We are back with the ABCs of health and today is all about Upgrade. We intrinsically know what that means… when you think of upgrades you think of software, your phone, maybe a car, a home, income… the image is clear.
When it comes to health, it’s the exact same idea. No matter where you are in your journey, there is always something that can be upgraded.
Take a moment and think of a circle, with a line going from the center point to the circumference. To reach the opposite side of the circumference, you need to move 180 degrees. A 180 degree change is a complete change to the opposite, right? Bringing back the math here! But what is a 180 degree change? It’s ONE degree, 180 times.
The exact same thing applies to your health. So many times we start our health journey wanting everything to change at once. We go all in (remember letter A?) and we try to do all the things and we inevitably fail or get frustrated or give up. Why?
Simply because a 180 degree change in that circle, no matter how fast or slow it goes, needs to go through 180 stops. When you change one degree at the center of the circle it looks like nothing, when you reach the circumference, you see how much difference it actually makes.
So, let’s talk upgrades! I’m going to give you three scenarios with a few simple upgrades you can do.
Scenario 1
You want to be healthier, but you are overwhelmed, and all the information out there is just plain confusing. You are frustrated and don’t know where to start.
3 simple upgrades
– Drink enough water (see letter H in the ABCs of health)
– Get enough sleep (see letter S in the ABCs of health)
– Decrease the amount of highly processed foods you eat, swap them for less processed or unprocessed foods. I am not saying take it all out, I’m saying start making small changes.
Scenario 2
You have some healthy habits, you have started understanding a little more about how to fuel your body well, and you have started working out. You want to improve your health and see better results.
3 simple upgrades
– Have a set bedtime and wake time (again, see letter S in the ABCs of health)
– Workout at the same time every day
– Reduce overly processed carbs in your diet. (See letter C in the ABCs of health) I will never ever tell you to eliminate carbs, but increasing the quality of your carbs can be helpful.
In this scenario you are working to build routines and consistency.
Scenario 3
You are putting in the effort to take care of yourself, you have a good workout routine going on, and you eat pretty well.
3 simple upgrades
– Go beyond motivation. Motivation is great, but for you to see next level results you need to let go of motivation and work towards habit. Habit wins over motivation every single time. Find your reasons to be healthy that go beyond weight management and motivation.
– Track non scale progress. While weight is the most common measure of progress, it is the least reliable. Our weight will fluctuate throughout the day, not to mention in a lifetime. Find other measures of progress… photos, clothes, strength, body measurements, are some options.
– Increase protein intake. (See letter P in the ABCs of health)
There are some suggestions. Small things that you can do that will move that needle a little further.
Make sure to check out my Nutrition made Simple free pdf at alinekaehler.com/nmsimple for a guide to help you improve your health and manage your weigh.
Keeping it simple,
Aline