Add First In Order to Subtract

When most people talk about improving their nutrition, they begin listing off all the items they intend to stop eating or drinking and the unhealthy habits they intend to kick. They go on a “diet” or attempt to stop a habit cold turkey. Unfortunately, this may not be the most effective way to go about it. For starters, this can often feel like deprivation which results in an uncanny craving for the item that we’ve sworn to never consume again. In addition, nutrition habits whether healthy or not –so-healthy are often deeply ingrained usually dating back to our childhood. For most people it is easier to begin to establish a new habit, rather than break an old habit. So I recommend adding a healthy habit first before you subtract an unhealthy habit.

Here are a couple of examples:

If you would like to quit drinking soda – then start by first adding 2 eight ounce glasses of water each day. One first thing when you wake up and one just before you go to bed at night. Establish this new habit first, then gradually add additional glasses of water and eventually swap out a few sodas a day for water, until you’ve kicked the soda habit by first establishing a great water habit.

If you know you should stop eating sugary cereals and should replace them with 100% whole grain cereal. Begin by first adding a handful of 100% whole grain cereal to your bowl of sugary cereal. Each day/week increase the amount of whole grain cereal and decrease the amount of sugary cereal, until you’ve replaced the sugary cereal all together.

To Your Best Health,

Melissa Guthrie
Triumph Training
Nutrition Coach & Fitness Trainer
BSc Nutritional Science
BSc Exercise Physiology
Competitive Triathlete
Healthy Cooking Enthusiast