Who Says You Can't Have It All?

If you've ever devoted yourself fully to something, you know that other obligations and priorities can fall to the wayside. 

Don't know what I mean?

• Have you ever gotten into a relationship only to stop seeing or chatting with your friends as often?

• Have you ever started a nutrition program and realized that you can't really have a social life or attend birthday parties, happy hour, or weddings without stressing out?

• Have you ever worked your butt off in the gym but doing so meant you weren't really able to focus on nutrition because doing both full force is hard?

• Have you ever felt like you can either be healthy or lose weight quickly, but not both?

• Feel like you can either enjoy the food you eat or eat healthy, but not at the same time?

Here's the thing: Being healthy doesn't have to mean you have to pick and choose from the things that bring you happiness. You don't have to choose. You can have it all. 

Here's how:

1. Ditch the traditional way of thinking that tells you that you must go all in on everything. Life isn't an everything or nothing situation unless you're competing at a very high level (which most people aren't). This way of thinking only causes us more stress. We aren't made or motivated to do any one thing in an "all in" mindset for long periods of time. Burn out is real, but I'm sure you already feel that. Besides, how's that been working for you so far?

2. Think about things laterally. This means you get both, not one or the other. When it comes to clients, we think of this as eating healthy AND indulging in dessert. Why can't you do both? You can make compromises to get everything you want in a structured way.

3. Recognize that everything is connected. How you eat effects your energy levels and digestion. When you feel crappy, you're less likely to feel motivated to get to the gym or be active. This probably stresses you out when it's something you really want to be doing, but can't force yourself to do. When you're not active or eating well, you might not be sleeping very well. And when you wake up tired, you're more likely to crave sugary carbs due to increased insulin secretion, and you're one step farther from your goals.

4. Take one simple step, and when you're comfortable with it, build upon it. This is one of the most valuable tools I'm able to give my clients - the confidence that they don't have to be perfect on day one. In fact, we build on a foundation that allows them to crush their goals one stepping stone at a time. This means they can make improvements in their nutrition, their activity levels, their sleep habits, etc. all together without any one piece needing to be ideal. In the end, they end up exactly where they want to be without the looming dark cloud of stress that they have failed because they aren't perfect. When you understand that you can say yes to certain foods sometimes and no other times, you'll see that mentality translate into other parts of your life as well.

5. Note your behavior patterns. I'd be lying if I told you nutrition coaching was all about providing all of the nutrition facts in my brain until your brain wants to explode to. It's not like that at all. It's more about looking at your behavior patterns that aren't serving you and changing them. If you're a stress either, what is causing that stress? Is there another way you can de-stress? Maybe your body is craving something but your brain is just interpreting it wrong. We create behavior patterns, many times in the wrong way, unknowingly. But if you're willing to make the change and grow, you'll see huge improvements in your life through small changes and shifts.

6. Be kind to yourself, always. If you never learned the right way to eat to be healthy, why are you beating yourself up over the results or just for not knowing better? I don't know Chinese and I wouldn't be mad at myself for not being able to communicate with someone who could. Be patient, open-minded and willing to try new things without judgment on yourself.