What to do When You Feel Stuck with Your Nutrition

We've all been there - feeling like your nutrition isn't where you want it to be, but lacking direction or "umph" to change it. Here are a few tips to get you out of your rut and on the road again!

Before we dive into those tips, it's important to acknowledge that it's OKAY to feel like you're in a rut.

Our nutrition and health practices are not meant to stay stagnant. Many of us have an idea of what a "healthy lifestyle" should look like, and we believe we must live up to that routine.

The truth is - your routines and lifestyle are meant to change and evolve. The ability to change and evolve WITH it is the skill we want to build! That's something that a meal plan or box diet can't accomplish.

Here are a few things that will help you get out of your rut.

Let go of the, "Well when I was ___ years old, this is what I did..." mentality.

NOTHING will keep you stuck or sabotage you more than comparing yourself to the past.

...quit putting the expectations of your past, on your present self.

Whether that's how you looked, what you ate, or what kind of exercise you did, it is NOT HELPFUL, because it's entirely irrelevant to where you are right now.

Dwelling on the days where you could run a 6-minute mile isn't going to do one lick of good for getting you off the couch to walk half a mile today.

So quit putting the expectations of your past, on your present self.

Recognize your life isn't a picture.

Many of us get this idea of what we think a healthy lifestyle is, and then we try to live out the picture in our life.

This promotes perfectionism, and guess what. Perfectionism is just the dressed up cousin of PROCRASTINATION.

This all-or-nothing mentality is the exact mentality that will have you either

working out at 5 AM and eating kale salads, or

vegging on the couch licking Cheeto dust off your fingers.

So what to do instead?

Get as excited about baby steps as you did, well, when you were a baby!

When we live in the past ("If only I were still running that 6 minute mile...") or the future ("Next week I'm going to give up sweets for GOOD."), we're stuck.

So the best thing you can do when you feel stuck with nutrition? Come back to the present moment and take BABY steps.

Don't eat enough vegetables? Try adding a snack of carrots and hummus while you're working at your computer.

Not getting enough exercise? Try taking the dog for a walk around the block.

If you notice these changes feel good in your body and are fun/enjoyable to you, do them again.

If not, adjust and try again.

And always, always, always, have fun with it. What's the point of a healthy lifestyle if it isn't fun?

And if you're still stuck...

Get help.

Humans work WAY better when they have other humans helping and supporting them.

One of the best things you can do when you're struggling with your nutrition is work with a dietitian nutrition coach to give you unique insight and point you in the right direction.

Think about it. If your car is running funny, you might take it to the mechanic rather than trying to fix it yourself.

So if you aren't happy with where your nutrition is, get some guidance and support from a dietitian.

We have recently had a few spots open up in our nutrition coaching program. Click here to see if you're a qualified candidate for 1:1, personalized nutrition coaching.