Where will this take me?

All day long I answer questions from clients like: should I have eaten that? is it okay to just forget about my 'plan' for a night? that pan of brownies didn't really matter, did it?

I can answer these questions until I'm blue in the face but realistically,I am only with my clients 2-4 hours a week. I can't constantly be beside them, holding their hand as they decide what nutrition choices to make. The best I can do is set them up with a healthy plan that is achievable to them, that promotes their goals and that ultimately improves the quality of their life.

One of the big focuses of my practice is to educate my clients on healthy choices, but more than that, I want to teach them concrete strategies to help them make good choices when they are out in the world. Out of all the advice I've ever given clients, I have to say that the most valuable 'question of wisdom' I teach them is to ask themself something each time they wonder if they should ingest the food or drink in question.

'Is this going to get me closer to my goal, or pull me further away?'

Quite often, the answer of 'should I eat this' is answered very quickly. When you push yourself hard in the gym and carefully select nutritious and goal supporting food choices all day, you have a serious investment in your overall fitness goals. Once you acknowledge that the snack you are wanting will bring you further away from those goals, you can decide if it is really worth it. While it isn't a 100% foolproof plan to success, it will guarantee that you question whether or not it's really worth it, and increase your likelihood of dropping that cupcake!