Don't Let "Perfect" Prevent "Good"

When it comes to health and weight loss, there’s no shortage of information. There are articles about diet, exercise, superfoods, tips, and tricks. However, it can be easy to read about things and much harder to implement them. When it comes to making changes, things can start to feel overwhelming quickly. Perfectionism can lead to procrastination which can lead to paralysis, and nothing changes. 

The problem with that is that in truth, small changes can add up over time. Shifting habits one at a time can result in improvements to your health. Changing something small is better for you than not changing anything at all. Here are five large health goals that can be broken down into smaller steps.  

Starting with small goals can have the effect of building momentum and confidence. By keeping promises to yourself, you can move the needle on your larger goals. 

Each of these goals are worthwhile. If you like a challenge and feel motivated by having something to reach for, by all means reach! But if you find yourself overwhelmed, it can be more inspiring to set small achievable goals to work up to changes over time. 

10,000 steps a day

Pedometers measure the number of steps a person takes in a day. These days, they are everywhere, from personal devices such as Fitbits or Oura rings, to apps on phones. The goal number that has been advertised everywhere is 10,000 steps a day. Recent research has revealed that the number 10,000 was not based on research, however, but on a marketing campaign. Walking is an excellent and beneficial exercise. The truth is that while 10,000 steps is a great goal, some walking is better than no walking. Especially for older people or people who are just starting their health journey, the number 10,000 might feel out of reach. Breaking this goal into smaller chunks may help prevent the perfection/procrastination/paralysis cycle from kicking in. Take a few days to get a baseline for how many steps you average a day, and make it your goal to increase that by a 1,000 steps every two weeks. You can decide how far you want to take that, depending on your age, fitness, and abilities. Every little bit does count. Research suggest that while 10,000 steps a day will help you hit the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, you see gains from about 7,000 steps, and if you have been previously inactive, you see gains with each increase. Conversely, if you live a very active lifestyle already, you may need to set your step count goal higher than 10,000 to see any improvements. Flexible thinking around this goal can help maintain motivation.

8 hours of sleep

Sleep is one of the most vital and sometimes overlooked components of health. Everything from energy levels and mental health to immune and metabolic functioning can be linked to getting consistent high-quality sleep. Aiming for 8 hours of rest every night is a good goal, but it can be an overwhelming one in certain situations. Parents with a new baby or young toddlers, parents with teenagers who only open up and chat after 10:30 PM, and people who work different shifts overnight or through the evening hours may find 8 hours every night to be an impossible goal. Rather than throw up your hands and use extra minutes to scroll on a phone or watch television, you can try to prioritize getting as much sleep as you can. Choose a bedtime and wake time that are consistent. Pay attention to sleep patterns—is there a certain time you need to be asleep in order to fall asleep easily? Try not to miss that window. Do you need more sleep in the winter and less in the summer? Do you need to schedule a nap during the day to help you get the rest you need while your baby is teething? Paying attention to your sleep needs can be a good place to start setting goals around prioritizing sleep, rather than starting with trying to find an uninterrupted block of 8 hours.  

No added sugar

Cutting out added sugar is an excellent health goal, and one that will have a direct impact on mental health, inflammation, immune function, and weight management. Health guidelines suggest limiting added sugar to 25-35 grams a day (that translates to 6-9 teaspoons). However, it is everywhere! Sugar is added to salad dressing, marinades, soda, sweetened juice drinks, cereal, ketchup, and more! Some places to start reducing your sugar intake are:

1. Stop drinking soda.

2. Drink your coffee and tea plain or with just cream or coconut milk.

3. Make your own dressings and sauces.

4. Rethink breakfast. Rather than sweet, grain heavy breakfast, try eggs and veggies. 

5. Reduce your consumption of processed foods 

5 servings of vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are essential to good health. They offer unmatched nutrition: complex carbohydrates, fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. The more you eat, in a wide variety of colors and textures, the better. If you are unfamiliar with how to source, prepare, and eat your veggies, however, it can be daunting. There is nothing less motivating than throwing away a bag of produce that you thought you were going to eat but then couldn’t face preparing. It’s ok to start slowly. You can try adding a fruit to your breakfast, and try some different ones to figure out what you like. You can try testing out one new vegetable each week, to give you a chance to just focus on one thing. It’s perfectly acceptable to decide there is something you really don’t like, and move on to finding other things. It might be helpful to prepare that thing in several different ways first, however. For example, kale is a popular healthy vegetable. It’s packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins C and K, iron, and a host of other nutrients. It also has a firm texture and assertive flavor. If you don’t enjoy kale in a salad, you might try it fried in olive oil with an egg and garlic, or roasted and sprinkled with chili powder and lemon juice, or blended into a blueberry smoothie, or chopped fine and added to a soup. Trying different preparations, and giving yourself time to work up to five or more servings every day, can help you achieve that goal. 

Maintaining the same weight throughout your lifetime

Whether it’s maintaining the weight you graduated with, or focusing on BMI, goals that focus on never fluctuating can be impossible to maintain. There are many circumstances that can lead to weight fluctuation over the course of a person’s lifetime, such as illness and injury, pregnancy and lactation, stress, hormonal fluctuations, and more. Weight loss can be challenging enough without the weight of that kind of goal. If you have a lot of weight to lose, it can be helpful to start with a 5% reduction goal. Studies have shown that reducing your weight by 5% can result in significant improvements in blood pressure and glucose tolerance. It represents a “clinically meaningful” amount. There is nothing saying you cannot continue to set five percent goals for yourself until you reach your desired health outcomes, whether that is tied to BMI, a number on the scale, blood pressure, heart rate variability and resting heart rate, or any other measure of health. Losing a pound or two a week by walking and choosing nutritious foods, it is reasonable to estimate that a person can lose 10 pounds in two or three months. 

5% of 150: 7.5 pounds

5% of 200: 10 pounds

5% of 250: 12.5 pounds

The best thing you can do for your health is the thing you can do today. Taking small steps one at a time will change your direction and add up over time. Everything doesn’t have to happen at once. If you’d like focused attention and support, all TruBalance offices are equipped for virtual visits. Whether it’s drinking a glass of water, taking a walk, or reaching out for help, your health is worth taking that one first step today.