Trying to change everything at once is why most diets fail. Pick up one habit, practise it for 2–4 weeks until it's automatic, then move on to the next.
Your meals are irregular, protein is low, or you're not sure where to start. No counting, no weighing. Just one small habit at a time. Once these are second nature, you'll move on to Level 2: portion control.
Shrink the habit until you're 90–100% sure you can do it 6 days out of 7 (one day off is fine). Then tie it to something you already do every day: after your morning coffee, when you get to work, after the school run.
"I am 90–100% confident that I will [your habit] 6 days a week after I [something you already do]."
For example: "…drink a pint of water 6 days a week after I put the kettle on in the morning."
At the end of each day, ask yourself two questions: What did I do well today? What did I learn today?
Tick each habit once you've nailed it.
Your ticks are saved on this phone or computer only.
Skipping breakfast usually means you're starving by 11am and raiding the biscuits at 9pm. You don't need 6 small meals either.
Most people get some protein at dinner and not much else. Protein keeps you full, helps you recover and protects your muscle.
Vegetables fill you up for very few calories and give you the vitamins and fibre your body needs. You'll notice better energy and digestion.
Even mild dehydration can feel like hunger, tiredness or a headache.
After a bad night you're hungrier, crave sugar and have less willpower. Sleep is a fat-loss tool.
We often eat because food is there, not because we're hungry: finishing the plate, popcorn at the cinema, crisps in front of the TV.
A client was doing everything right but not losing weight. She was drinking 6–10 teas a day with milk and a heaped spoon of sugar: about 500 extra calories a day. She swapped them and the weight started coming off.
You're already doing some of this with habits 2 and 3. Now make it a routine at every meal.
A client was perfect all day, then ate half a packet of biscuits every night at 9pm with her cup of tea after putting the kids to bed. Switching to chamomile tea and taking 10 slow breaths while the kettle boiled fixed it.
Daily movement can burn more calories than your workouts. Two people of the same weight can differ by up to 2,000 calories a day just from how active they are.
Not a fan of apps? Print the weekly meal planner and fill it in each Sunday. Planning your meals makes most of these habits much easier.
Your coach may give you a daily 10 minutes of mindfulness as an extra habit. Breathwork, a phone-free walk, journaling: whatever works for you. Ideas and a breathing exercise.
