In my previous blog, “The Perfect Diet” I left my readers with the following challenge:
My Challenge
Think of one (or more) rule(s) that can improve your current dietary habits. Here’s the catch, this rule must:
- Be maintainable for at least 5 years
- Not completely “cut” anything from your diet
- Not decrease the quality of your social or family life
The response was even better than what I had hoped!
Before I share these thoughts and ideas, I want to thank each and every individual who contributed to these rules and suggestions. I realize that time is valuable and it took extra work to send me your suggestions. I appreciate your willingness to look at your own flaws in a different light and share your solutions with complete strangers. Who knows how many attitudes you have changed or how many pounds may be shed because of your “rule(s)”? That is truly something to be proud of, and I am grateful for the response of each and every one of you!
Small Rules that Make a BIG Difference: Creating Positive Habits
Remember, the goal of the “rules” is to avoid making HUGE changes to your diet. Our goal is to turn small “rules” into long-term habits. These habits may take weeks, months, or even years to develop. BUT, if given enough time, it will happen.
I encourage you to start small. Developing two or three small habits over the course of the next year will be more valuable than any single, “game-changing” short-term goal when it comes to your diet.
I am not going to categorize, modify, or favor any of the following rules. I am simply going to list them out as they were received. There may be a few repeats,. There may be a couple of ideas shared that make you think, “That won’t work.” (maybe not for you, but you cannot speak for everyone else!) Regardless, that is not why you are reading. You are reading to expand your mind and think about what you might be overlooking. Even if you do not apply any of the suggestions given in this blog, I am happy if you are thinking about it.
Directions
If you are reading from a computer, tablet, or any other device that will allow you to “Copy/Paste”, I want you to copy the rules from top to bottom and paste them into a program in which they can be modified. Start reading through the list, and if a rule does not apply to you, delete it. Skip over (but do not delete) the rules that you think may be “doable” until you get to the bottom of the page. Hopefully you are left with a few suggestions!
CLICK HERE for the list!
Now take the time to go back over the rules and decide which rule you would most likely be able to implement within the parameters of the challenge. This is your “Rule #1”. Continue to comb over your list and assign a number to each rule. –#1 being your first priority, the last number being your lowest priority. Save this list, and your challenge starts today.
Focus ONLY on #1 for the next few weeks. Do not complicate the process by attempting to implement five rules at one time. When you feel comfortable that you have made a habit out of #1 (and realize it did not affect your life as much as you thought), go back to your list and start on Rule #2.
Continue this process until you have crossed off each rule on your list. Again, this process may take some people months, others may work on their list for years. Regardless of your timeframe, improving on your flaws one at a time can make an overwhelming task much easier to handle.
The Take Home Message
These rules could go on and on. Look at what we were able to come up with in just a few days! The truth is we rarely take a step back and look at the big picture. Getting caught up on instant gratification is rewarding but often detrimental. If you are having trouble with a certain aspect of your diet, I assure you there are others with that same problem. Giving up and throwing in the towel is the easy way out. You know what you need to do to improve, and if you’re not sure, quite a few people are willing to give you a nudge in the right direction.
Feel free to continue sharing ideas as often as you’d like on our Facebook page, the more the merrier!
Thank you again to everyone who shared with us, and I am looking forward to more ideas to come!