"Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice." — Anton Chekhov
Last week I asked you to do a self audit of your habits via a short quiz. This week...it's time to fill out your report card. 👉 If you had to grade yourself on your eating and nutrition SKILLS, would you get an A, B, C, or …? Most of us think of eating/nutrition as something we should just automatically KNOW about… But there really are SKILLS involved – things like meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, understanding portion sizes, knowing which foods fill you up, which ones make you feel hungry, etc. Some of us were never taught these things growing up (I know I wasn't!) OR we’ve been taught so many conflicting things, it’s hard to know what to believe.
Which is why focusing on building skills rather than blinding following a diet is a POWERFUL mindset switch.
A dieting mindset focuses on restriction while a skill building mindset focuses on refinement...making it a much more empowering (and pleasant) approach to creating a healthy and fit lifestyle that you actually enjoy.
Building a toolbox of eating/nutrition skills also ensures your success long after you've reached your weight loss goals, unlike the yo-yo effect of standard diets.
In my coaching programs clients focus on learning two categories of nutrition skills:
Skills for DURING meals and
Skills for IN BETWEEN meals
Broken down, these skills can look like:
Finding 3-4 breakfast options that taste great and keep you satisfied until lunchtime
Knowing how to meal prep during busy weeks
Understanding how to make sure you’re getting enough protein for your goals
Finding ways to work fruits and vegetables into your meals (most of us don’t eat enough of them!)
Getting great at once-weekly grocery shopping (& streamlining it so you can get in and out fast)
Being able to distinguish between physical hunger and emotional "hunger"
Learning how to build a balanced, healthy plate in a variety of environments
Knowing how to anticipate challenging food situations so you can create back up plans
Discovering snacks that satisfy you AND don’t derail your progress
Taking time to master these kinds of skills will move you closer to your goals AND give you a solid foundation that will last a lifetime.
So, if your report card isn't going to get you on the honor roll anytime soon, I encourage you to identify 1-2 skills to develop and then brainstorm a variety of ways you can PRACTICE those skills.
For example, if you need to develop the skill of getting enough protein for your goals, you might PRACTICE by:
Tracking how much protein you are currently getting
Cooking a whole chicken on Sundays to use throughout the week
Adding an extra serving of egg whites to your breakfast
Keeping a stash of non-perishable protein rich snacks in your car or office for food "emergencies"
Remember, information is not a skill. And just because you know some stuff about nutrition and fitness doesn’t mean you have the skills to implement that information with consistency. Skills do take practice to develop! But doing so will allow you to accomplish your goals more quickly, with less effort, and maintain your results for the long run.
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