One foot in front of the other...

I have a client who was recently describing her struggles with taking her diet to the next level.

She's been wanting to become a full-fledged vegan (no animal products whatsoever) - but in her efforts to be the perfect vegan, she would ultimately make some nutritional mistakes, get frustrated at her inability to follow the "rules", and simply settle for ordering a pizza.

I've heard the same stories from so many others - vegan, vegetarian, and meat-eaters alike... the quest for perfection in their diets eventually leads to an ultimate destruction in those diets altogether.

The problem w/ expecting perfection?

It's impossible.

I mean, nothing is impossible... but you have to expect some room for human error when we're talking about food and eating habits.

So, perfection is unhealthy and unrealistic.


Now, you can achieve an ideal diet, close to perfection.
How?
Consistent, slow progression.

If my client slowly changes little details about her diet, AND if she keeps making those changes over an extended period of time, she will easily reach her goal of becoming a healthy vegan.

When I was prepping for my figure competition, I also took small, baby steps so that my diet never drastically changed all at once. And it never felt like I was being deprived.

I have every single one of my clients follow the same pattern in their workouts. They start with a movement that is challenging, yet doable... and they improve upon it. Then, I give them a more difficult exercise in next month's workouts. Then, without realizing it, my clients are lifting large weights, or doing full pushups, or performing an exercise with no more pain.

Consistent, slow progression.

When you're changing your lifestyle, and that change is a bit uncomfortable, the only way to ensure success is to take small bites. That way, the discomfort is hardly noticeable. And by the end of 2009, you'll be totally committed to a change that you never thought possible.

So, don't immediately strive for perfection like my client has unsuccessfully done in the past.

Just strive to take one step...

Next week, you can take another :)