Do you have an exercise and nutrition backup plan? If you’ve got a personal trainer, he or she can help you make backup plans for when you have to pull out a Plan B for exercise or nutrition. But if you don’t have a coach, here’s why you need an exercise and nutrition backup plan:
Exercise and Nutrition Backup Plan
Let’s set up a scenario: Imagine you’ve been trying to improve your diet. You’re taking small steps, one by one. All is going well, and you’re feeling good and losing weight.
However, you have a vacation coming up. In the past, you would have totally said: “Forget everything while I’m away, I’ll get back on track when I get back.”
After all, what’s the point of a vacation if you’re not “turning off” a little?
BUT, you have a history of all-or-nothing thinking. It derails your progress every time you start to gain some traction.
So…what should you do?
Your Nutrition Backup Plan
Here’s one simple strategy we came up with that worked well for a client:
Make sure that breakfast and lunch are healthy picks,
and that every meal has at least one vegetable or fruit.
I love two things about this:
- The acknowledgment that there’s going to be treats, and that’s part of being on vacation.
- Still trying to maintain basic healthy habits like eating fruits and vegetables, even when away from home.
It doesn’t need to be “all or nothing” when we’re on vacation!
Sometimes even just a side serving of fruit is enough for us to hit our nutrition goal for the day.
The important thing is there was some intention about was eaten on vacation. Even if it was just an apple along with all the “vacation food.”
THAT’S a nutrition backup plan that helps prevent total backsliding!
Your Exercise Backup Plan
The main way to think about your exercise and nutrition backup plans is:
WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN YOU CAN’T (OR DIDN’T) DO WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD?
Too cold or rainy for your morning run?
Tackle a few flights of stairs inside instead.
Missed your gym workout?
Do some squats, pushups, and crunches during commercials.
See the theme here?
Doing SOMETHING is better than doing NOTHING if you can’t do your original plan.
Think of your exercise backup plan as an exercise “snack” instead of the meal you had planned.
If you need help coming up with some Exercise and Nutrition Backup Strategies that make sense for you, just send us a message and we’ll set a time to talk.
