Are you out of alignment with your values and is this what’s keeping you stuck? Getting real about how we actually behave and comparing that to what we believe is right is hard but it’s the path to living the life we want and deserve.
4 Powerful Tools for Sticking to Your Plan and Achieving Your Goals
People come to the Paleo diet for all kinds of reasons - weight loss, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, or simply because it makes sense. The problem is, many people find Paleo hard to stick to, even when it makes them feel amazing.
This article isn't about gimmicks. I'm pulling back the curtain and sharing my top strategies for helping my clients get out of their own way and finally jump over the hurdles that have kept them stuck. The top hurdles are both internal (excuses, self-limiting beliefs, fear of failure) and tactical (food prep and food environment).
Below are my most powerful coaching tools for helping you get out of your own way and eat in a way that supports all your long-term goals.
Build Your Tool Box: My Most Powerful Tools for Helping You Stick to Your Plan
1. Practice slowing down your decision-making.
So often, people tell me they don’t know what happened. The fries were down the hatch before they were even aware they’d made a decision. S-L-O-W down. Own the pause. I guarantee this will get easier as your blood sugar starts to normalize, usually after about a week.
Create a toolkit of self-soothing techniques that you can use anywhere. These might include deep belly breathing, going outside and looking up at the sky, jumping on a Pinterest board and looking at beach photos, putting on a favorite playlist, listening to a comedy skit on Pandora, or going for a short walk. These should be fast, easy to access, and proven to calm YOU down.
2. Learn to sit in the friction between what you want NOW versus what you want MOST.
In the now, your brain just wants pleasure: the cookie, the wine, the bagel, ice cream, candy. But that pleasure is momentary and it feeds the sense that you’re not in control of your choices.
What you want MOST is to feel great in your skin, confident that you can follow through on whatever you set out to do, and to have calm, consistent energy. (This may sound counter to the self-soothing techniques above but, trust me, you need both of these tools.)
This skill is imperative because you’re going to be faced with temptation every day. It’s critical to be able to recognize the excuses your brain comes up with (I’ve been so good, this one little thing can’t hurt, screw it I don’t even care anyway) and be able to know that the urge to indulge WILL pass if you let it.
3. Get rid of (or hide) trigger foods in your home, car, and office.
The food around you is the food you’re most likely to eat. Do your best to ensure you have food around that you’re going to feel great about having eaten an hour from now.
This is a very simple strategy but it's one many people overlook.
We think "I have to keep Doritos in the cupboard for my kids!" or "What can it hurt to buy Paleo cookies since they're better than what I used to eat?"
The key here is to be honest about which foods are potential triggers for YOU right now. If the Paleo cookies nag at you from the pantry, are you making life easier or harder for yourself?
Remember, this isn't a "forever" decision. You can always reevaluate and experiment in the future. This is about giving yourself the gift of a food environment that is filled with choices you feel great about, rather than surrounding yourself with potential landmines of regret.
4. Prep food you love that loves you back.
This one is related to #3. You need to be strategic about making sure you have plenty of prepared Paleo foods (proteins, veggies, herbs, fresh fruit, and healthy condiments) on hand so that you can quickly throw together meals you truly enjoy.
The last part is non-negotiable. If you're making healthy Paleo meals that taste like a plate of sadness, you're going to derail yourself. When you push away from the table, you should feel completely satisfied, not just physically full. Experiment with the combinations, flavors, and textures that light you up.
For example, my breakfast this morning was a cup of cauliflower rice (previously frozen from Costco but thawed and ready to use in my fridge) topped with 5 or so ounces of seasoned ground grass fed beef, ¼ cubed baked sweet potato, a bunch of freshly chopped cilantro, a dollop of Sriracha, and a liberal sprinkling of Himalayan pink sea salt. It took me about 3 minutes to put this meal together since all the components were ready to go in my fridge. This meal was absolutely delicious (to me, which is all that matters!) and I felt ready to move on with my day when I was finished eating.
Note: Be sure to have plenty of glass/Pyrex containers on hand so you can take your prepped food with you to work or on the go. It might feel awkward to pack a cooler with meals and snacks but it's an amazing feeling when you aren't tempted to grab fast food or stuck with what's on offer at the office lunch meeting.
But....This sounds HARD!
If developing these tools sounds like a lot of work, I encourage you to recognize that feeling tired, out of control, and uncomfortable in your body is even HARDER.
Just because your current lifestyle is more familiar doesn’t make it any less difficult.
