn’t as bad as you thought it would be. You may even feel better.
That is why I love it. Those two factors play a large role in a person’s ability to change their nutrition. By taking it out for 1 week, you see the benefits without having to think long-term. This usually leads to higher compliance.
I want to share with you a real example of how this works. I had a client a year ago who was doing well with his exercise but was struggling to lose weight and body fat. He was a pastor of a local church, and was constantly having desserts and foods given to him. These food items were by no means good for his goals.
After we talked for a while, I found that one thing he ate often was cake. So, I told him for the next week all I want you to do is avoid eating cake. Simple enough right?
Well the next week he came in, and hadn’t touched a piece of cake. He felt extremely accomplished and said that he liked doing it so much that he wanted to do it for the next week. I agreed and off he went.
He came in the following week once again having eaten no cake. And the best part of all, he had lost 6 pounds! Just from cleaning up that one thing, it was enough of a stimulus to help him lose weight.
I share that because I want you to see how simple yet effective this tip can be. Of course, you are not guaranteed the results like above but you never know.
I’m reminded of a quote by Albert Einstein “Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler”. That is exactly what this tip does. It is not hard to give up something for one week. It may be challenging but it is not impossible.
Doing this one thing could help you start seeing the results you have been trying to achieve. If you are willing, think of something you struggle with and try to avoid it for one week. I’m sure you will see some great things happen over those short 7 days 🙂
If you are looking for a personal trainer in Savannah, contact me to set up a consultation.
And if you found any of this information helpful, or know of someone it could help please share with others!
