Keys to Success: Break Your Goal into Small Steps

Keys to Success: Break Your Goal into Small Steps

When children are learning new skills, we break everything into small steps for them and celebrate all the small accomplishments along the way. When we are teaching children to ride a bike we start them with training wheels or someone holds the bike until they are able to maintain their balance. Unless you are in my family. My mom took me to the top of a hill and pushed. I fell into a ditch the first time, but even that helps illustrate this point. 

No one expects a child to master new skills on the first try & without any build up. We give children training wheels to build their confidence and to allow them to gradually learn the skills necessary to ride a bike solo. Letting me ride my bike down a hill, was a different approach, but controlling a bike going downhill, meant I would be able to control a bike on a flat surface (if you're wondering, I fell off my bike a couple times before I got it). 

So why do we allow children the space to take gradual steps, but we don't do the same for ourselves? 

Whether you have a fitness goal, educational goal, career goal or any other goal - breaking your goal into small steps will help you succeed. Small, manageable steps will help build your confidence and momentum and keep you motivated along the way. 

How do you break a goal into small steps? 

Identify the ultimate goal (or big goal). What needs to happen in order for you to accomplish that goal? How can you split those steps into smaller goals? Keep breaking each step down until you have very small (think bite sized) pieces. Let me give you some examples: 

Example 1:

Goal - Lose 20lbs 

If I lose 5lbs a month I can lose 20lbs in 4 months. 

I need to lose 1-2lbs per week to lose 5lbs a month. 

I will exercise 5 days per week & stick to my diet to lose 1-2lbs per week. 

Example 2:

Goal - Save $1000 for a trip in 5 months. 

If I save $200 a month I can save $1000. 

If I save $50 a week I can save $200 a month. 

I will take my lunch to work rather than eating out every day I can save $50 a week. 

Simply put, ask yourself "What small thing can I accomplish today or this week to get me closer to my ultimate goal?" And keep repeating that process until you have accomplished your goal. 

Check back the rest of the month for the rest of the posts in this series!

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You can also purchase my 10 Day Quick Start here. It comes with an easy to follow meal plan and everything you need to jump start your lifestyle change. 

8 Tips for Believing in Yourself When Your Confidence is Low

If your social media newsfeed is anything like mine it is full of inspirational and motivational quotes & posts encouraging you to believe in yourself & to go after your goals full throttle. It sounds good, but what if you don’t believe in yourself? Truth is, sometimes our goals are scary. And sometimes it is hard to feel confident when you are attempting something you have never tried before.

So, what do you do when you don’t have the belief you need to be successful? These are my 8 tips for creating self-belief when it’s lacking.

1.    Remember your past successes.  You have accomplished things before. Remembering past successes is helpful when you start feeling down and doubting yourself. Find a way to keep your past achievements & the feelings that came with them in the forefront of your memory. For me, that often involves pictures, reliving the emotions I felt in the moment(s) and sometimes even thinking through the steps I took to become successful. Building on past experiences can definitely help propel you forward.

2.    Break your goal down into smaller steps.  Sometimes we don’t believe in ourselves because we are overwhelmed. Instead of thinking about EVERYTHING you have to do, break it down into small steps. What do you need to do in 1 day, or 1 week? Not only is it less overwhelming, but the small successes along the way will build your confidence & belief in yourself.

3.    Do some personal development.  Perhaps you don’t believe in yourself because you don’t know how to do something that is necessary to accomplish your goal. There are books, articles, videos and websites about EVERYTHING. If you are lacking confidence because you are lacking skills, be intentional about learning what you need to know. The new knowledge will increase your confidence & will make it possible for you to succeed.

4.    Get a mentor or success partner. Having someone to encourage, motivate and problem solve with you is beneficial for accomplishing your goals. An outside perspective can help you see your strengths & give you advice for tackling your weaknesses. Plus, there is something extremely motivating about bouncing ideas off another person. When I talk to other entrepreneurs and mentors, my creative juices start flowing & I feel unstoppable.

5.    Surround yourself with positivity.  Fill your spirit with encouragement and positivity. It is hard to be negative & feel defeated when you are surrounded by positive affirmations and encouragement. You can do this by reading encouraging books & articles, listening to uplifting podcasts, following motivational social media accounts and even just saving positive quotes/pictures in your phone.

6.    Visualize your success. Close your eyes and picture yourself accomplishing your goal. Don’t focus on how far away it is, don’t think about everything that needs to happen – just fast forward to the end and imagine your success. How does it feel? What does it look like? What do you look like? When you want to quit, take a few minutes to visualize yourself being successful.

7.    Encourage yourself. Everybody isn’t going to be your cheerleader. Sometimes you just need to stop, look in the mirror and encourage yourself.

8.    Take it one day at a time. Big goals don’t come without challenging days and even some failures. Take things one day at a time. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail. Don’t quit because you had a hard day. And most importantly, regroup and get back in the game as soon as possible. Maybe Monday was a bust, but that doesn’t mean the whole week is shot. Every day is a new day & there is a chance to “win” every day.

