Changes

Today, my boy is 5 weeks old. Holy cow, how did this time fly by so quickly?

Nonetheless, as many new moms suggest, I am so in love with my baby, Declan (we call him Dex). No doubt, being a mom has its’ moments, but the smiles, cuddles and new role is indescribable.

Already, embracing this new family dynamic, I have learned heaps – from honing in on personal strengths (and understanding my weaknesses) and streamlining my outlook on priorities, health and more. Of course, with any situation I am presented with, my wheels begin to turn on how to grow stronger, regarding wellness, and how to apply my observations into my nutrition practice. Indeed at 3 weeks postpartum, I have continued to meet with clients. Granted I am not working as many hours right away, yet, if I can balance it all, I want to continue my love of helping people with their health goals. As well, now that I am on the other side of my pregnancy, I have similar goals as my patients to shed some weight, all while taking care of myself.

Often enough, internally I find myself echoing recommendations I preach to clients, including:

• Be patient with the process. Whatever goal you are trying to achieve – weight loss, new eating habits, etc, the results will not come overnight, within or week (or 5!). Striving for a set objective comes with a journey, and along the way, aim to make the best choices, stay positive and assess progress routinely. 
• Love the skin you are in. When we love ourselves, rather than criticize ourselves, we become more confident and determined.
• Consistency is key. Try to not make too many changes as once – as well, eating on a routine helps us understand how much food our bodies need. Thus can prevent overeating, especially in the night hours. If I, or a client, find myself ravenous at night, it’s quite possible too little food is consumed during the day.
• Make small, realistic goals. For example, my priority is to eat healthy and maintain optimal blood sugar control, providing the best nutrition for Dex, as well as, to make sure the scale is going down, not up, during the process. Over the last 10 months, I gained 35 pounds, and I don’t want or intend to make it a goal to lose all the weight by my 6 week appointment with the doctor or sooner. If this was the case, I would merely set myself up for failure, and I would have to take obscene measures to even try to get there. So my solution is to have a daily goal to consume a certain amount of produce, protein and water and to ensure my measures are going in the right direction weekly.
• Treat myself. It’s important, no matter how busy we get, to have small weekly or monthly treats for ourselves. And this does not include food; I am suggesting personal enjoyments like getting my nails done, or buying a favorite magazine, booking a massage, etc. Health isn’t only about how much we eat and/or move. There is SOOO much more to it.

This list can easily continue but I am happy to be on the same page as many of my clients, and will continue to be once I hit my goal. Maintaining optimal health is not a breeze. Wherever I stand with my goals, I need to address a plan. “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail,” and this is true starting with a grocery list to ensure we plan balanced meals.

I am enjoying my new motherly role and look forward to continue to grow as a person and a more impactful dietitian.

What tactics do you layout to meet your health goals? Do you have any feedback on how you achieved your latest personal initiative?

Feedback is always welcomed!