Continuing to make food choices you later regret keeps you stuck, both in terms of your health goals and in terms of your ability to show up fully in other areas of your life. Creating new habits feels awkward at first. That's true for all of us. As a veteran coach, I can assure you that, if you're consistent, you'll be surprised how quickly these become your new normal.
Sometimes, we need some support
Sometimes, we need additional support. The stories we have about ourselves, past trauma, unsupportive family members – these can make going it alone feel like an uphill battle with a backpack full of rocks.
If you’ve tried to do this on your own and think you may benefit from guided support, I encourage you to schedule a time to chat with me. You can book your free consultation here.
I work with women every day who came to me thinking they were uniquely broken and that nothing could ever work for them. I’m happy to say that none of these things are true and I have plenty of evidence to back this up.
If you try some of these tools and have questions or feedback, I would love to hear from you in the comments below this post! My goal as a coach, blogger, and human is to provide tools and information that work for actual people living in the real world. With that in mind, I value your feedback to make sure I'm hitting the mark.
xo, Lisa
Clean Up Your Food Environment in 3 Simple Steps
The food you surround yourself with – your "food environment" - is the #1 predictor of what you will eat. This means that the food you keep at home, at the office, in your car, in your go-bag, or in your luggage – is the food you are most likely to eat.
Setting up your food environment so that you're surrounded by healthy food is a simple but often overlooked piece of the “how do I avoid sabotaging my diet?” puzzle.
Below is my 3 step process for setting up the food environment that supports your goals:
Step 1:
Get clear on YOUR “food without brakes” or trigger foods. These are different for everyone. Yours might include things like ice cream, crackers, chips, cookies, cereal, or even the tastier protein bars (this is mine!).
Step 2:
Don’t buy these, at least for now. If you feel you must buy them for other family members, be sure to store them where you won’t run into them easily. Avoid the counter tops, frequently opened cupboards, or center shelves in the fridge or freezer.
Step 3:
Stock up on foods you DO want to eat more of. Get plenty of protein, a wide variety of veggies, and some low sugar fruit (berries, apples, and citrus fruits). Prepare these foods immediately so you the food you have ready to go is the food you’ll feel great about eating!
Note: Food prep is the #1 strategy for sticking to a healthy diet because it ensures the healthiest option is also the most convenient option.
Step 3B:
Make sure you’ve got some grab and go healthy food options. These are items that can be tossed in a container and taken in the car, to kid activities, or eaten as a quick meal without needing to be warmed.
Grab ‘n Go Examples:
- Meatballs (homemade or Aidell’s pre-cooked meatballs)
- chicken or steak strips (pre-cooked or cooked at home)
- Washed and cut raw veggies (peppers, carrots, grape tomato, jicama, radish, etc.)
- Guacamole cups
- Original flavor beef jerky (few ingredients, usually gluten free)
- Hard boiled eggs
- Apples or berries
- Clean protein bars such as Primal Kitchen, Rx Bar, or Epic Bars
Additional Tips:
Paleo Snack Foods:
While there ARE healthier versions of chips such as Jackson’s Honest Coconut Oil Sweet Potato Chips or Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips these can be tricky. Just because they are healthier doesn’t mean they are fat loss friendly. You have to decide for yourself whether you can keep things like this around of if they’re an occasional treat that you only buy on occasion.
Don’t Go Nuts:
Be judicious about things like nuts and nut butters. Nuts are very high in calories and fat and are very easy to overdo. In my experience, more people slow their weight loss on a Paleo diet with nuts than with any other food. Use them as a condiment rather than as a whole snack. For example, sprinkle a small amount on your stir fry or salad to add texture and flavor or measure out a tablespoon to eat with apple slices. (You may be surprised just how small 1 tbsp really is!)
Fat is Not Free:
Another mistake people make on Paleo is adding multiple fat sources to meals or snacks. At 9 calories per gram of fat, the calories add up quickly and can slow your fat loss goals without even realizing it. Use a moderate amount of healthy fats (avocado, butter, olive oil, avocado oil, or fattier cuts of organic meat) to make meals taste good. Unless you’re about to hike the Himalayas, I don’t recommend eating ALL the bacon, stirring butter in your coffee, or downing packets of coconut or almond butter. Again, this is in the context of fat loss and everyone's needs will be different.
Paleo Snack Foods:
Just because it’s technically “Paleo” doesn’t mean a Paleo snack food is nutritious or fat loss friendly. Examples of healthier options of regular foods that can trip people up: Paleo granola, Paleo pancakes, Paleo brownies, Paleo chips (Jackson’s Honest, Siete brand). These are all wonderful, healthier options but they shouldn’t make up a large percentage of your diet. These are all calorie dense and easy to over-consume so take that into consideration before you load up on Paleo products or make multiple batches of Paleo brownies, pancakes, or cookies!