These are some of my favorite strategies for creating self-belief when you are full of doubt. But obviously, there are other strategies that work for some people. How do you motivate & encourage yourself? I would love to hear your thoughts! Leave them in the comments.

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3 Ways to Set Yourself Up for Weight Loss Success

1. Take time to write your goals down & keep them somewhere you can see them! This helps keep you focused & committed.

2. Make your environment conducive to your goals. Get rid of junk food, replace it with healthy foods and if you are going to workout at home - set up a space for that.

3. Tell your inner circle that you have goals. They can help hold you accountable and this may deter them from unknowingly offering or suggesting things/foods that may get you off track.

I am a health coach helping people start their weight loss journey & develop longterm healthy habits. I offer one-on-one coaching, as well as customized meal and/or exercise plans. Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram, And feel free to send me your questions or thoughts!

You can also purchase my 10 Day Quick Start here. It comes with an easy to follow meal plan and everything you need to jump start your lifestyle change. 

HOW TO CLEAN UP YOUR EATING HABITS THIS SUMMER

It's not too late to work on your "summer body." You still have time to make changes and see results while the weather is nice. Some of my biggest changes have come during the summer months. Maybe it's the motivation to wear shorts, tanks and swimsuits. Sometimes I think it's the heat making me want more raw foods, like salads and less hot & hearty (read: calorie and carb heavy) foods.  

So where should you start? 

The first place to start is with what you're drinking. A lot of the cold drinks we reach for when we are hot are high in sugars and calories. Trading your sweet tea in for a cold glass of water will cut some calories from your day. Can't give up your tea or soda cold-turkey? I understand. Start by scaling back. If you usually have 3-4 a day, cut it to 1-2 and drink water the rest of the day. Commit to drinking a glass of water with each meal - before having your regular drink. It'll get easier with time if it is challenging at first. 

The next change you can make is to start adding more nutritious foods to your diet. Start by adding more veggies, fruits, and nuts to your meals. Maybe you are eating pizza, but if you also commit to eating a salad with your pizza you will likely eat fewer slices than normal because the salad took up some space. If you have been following me for some time you know that this is one of the first changes I made & I ended up eating broccoli with my cereal each morning! Hahaha! 

After you have mastered those two things, I recommend that you try to cook or prepare most of your meals yourself. In other words, if you currently eat out more than you cook - time to get in the kitchen! Restaurants want their food to taste super yummy, so that often means excessive amounts of butter, oils and other things that add calories and fats. But when you prepare your own foods, you can control all of that and still enjoy delicious foods. Try some of the recipes I have shared on the blog or on social media or explore Pinterest to get some ideas. 

Have you noticed that I haven't said anything about counting calories? That doesn't have to be your focus when you're starting - or ever. I lost my first 30lbs without counting calories. Eat when you are hungry. Eat less junk food & more whole/natural foods. The rest will work itself out. 

These tips should get you started, but I'm going to throw in a FREE one day meal plan to get your creativity flowing. Keep me posted with your progress & I'd love to see some of the meal plans you come up with on your own! 

Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram, And feel free to send me your questions or thoughts!

You can also purchase my 10 Day Quick Start here. It comes with an easy to follow meal plan and everything you need to jump start your lifestyle change. 

3 Healthy Foods to Eat at Summer Cookouts and BBQs

For many people Memorial Day weekend kicks off BBQ season. I actually LOVE BBQs myself, but they can be disastrous for some people's diets. And understandably so. There are a TON of tempting foods around, but you can also stay healthy at BBQs.

1. Grilled meats are a great option! Steak, chicken, seafood, even burgers are all great sources of protein and grilling is a healthy way to cook them. Just be aware of the sauce they can have sneaky calories and sugars 😜

2. Veggies! I love throwing veggies on the grill (straight on the grill or in aluminum foil), but salads or other veggie sides are also good options. 

3. Potatoes & corn are also great when grilled. Like any other time, just be aware of what you put on them.

And bonus tip - try grilled fruit! And there are even some recipes for healthy fruit dips online 😍😍😍

I am a health coach helping people start their weight loss journey & develop longterm healthy habits. I offer one-on-one coaching, as well as customized meal and/or exercise plans. Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram, And feel free to send me your questions or thoughts!

You can also purchase my 10 Day Quick Start here. It comes with an easy to follow meal plan and everything you need to jump start your lifestyle change. 

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What No One Tells You About Losing Weight

Losing weight. It's either a goal of ours at some point or we know someone who wants to lose weight. And there is so much information out there - on social media, online, from people we know (or don't know). And sometimes it feels like it's all different. No carbs. Carbs. No junk food. Pop Tarts and pizza. High fat. Low fat. Seriously. It can be overwhelming. How do you know what to do??

But I'm here to clear something up for you.

There's more than one way to lose weight.

Clean eating worked for me. Does that mean it will work for you? No. Low carb diets work for some people. Does that mean it will work for you? No. But SOMETHING will work for you. The secret is figuring out what you will stick to & then giving it time to work.

