Laura’s statement shows she knows what she needs to do, but finds it hard to do it.
I love this because we all mostly know what we need to do, right? Eat more whole foods, get more exercise, increase our protein intake, drink more water, and so on…
However, the more significant issue here for Laura (and for so many of us) is actually doing what she knows she needs to do.
I think this gets even more convoluted once you have children. You already feel guilty about not doing enough for yourself, and now you are responsible for your child’s best interests, too. And keeping them entertained!
Sound familiar?
I’ve heard from so many of you who are struggling with this, as I have, too, in my weight loss journey and having four children.
So, in today’s newsletter, let’s explore how to stop wishing and start taking action toward the healthy lifestyle you want.
But first, I want to share a fantastic deal at Cleanish. You can now get our Protein Welcome Kit for just $59. This kit gets you a bag of any flavor of our 5-star-rated plant-based protein plus four free gifts (a handheld frother, an adventure pack, a protein recipe eBook, and a shaker bottle), which we’ve never done before!
It’s basically $118.99 for $59.99! Supplies are limited, however, so don’t miss out on calling dibs on your kit. Click here to learn more.
How To Get Back On Track (After Kids!)
Instead of diving into tactics like starting a food journal or getting more exercise, I’m going to share with you what will actually make an impact. I’m going to teach you how to change your thinking about your healthy lifestyle. That means it will no longer be a question of whether or not you have the energy. Instead, it will be about how you willget what needs to bedone…done. This is a strategy I use with my coaching clients all the time.
First, it’s important to take a step back and consider all the changes you want. All the “shoulds” that bog down your thoughts. If you’re anything like I was, you likely feel like you should eat more whole foods, you should start exercising, you should take more health supplements, you should get more cardio, you should buy cleaner cosmetics, you should make your baby’s food, switch to organic, and maybe finally run that marathon, and so on.
An excellent psychology professor I once had called this, “You’re shoulding all over yourself.” And she was totally right.
All these “shoulds” keep you from focusing on the higher level priority.
Let’s take a big step back here and remember that the priority is a healthy lifestyle, and that can really be broken down into four basics:
- Eat whole foods
- Drink more water
- Move your body
- Get good sleep
If you can consistently focus on these four basics ~80% of the time, you’ll make progress much quicker than you think.
In other words, you don’t have to do everything all the time. But you do need to do some of it most of the time.
But how can you be consistent with these if you can’t even start?
By breaking down these fundamentals into baby steps (👶 pun intended!). It’s not necessary to be perfect immediately upon starting a new routine. I know we can feel so behind with the changes we want to make (and see) in ourselves, and the end goal is overwhelming because it feels so far away.
We need a paradigm change that trusts the process of taking small actions consistently each day toward your goal reach that future version of ourselves.
What does this look like?
It looks like this…
- drinking one more glass of water each day
- parking farther away from the grocery store so you have to walk farther
- taking the stairs instead of the elevator
- replacing your sweetened coffee creamer with half-and-half
- eating an apple instead of a candy bar as your snack
One way I’ve been able to make these massive changes over time is to focus on the person I wanted to be — the person who followed through with her commitments and was proud of her progress. The more I could connect with that future version of me, the more strength and energy I would have in the moment.
Are there times I was just too tired to cook or too sleepy from staying up all night consoling a fussy baby?
Absolutely.
Did I make the best possible food choice every moment of every day?
Nope.
But I consistently worked towards becoming that future version of myself, and I allowed myself time and grace when things were especially difficult with the little ones.
This is where realistic expectations helped me. If I felt like I needed to accomplish a gazillion things that day toward my healthy lifestyle or I was a failure, I would have never built up the confidence to make real change.
Instead, I built on those baby steps…
- I started removing sugar from my coffee, one teaspoon at a time.
- I started drinking a glass of water before my coffee each day to get more water in.
- I started taking my baby out in the stroller to get a walk outside to increase my overall steps.
- I started replacing refined foods with whole, unprocessed foods when I went shopping.
And, over time, it all compounded itself, and I had lost the weight I wanted to lose.
But, much more importantly, I became the person I wanted to be.
By the time your body shows the physical changes you’re looking for, so much more has changed on the inside.
So, friends, if you’re in this situation right now, and you are caring for your littles and just can’t seem to get the energy to do anything, ask yourself if that’s actually true.
Connect with that future version of yourself, and consider what actions she or he took that may have been different than what you’re choosing now.
Be honest with yourself.
It might be true that you’re just too tired — we all have those days. But it might be a state of mind you’re in, and you can try to add one small thing to your day to make a change. Step by step, day by day, those changes will add up, I promise.
If you need help getting started, I recommend checking out my 30-Day Healthy program. It’s a great help for beginners looking to have a solid place to start their journey, and you’ll have access to ask me questions along the way.
I hope this email inspires you to take that next baby step ❤️ If so, reply to this email and let me know what you will do today.
Try Cleanish’s new Protein Welcome Kit, which contains a special selection of our best-selling plant-based protein (your choice of flavor) plus the essentials for a cleanish lifestyle, including…
⭐️ an adventure pack
⭐️ a BTY shaker bottle
⭐️ an electric frother
⭐️ our protein eCookbook
Supplies are limited, however, so don’t miss out on your kit. Click here to get it now.
Some of my favorite things this week 🙂
- Quote of the Week → “Inspiration does not beget action. Action begets inspiration.” - Chinese Proverb
- Featured Recipe → These simple High Protein Fruit Smoothie Recipes will help you stay full and energized while helping you reach your weight loss goals. With 5 easy recipes to choose from (all with 5 ingredients or less!), you’ll have no problem staying on track! Get the recipes.
- Vita Coco Coconut Water → I’ve started drinking coconut water midway through my morning workouts for the natural electrolytes, fast digesting carbs, and hydration. It’s been pretty great, and tasty. I’ve tested out a few coconut water options — the only ones that don’t have any added ingredients, and my favorite so far is Vita Coco. Shop here.
You Reached The End! Go You!!
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