Old Habits Die Hard. Here's How to Change Them {the tides, they are a'changin'.}.

Feeling like the tides are changing?

Looking for something new?

It's about that time of year: New Year's Resolutions have been modified (or abandoned completely... hey, been there), but many of us still want to change our bodies.

I'm a big believer that the only real way to experience lasting body change is by finding freedom and joy in the process (much like any change we're trying to make, really).

While there is neither a shortage of short-term plans nor a dearth of quick fixes, there's a good chunk of the fitness landscape that's opting to address consistency. You may have come across the term "habit change" in your internet travels. 

How do we affect lasting change by examining our habits?

Like with most new endeavors, we are better served by falling in love with the process of changing more than by being enamored with the result. When we do this, we see ourselves as we truly are: not failures who can't stick to an arbitrary plan, but humans who want to heal damaged relationships with food and our bodies while still, you know, having a life.

But old habits - the ones that got us to a place where we're unhappy with how we feel in our bodies- die hard.

So let's have a moment of compassion for Old You, who's fighting super hard for her last breath. She finds her worth in her appearance and truly believes that the answer is restricting, thinking that the accompanying binging is a personality and willpower flaw, rather than a natural rebellion against a plan not meant for her. She's fighting to stay alive, because she's afraid of a new possibility: one in which she can explore, and where there's no way to truly mess up. We're exploring and finding the best system for you.

Let's also acknowledge that Old You will be interwoven into You 2.0, because Old You has important, valuable lessons to teach.

Not the least of which is, she gets overwhelmed and scared sometimes (like we all do) and doesn't like feeling that way (because, who tf does?).

Old You is like a rescue puppy who is kind of a jerk and wants to pee on everything just because she's never known what it's like to be safe and loved and cared for, but actually means well and is trying really hard (analogy stolen from Elizabeth Gilbert, whose post on compassion for self is worth a read or ten.).

We want to change. We're on board with not denying our past selves. But we don't know anything other than self-deprecation, self-flagellation, and adopting plans that have nothing to do with us.

SO WHAT DO WE DO??

Complete overhaul is stupid, IMO.
It doesn't work very often, and usually leaves us feeling broken and ashamed and like we'll never get it right. So I mostly ditch complete overhaul plans.

Instead, I ask myself and my clients, "what's ONE habit you can change today? RIGHT NOW."

Usually, when afraid or overwhelmed, I have to make it LAUGHABLY simple (mine for the last week has been to make sure I get some form of movement every single day. That's it. No other qualifications.).

Choose something you are all but POSITIVE you can complete: something you might not feel will make any difference at all, but is not eating a whole bag of salt and vinegar chips and washing it down with a bottle of rosé (just my vices? Okay, cool.).

Once that gets integrated and you don't have to think about it anymore, move on to the next (with eating, one I fall back on a lot is, "okay I'm about to eat this ____. How can I make this meal just a little bit *better*? Add a veggie? Swap rice for cauli rice? Ask for lettuce wrap instead of bun?" etc etc, credit lots of people, but very first Precision Nutrition).
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The part where the habits are simple is actually super key: you're overwhelmed. You're trying to change in a way that you've never tried before. You're exploring your preferences and what will work, and ANYTHING feels like a ton of effort.Swapping out something for something else that is TEENY TINY is actually a BIG FUCKING DEAL.

And it'll prove to you that you can do good things. Not everything you touch turns to trash. And you can do more awesome things. AND you're worth doing awesome things FOR. 👊❤

xoxo,
Steph

PS- looking for some support? Hit reply and let me know your thoughts, the first habit you're investing in, and how I can support you.

PPS- just here for the workouts? Have a barbell? Try this out.