That being said, let's talk about what things to remember when trying to lose weight.

Avoid "diets" that severely limit your calories. Your body needs calories to function. If a plan suggests that you eat fewer than 1200 calories - run. You will lose weight, but it won't be "healthy" weight.

Choose a plan that you can stick to long-term. You won't be successful if you are miserable. The key to keeping weight off is making a permanent lifestyle change, so if you can only stick to a plan for a few weeks - it may not be the right one for you.

Remember that your body needs nutrients. Some of the plans I have seen don't offer any nutritional value. Make sure you are able to enjoy a mix of foods that give you some vitamins and nutrients. You still want to be healthy, not just "smaller."

So, don't get worked up or overwhelmed by all of the info that's out there. Remember that you just have to pick the plan that is going to work for YOU.

Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram, And feel free to send me your questions or thoughts!

You can also purchase my 10 Day Quick Start here. It comes with an easy to follow meal plan and everything you need to jump start your lifestyle change. 

I am a health coach helping people start their weight loss journey & develop longterm healthy habits.  I offer one-on-one coaching, as well as customized meal and/or exercise plans.

My #1 Tip for Staying Fit While Traveling

Traveling can disrupt a perfectly good routine. You aren't at home, so your schedule is different, you have access to different foods, you may or may not have gym access... the list goes on and on. So, what do you do? Do you just accept the inevitable and hope you don't do too much damage before you get back home?

I used to do that. It was easier. Until I got back home and had to work off the vacation weight. And that is no fun. 

Now I travel way too much to get off track every time. Some for work and some for pleasure. But I take the same approach each time - no matter how far or how long the trip. You can have fun & enjoy your trip and stay fit. 

My big secret? Have a plan. 

That's it. My big tip is to think ahead and plan your fitness for your trip. Simple, right? These are some of the things to consider: 

Did you pack clothes that will allow you to exercise and/or walk comfortably?

Is there a gym in your hotel (if you are staying in one) or nearby? 

During your travel (plane, car or train), what healthy snacks will you eat? Did you pack them?

What options for eating healthy will you have? Should you take food with you?

When in your days can (and will) you workout? 

What will your workouts consist of? 

Now before we go any further, I need you to listen (read) carefully. HAVE FUN! Enjoy yourself and don't let your fitness become a burden, but these are my tips for traveling without throwing all of your hard-work down the drain. Or if it isn't a fun trip, take care of business, but still make your fitness a priority. Either way. 

Creating Your Plan

So, your plan has to have 2 components. Exercise and food. Let's talk about both. 

Planning for Your Workouts

I prefer the gym, so when I travel I google gyms in the area and have actually selected my hotel based on distance to the gym. I have an LA Fitness membership, so when I am traveling within the States, I start by looking for those in the cities that I am traveling to. But when I can't get to a gym - I workout  with what I can. Sometimes that's making up my own HIIT workout or watching a video. 

Resources for Workouts Online:

Beachbody On Demand - Let's your stream Beachbody workouts (Insanity, P90X, Cize, BodyBeast, PiYo, 21 Day Fix, etc). The first 30 days are free! If you choose this option, nae me as your coach and I can work with you! Questions about that? Email me  (or jamar.paige@gmail.com).

BodyRock - A ton of workouts that you can stream for free! :-) 

YouTube - You have to search, but there are some gems here too! 

Google Images - Look up HIIT workouts and  Seriously. Or just use these that I found for you. 

Planning your Food

When possible, I like to take food with me. Then I know exactly what I am eating and I know I won't find myself in a situation where I feel like I have to make a bad decision because options are limited. If you will have access to a refrigerator while you are away from home, I would go grocery shopping and get some food to have on hand. Also, be prepared to make good choices when/if you eat out. I like to look at the menu ahead of time. Most of them are online now - even the local restaurants. If you are going to splurge on your trip, try to keep some balance and don't let every meal become a splurge. 

(Some) Healthy Snacks for Travel Days

Nuts (be careful of nut allergies around you though)

Fruit 

Chopped veggies

Baked/grilled chicken or turkey (diced or chunks work best for me)

Canned or packaged tuna/salmon

Turkey or Beef Jerky (all natural, no preservatives)

Rice cakes

Natural fruit/nut/protein bars

Homemade granola

Cheese sticks

Yogurt (don't let it get too hot!)

Sandwiches on whole wheat bread

Salad (again, watch the temperature)

Protein powder to make a shake on the go

Note: Look for grilled, unbuttered meats, veggies and potatoes, and fresh fruits when ordering on the go! 

Do you have a tip for maintaining your fitness goals/priorities while you travel? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Leave me a comment! 

Now go forth & see the world! Stay fit along the way! Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram, And feel free to send me your questions or thoughts!

Photo of the Week: 

This week I am writing from Izmir, Turkey. Traveling again!
And no, this is not an unusual cabbage. They are ALL this large.