Making healthy, life-altering changes in the pursuit of health and fitness doesn’t always have to be full speed ahead. Sometimes the motivation for change is high, which is great, but often we just need to start somewhere.

Whether you’ve crushed diets in the past but are feeling a little burnt out, or you’ve never tried to improve your food and lifestyle choices before and don’t know where to start: start small.

Big habits start small.

Want to make it to the gym at 5 a.m. five days a week, but you’ve literally never done that before? Avoid diving “all in” to a large commitment like that because it may set you up for early burnout and failure. Start with one day, then two…earning trust with yourself by making it happen in small chunks. Remember, only making it to the gym 2 - 3 times a week is better than giving up and not going at all!

Make easy, small changes to your home, work, social and travel life.

This one is a common theme at WAG, and for good reason. This is how we get amazing results with members. Taking full control of your surroundings allows the healthiest decisions to be the easiest decisions.

This blog post and our Flexible Dieting Crash Course walk you through adjusting your home, work, social and travel life for the better. We even have this infographic that you can buy as a wall-sized poster for your home, gym or office to help you always be aware of your options!

Eat small.

Especially if you’re trying to control your calorie intake. Make a switch for smaller plates, bowls and glasses...even a smaller fork! Buy kids-size snacks and bite-sized treats. Just think small. Shrinking your utensils and snack options is a great way to control your portion size habits long term.

Make socializing a smaller affair.

Suggest meeting friends at a cafe or coffee shop instead of for dinner at the steakhouse or pizza place. This helps to avoid the temptation to overeat and allows you to order smaller portions of food. When you do choose restaurants, look for places with smaller portions and healthier ingredients.

Aim for small daily goals.

When you consistently stick to a routine that promotes order and structure in your life, the feeling is incredible! The idea is that when you set small, achievable goals, you get to feel a sense of accomplishment in some way, every day. Here are some ideas:

  • Make your bed
  • Wash and/or dry the dishes, as well as put them away
  • Add a vegetable to every meal
  • Drink a glass of water before your morning coffee or tea
  • Floss your teeth
  • Add a self-care practice you may have been slacking on
  • Read for 10 minutes or more, allowing audiobooks to count

Add simple weekly goals.

These can help keep things even more interesting. Make it something you genuinely enjoy so you’re more motivated to do it, such as:

  • Stretch for 10-15 minutes
  • Get a massage or spend time in a hot tub
  • Never miss a check-in with your nutrition coach ;)
  • Thoroughly clean something. A room of the house, the back of a cupboard, that pot you burnt last week, your car. Pick anything based on the time constraints you have and allow yourself to check it off as a goal reached.
  • If you eat out a lot, make it a goal to have one night on the weekend where you eat at home.
  • Break up your usual training routine with something different, like a 30-minute walk or swim. Maybe you need to give your dog more love? Ten points for taking your mom shopping!

Making small changes in your life will add up to big achievements. What is the best way you’ve made small changes in your life?