Healthy Carbs are the “Magic Fairy Dust”:
It doesn’t get talked about enough in the Paleo community but I’ve found with myself and my clients that adding a small portion of carbs to meals or snacks IS likely to make you feel more full and satisfied.
By carbs I do NOT mean added sugars, even the natural ones like maple syrup, dried fruit, or honey. Rather, I am talking about nutrient dense, natural carb sources like root vegetables (potato, sweet potato, beet, parsnip, squashes, and small amounts of whole fruits).
For most women, adding a small amount of carbs to meals allows you to get to the end of your meal feeling satisfied, rather than searching around for something else even though you’re physically full.
Protein is your new BFF:
As a general rule, I encourage my clients to eat 4-6 oz of protein (25-40 grams) of protein 3-4 times per day. Protein is THE most satiating macronutrient, which means it keeps you feeling full for longer. It also protects your lean muscle mass as you lose weight.
Most people lose about 50% lean muscle and 50% fat when they lose weight. Eating adequate amounts of protein AND including some resistance training can mean you’re losing more like 25% lean muscle and 75% fat when you lose weight.
Lean muscle has a huge impact on your ability to keep the weight off and on the appearance of your physique. Eat your protein!
Conclusion
If you surround yourself with healthy, delicious food, you're likely to EAT healthy, delicious food. Again, this sounds obvious but so many of us torment ourselves by bringing home foods that don't align with our goals but we invariably wind up eating!
Give yourself the gift of cleaning up your food environment so that you are one step REMOVED from trigger foods and one step CLOSER to a body that feels healthy and vibrant.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Many of you have been asking when the next Primal Transformations Coaching Group will open up. I will be sharing specifics later this week! I’m committed to keeping my coaching groups small so that I can deliver value and help each person as much as possible. Watch your inbox as slots tend to fill up quickly. More info to come!
Just for Today
How to Make Better Choices Without Freaking Out
How many times have you started a new diet or exercise plan and immediately starting stressing about whether you have the motivation, time, support, or willpower to stick to it for the long haul?
Let's be honest: Our brains do not like big, sweeping changes.
No, our brains much prefer our old, familiar eating habits and routines, even if they make us unhealthy, exhausted, and unhappy.
Knowing this about our brains, how can we begin to make healthy changes without triggering the “I'm already freaking out next month” blues??
Take a deeeeeep breath and say to yourself: Just for today, I will do/not do___________.
This simple phrase has been a complete game changer for so many of my clients.
Each of them expressed some version of dread at the idea of giving up all their favorite things for the rest of their lives (ever and ever!). This powerful tool allowed them to shift their thinking from worrying about the future and focus instead on what they were willing and able to do just for today.
To understand the power of these three simple words, check out the two scenarios below:
Scenario 1: (aka "How to Derail Your Goals in Under a Minute”)
You’re driving by your favorite donut store. You ask yourself: “Can I really give up donuts foreverrrrr?”.
All you can think about is how frustrated and bitter you feel at all the people who get to eat donuts while you’re over here resigned to a life of wilted celery and deprivation. (Ok, maybe this was just me…)
In this moment, you feel like you’re making ALL the decisions about what your future will consist of (sadness, in all likelihood). You can’t remember one good reason you wanted to get healthier in the first place.
UGH!
Scenario 2: (aka: How to Stay Calm, Avoid Drama, and Adult Like a Boss)
You’re about to pass the donut store. Instead of freaking yourself out about your soon-to-be donut-less future, you simply say to yourself:
“Just for today, I’m going to drive past the donut store and go home and eat the food I prepared.”
Driving past the donut store is now just what it is: Driving home on just this one day.
It doesn’t signify a long-term break-up with donuts. It doesn’t mean you’re on a tightrope over the Grand Canyon with no way out of this decision.
The donut store (tacos, pizza, whatever) isn’t going anywhere.
Tomorrow, you can make another choice because you're a grown-up living in America. No big deal. You are calm.
Can you see how powerful this is?
Instead of generating friction about your future choices, the phrase “just for today” allows you to focus your energy on THIS moment.
As cliché as it sounds, life really is an accumulation of single moments and individual choices.
In order to show up for these moments, we must learn to harness our thoughts. Instead of dwelling on past choices (shame) or worrying about future choices (fear/uncertainty) do your best to be here now.
Focus on THIS moment, on THIS choice, on what you can do “just for today”.
It’s amazing how quickly these “just for today” wins start to create momentum.
Give it a try. What can you do “just for today?” I'd love to know what you discover.