Gradual and incremental improvements are the key to bettering our eating habits.
If I hadn’t known better and spotted this mistake quickly, I probably would have given up, thinking that eating plant-based was too challenging and too expensive!
Gradual and incremental improvements are the key to bettering our eating habits.
The worst thing you can do is toss everything you’ve ever eaten out of t
he window and try to change everything all at once. That will inevitably lead to a feeling of overwhelm that will hinder your success and make it more likely for you to give up, sooner or later.
Trying to make a massive shift is a common mistake we see our clients make time and time again. Driven by the initial enthusiasm of finally embarking on a new journey, mixed with a little bit of good old impatience.
I made this very mistake myself when switching to a plant-based diet! I thought that to get the maximum results as quickly as possible I needed to change ALL my eating habits entirely and immediately, rather than start gradually.
Going all in can end up being counterproductive it can make things worse in the first and very delicate transition phase: I started feeling overwhelmed by all the changes and felt lost as to how to move forward.
Not to mention, I was way overspending on my grocery shopping!
If I hadn’t known better and spotted this mistake quickly, I probably would have given up, thinking that eating plant-based was too challenging and too expensive!
Instead, I went back to square one and started re-integrating the foods and dishes we knew and loved that could quickly be turned plant-based.
I then implemented one or two new habits (meals) a week into our lifestyle and allowed that to become second nature, before adding in a new change the following week. By doing so, within a few months, I had created a simple, effective and enjoyable meal plan that was easy to shop for, healthy and entirely plant-based.
It is way better if you set things up so that you enjoy the journey as much, if not more than the outcome, rather than think of it as a punishment you must endure to get to your goals. Always remind yourself that you’re taking a stance for your life not because there’s anything wrong with it but only because you deserve and want more for yourself.
It is your right to be happy and feel alive and vibrant, and all you need to get to that point is already within you.
You may need to clear the path and get some support along the way.
So take action today:
Make a list of the meals you currently eat and prefer and identify those which are already quite healthy or more accessible to create healthier and start there. Then once a week, try something new or make a small improvement. I highly recommend downloading a healthy recipes app such as Forks Over Knives for inspiration and see this not as a challenge but a fun adventure ahead, which will also get you fitter and healthier along the way!
Always remind yourself that you’re taking a stance for your life not because there’s anything wrong with it but only because you deserve and want more for yourself.
