How To Use Small Wins To Motivate Healthy Behaviors

Harnessing the Power of Little Victories for a Healthier You

Friends, let me let you in on a little secret...to wholeheartedly embrace healthier behaviors, you've got to celebrate your small victories. That's right! Even the tiniest triumph can be a HUGE motivator for your larger lifestyle goals. Hang tight, let me show you the ropes.

How to Make a Healthy Change Stick - A Step by Step Guide

Okay, hear me out. Now, I'm a strong believer in the power of small steps. Don't get me wrong, overnight successes are fantastic, but tell me, how many times have you won the lottery or struck oil digging in your backyard? 😉 The true joy of victory, be it getting healthier, losing weight, or climbing Everest, usually lies in crafting and cherishing those minute successes that will ultimately drive you to your grand ambitions.

Trust me. I've been in the coaching game for a while and I've seen so many folks beat themselves up thinking:

• "I'm so fat, I quit."
• "Change? Nah, too tough!"
• "Salad for lunch after a Pop Tart breakfast? Pointless!"
• "This weight loss thing feels like moving a mountain."

But you know what? Every single one of these folks has had their moments of glory. They've all made healthy choices at some point, proving their capability to bring lasting change. Their journey might backslide from time to time, but hey, progress isn't linear! The magic is in leveraging those mini victories to push towards the finish line.

Remember how marathon winners reach their goal? Not by glaring at the finish line, but by focusing on each step, runners ahead, and setting achievable targets. Thats's right, winners zone in on the 'now'.

Mastering the Art of 'Now'.

Staying in the present — it's the basis of our 'small wins' theory, and it's what baby steps are all about. It's easy, and it works! Break it down into three manageable categories: Scaling Successes, Fitness Feats, and Dietary Triumphs.

Celebrate Scale Successes.

Whether it's New Year's resolutions time or not, weight loss is consistently the main goal clients come to me with—let's focus on celebrating victories on and off the scale. When embarking on a weight loss journey, confronting your reality is inescapable and if weight loss is the goal you gotta know where you're starting from. Enter scales, measuring tapes, and clothes sizes. Take measurements, take pictures, make note of where you're starting from. I know this step is uncomfortable and often emotional. Trust me after years of doing this, you'll be glad you did this. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "I wish I'd taken pictures when we started".

Each time those numbers go down, treat yourself! Sport a new dress scored from a sale, chat about it to a friend, take a celebratory strut around the living room, whatever makes YOU feel good. Every pound, every inch, every notch on the belt counts as a WIN.

Feel a tingling sense of accomplishment? Let that joy fuel your next goal. Remember to keep it simple and achievable. Each time you celebrate a win and set your next target, you're forging ahead.

Applaud Your Fitness Feats.

Numbers and data are NOT the only things to celebrate - the non-scale victories are hugely important too. Just as with Scale Successes, Fitness Feats bank on the feel-good vibes of one accomplishment to spark the next. Keep it interactive and fun! How about rewarding yourself with a shiny star sticker for every three consecutive days you workout for at least 15 minutes? Once your calendar is gleaming with ten stars, go grab some trendy workout gear.

What's more, psychologists have a little nugget of wisdom for us: it takes about twenty-one days to establish a new habit. Ten stars later, you've graduated to being a Regular Exerciser. You rock!

Remember when we used to get excited about gold stars as kids? Time to rediscover that joy. Upping your workout time, intensity, or frequency, definitely warrants a hearty pat-on-the-back. Use that pride as a boost to keep challenging yourself.

Revel In Your Food Wins.

Building healthy eating habits? Think baby steps! Setbacks will occur, none of us are perfect — a doughnut breakfast or late-night pizza cravings, these things happen. Don’t beat yourself up over it. That same day, you might've also chosen a power-packed salad or swapped chips for a crunchy apple. Give yourself kudos for those choices! Give yourself grace and focus on moving forward, getting realigned with your goals at the next meal and do not be so hard on yourself.

Whenever you make a wise eating decision, focus on how good your body feels afterwards. Use that triumphant momentum to build healthier food habits over time.

The aim is clear— embrace healthier living. We yearn for a better, fitter life for ourselves and our futures. Spotting and embracing the small victories is the real game-changer. Celebrate the 'now'. Every tiny celebration nudges you closer to the vibrant, healthy life you've always wanted. You've got this!