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Writer's pictureLesli Dullum Tutterrow

The Journey to Greater Health Starts with One Small Step!

I have a coaching client who shared some music to my ears this week. “I started working out and am also really focused on healthy eating” she shared. “What have you noticed since you started working out again and eating healthy,” I enquired? The first response I heard out of the gate was “I have more energy and I can already see that my mind is clearer.” She had only been in this new routine for a couple of weeks.

Clearly, the choices we make daily how to take care of our body- how to fuel and move it- have far reaching effects.

When we go so long and end up in habits and routines where we don’t work out, or move our body much, and / or we eat what is quick, cheap and convenient, we often don’t notice the effects except for the occasional pause to lament how tired we are or how crappy we feel.

The saddest part is when people think that is normal, to be expected, or that it’s just the way it is. Some attribute waning energy and vitality to aging, or some other thing out there that we cannot control. We accept without questioning that which we ought not accept!

If you want to feel better, have more energy, be able to think more clearly, then perhaps you are ready to start getting healthier and take your first small step to achieve these goals of enjoying increased energy and clarity like my client.

Here’s some ideas to get you started.

1. Start with a vision board, journal or even a piece of paper and pen. Consider just one thing that you want to be different about your health and how you experience your body. Maybe you want to feel more energy and not feel like you are running on empty by 3 o’clock. Perhaps you want to generally feel in a better mood.

2. Consider Why that one thing matters to you. In other words, if you made different choices in what you ate and how you moved your body, how would life improve as a result?

3. Think of what else you could do, and how else you might feel if you made even one change in your diet or fitness choices. In other words, don’t stop at “I want to increase my energy, or I really want to lose 15 pounds- put further thought into how accomplishing those things would affect your everyday life in a good way.

4. Now identify what one specific choice or action that would start you on the path toward accomplishing your specific goal. You don’t have to come up with an entire plan yet, just consider one thing. Maybe you decide you want to lose weight, or improve balance, focus and/or flexibility. You might decide taking a yoga class twice a week would be a good first step in accomplishing your goal.

5. Identify one food choice that makes you feel worse after eating it. Then begin to look for similar but healthier versions of that one food. Next time you go to the store, try several healthier options so you can experiment and find something that still tastes good that you can feel good about eating that does not leave you feeling sluggish and foggy afterward.

6. Now choose your one thing – the one place you will start. If it is the yoga class than sign up. Put it on your calendar. Invite a friend to join you- we refer to this as seeking out an A/E Buddy (accountability and encouragement). If it is replacing your 3 unhealthiest foods, then be sure the new foods make it onto your grocery list and in your cart.

7. Track your progress and what you notice. Because when you decide to do even one thing differently, that one choice can make such a positive difference that affects so many other areas in your life. One healthier food choice. One decision to walk. One choice to take a yoga class, swim or stretch or anything that moves your body that you enjoy. Notice the difference in your body, brain, mood, and outlook after you engage in any of these new choices.

This one day. That is all you have. Yesterday is in the history books. You can’t get it back. Today is right here. You can choose today to make one choice that moves you in a healthier direction. We are here to support your wellbeing journey and bring to your attention the local businesses in Kitsap like the Haselwood Y, Snap Fitness, Fraiche Cup, Kitsap Fresh, Purium, A Better Path Coaching, Optimal Wellness Consulting and more that can help you accomplish your goals!!

You can do it, and we can all get healthier together starting today!

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