The problem with changing too much too soon.
We are now into the month of January, which is synonymous with resolutions and fresh starts – change is in the air! This can be a great feeling. The big challenge comes when we try to make too many changes all at once. We vow to add workouts to our schedule, eat more veggies, cut carbs, snack less, drink more water etc. etc. While we might have the motivation and drive to keep this up for a few days or a week, inevitably we begin to feel overwhelmed. The sheer amount of willpower and planning required to keep up with all these changes is huge!
Willpower is a finite resource. It’s like the gas in your car. In the morning the tank is full but as the day goes on and you make decisions – choose the side salad instead of the fries, workout instead of meeting friends for lunch – you burn through your supply. At some point during the day you come up empty…does the 4:00 witching hour sound familiar?! There is no more gas in the tank – the willpower is all used up and you find yourself in front of the pantry looking for a salty sweet snack.
If we decide instead, to make one change at a time, we won’t need to use so much willpower to get through our day. By 4:00 we’re still going strong and felling good about ourselves and our abilities!
Maximizing The Bang For Your Buck
In addition to the willpower issue, making too many lifestyle changes at once is like conducting an experiment with too many variables. You don’t really know, with enough certainty, which change had the biggest effect. If you cut carbs, practice intermittent fasting and introduce high intensity interval training to your workouts all in the same week, you won’t know which change made you feel your best.
So if you find yourself motivated for change this week, pick one lifestyle change to adopt. A good rule of thumb is to pick something that is easier to add in to your day or tack on to an already established habit. For example maybe decide to start with drinking more water – the recommended 64oz per day. This can be added to other established habits like brushing your teeth or eating meals. You can decide to drink 16oz in the morning just before you brush your teeth. Then another 16oz can be downed just before you eat breakfast and lunch, then another before dinner and now you’ve done it!! No willpower required.
After a few weeks working on this change, it becomes an automatic part of your day and you will be ready to tackle another change…if you so desire..with your sanity intact!