Getting Started with Nutrition - #391

<div>Gillian Ward joins Matt & Niki to discuss how to get started with nutrition: identifying your goals, understanding where you are now, and implementing sustainable, realistic nutrition plans. <br /> <br /> Gillian is a great simplifier of complex information and focuses not on the science of nutrition (though she knows it) but rather behavior changes and how to best modify clients' actions to meet their goals (for the action both to occur and move them toward their goals).<br /> <br /></div> <div>A client must first acknowledge a need to make a change, understand why he or she wants to change, and have an idea of what direction he or she wants to head. You don't need to have a SMART goal, but you need to understand WHY you want to make a change.<br /> <br /> Next, tell the truth with yourself (and maybe your coach), so you can understand your current behaviors. An accurate picture of your actions enable you to identify a plan that will actually work for you.<br /> <br /></div> <div>Once you know where you are, think about the things you want to include in your plan. What are the things you DON'T want to give up? This might be a nightly dessert or alcohol, eating out at a restaurant with your family on Saturday evenings, or Sunday morning pancake breakfasts. It doesn't mean you won't modify this at all (if you're eating 5000 calories of pancakes, we might need to reduce that). Still, this helps you identify and maintain things that actually bring you value. <br /> <br /> Now you can triage. This is identifying the behaviors that can be addressed to yield results. You're looking for the most-bang-for-your-buck changes. So what can be changed relatively easily while enabling you to work toward your goal.<br /> <br /> For example, you may identify that eating certain foods triggers a cascade of bad behaviors for the rest of the day. <br /> <br /> You next plan & prepare, which does not necessarily mean meal preparation and weighing and measuring. It could be identifying days or meals that will be challenging. How