The Power of Habits for Progress

We have never had so much access to information before. Whether it be from friends or family or training buddies, to social media, to Google, if you have a question – then chances are you can find some information on it.

So why is it that we can know so much about the ‘what’ we should do when it comes to food, but struggle at times with achieving it? Surprisingly, one of the most common reasons for our crew coming to work with us is along the lines of ‘please teach me how to eat again’.

So if you are feeling all of this and unsure how to achieve your goal in health or performance, this blog is for you – because making change is not always easy, but there is a way to pinpoint and maintain change that is unique to you, your goals, your preferences and your circumstances.

Unfortunately, going 110% in or trying a fad diet only offers a band-aid approach to achieving your goal. They promise a quick fix and enforce rigid rules that ultimately include the restriction of a decent list of foods and/or food groups. The thing is, they work. However, their use-by date tends to loom quickly as life happens, priorities shift, and the rules start to lose their shine as your motivation also wanes. Before you know it, you are left feeling demoralised and a sense of failure (again!) and frustration creeps in – summing up the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting.

If you’ve followed our work, you know that we strongly believe that there is no one ideal way of eating that fits everyone. Instead, if we can identify what works for you in terms of what you enjoy, your culture, your values and your lifestyle, then the changes to make are drafted for us.

This is where habit-focused change becomes super powerful. It is about breaking down the initial overwhelming barrier to change and removing the need for an ‘all or nothing’ approach. It takes a longer-term vision that empowers you by switching to a process-powered change, rather than a goal-driven change.

For example, you may be hoping to lose weight or improve your performance in a key event. Taking a habit-focused approach keeps this goal in mind but places a greater emphasis on the why and the how – steppingstones of smaller, actionable changes.

Habits such as “increasing your vegetable intake”, “increasing your protein intake” or “improving your relationship with food” are slowly weaved into the Coaching framework and worked on day-by-day, week-by-week. These little segments all combine over time, like pieces of a puzzle, to complete the bigger picture and achieve the long-term vision.

“Wellness, much like sickness, doesn’t happen overnight”

Coaching has some brilliant evidence behind it that shows a positive outcome beyond just changes in food and performance, but also in improvements to mental health – particularly in mood, relationship with food and motivation. The level of support and positive accountability that habit-based coaching provides means that when obstacles appear, as they inevitably do, you are guided through potential solutions. As a bonus, because we are online and on-demand, the access means that we are there when you need us, at the times you need us and on the days that bring the most challenges. By encouraging change in a supported environment, the resilience witnessed has been extraordinary – to the point that we celebrate graduations when our crew members really don’t need us all that much anymore!

A big aspect of the coaching approach is setting goals that go beyond weight or a number. By redefining the measure of success, you are also reframing the way you see failure. No longer is a number on the scale the primary determinant of your self-worth. Instead, it is all about understanding how our lifestyle, family commitments, training demands, moods and relationship with food impact the actions you take day to day.

Tune into the Compeat Waffle!