When you hear the words weight loss, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Deprivation? Counting calories or carbs? Hours of cardio? These are all things I hear from women when they ask about the best way to lose weight. So many women think sustainable weight loss is complicated and time consuming. Do you need to put in an effort? Yes, of course you do. Does it take time to create new habits? Yup, sure does. But it can be easier than you may think when you make it simple.
Today I’m going to share with you super simple ways to create sustainable lifestyle habits that put you in control of your weight loss journey. This is the exact process that I personally use to walk my client’s through the process. It’s your life and your body so you get to choose how you get to your destination. When you put effort into building the foundation, the rest becomes easier. Let’s dive right in!
Step #1-Get Super Clear on Your Values
This first step will help you get the ball rolling when choosing which habits you want to start or stop. Maybe you don’t even know which habits are throwing a wrench in your weight loss efforts. This is actually very common, especially for women. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of getting the kids to school, completing work projects, doing the laundry, and simply keeping yourself and your family alive. Tapping into your values will help you uncover what’s actually most important to you which can get lost in the abyss of life.
So, what are values? Values are what’s most important to you in your life. For example, I value home cooked meals made with whole food ingredients, variety in my meals, and simplicity. My nutrition habits are centered around these three values.
Maybe you value flexibility, autonomy, simplicity, balance, accomplishment, or motivation. These are just a handful of values that can be at the forefront of your health and wellness goals.
Step #2- Decide What You Want to Prioritize Right Now
Make a list of all your health and fitness goals you want to achieve in the next 12 months. It doesn’t matter if you feel like they’re out of reach, write them all down. Next, choose one (just one!) that you want to work on right now. Which one is the low hanging fruit (i.e. the one you feel is the easiest to achieve)? This is the one will be your focus in the next 4 weeks.
Now, I realize you may want to focus on more than one goal to feel more productive. Remember, you’re in this for the long haul. Your health and wellness goals are ongoing which means it’s a continuous journey until the day you die. You’ll move in and out of different phases where you’re working towards new goals or maintaining current habits.
Step #3-Choose a Habit Implementation Strategy That Aligns with Your Values
Now it’s time to get the ball rolling on your action plan. Make a list of all the habits that will move you closer to your goal. For example, eating more protein will boost weight loss by helping you feel full longer and mitigate sugar cravings. If you feel like you want to eat more protein and you value simplicity with your meals to accommodate your busy life, brainstorm ideas on how you can add more protein to your meals without complication. Perhaps you can buy precooked chicken from the grocery store to have on hand that you can add to your lunch. Or you could have hardboiled eggs that are peeled and ready to eat on a moment’s notice. Buying ready-to-eat hardboiled eggs in bulk from Costco is one of my go-to solutions to get more protein.
As you’re creating your list of habits you want to create, make sure to scrub them against your values list. If a habit doesn’t align your values, it’s probably not going to be sustainable for you.
Step #4- Rate Your Confidence on a Scale of 1-10
This is a super important step in the habit creation process. It’s so easy to get excited about what’s possible with your health and fitness goals that sometimes you tend to commit to too much. This is totally understandable especially when you come into this with a lot of motivation. I’ve been there many times with habits, in all areas of my life.
Confidence in your ability to implement habits tells you whether or not you’ll be successful. If you choose a habit that doesn’t align with your values or you simply can’t figure out how to weave it into your current lifestyle, it’s probably not the right habit for you, at least not at this time.
On a scale of 1-10 (1 means you know you can’t do this and 10 is you’re 100% sure you can do this), if you’re 8, 9, or 10, it’s probably safe to say you can make it happen. If you’re a 6 or 7, there might be some obstacles that are likely to get in your way. Write out the obstacles and how you’re going to overcome them. If you’re a 5 or less, go back to the drawing board and choose a different habit.
Step #5- Actually Do it!
I know this sounds obvious but I’ve met so many women who get to this step and freeze. They overanalyze they’re decision until they spin out of control and just give up. Or they tell themselves they need to wait for the wave of motivation.
I’m going to be direct with you here - more often than not, action comes before motivation. If you keep waiting for the motivation to kick your booty in gear, you’ll probably be waiting for a long time. Remember, your health and wellness habits are never permanent. You’re not in a legal contract when you experiment with walking more or going to bed earlier. You don’t have to do it forever and you can make tweaks down the road if it doesn’t work for you.
If you're like me and crave stability, think of your value system as your anchor during the habit change process. When you're crystal clear about your values and build your habits around them, you can maintain a strong sense of stability and truly thrive.
You Deserve an Easier, More Empowered Weight Loss Journey
The five steps we covered today aren’t about dieting harder or doing more — they’re about aligning your health and fitness habits with what actually matters to you. As a busy woman juggling so much already, you don’t need more pressure — you need a plan that supports you.
So here’s your next step:
Take 5 minutes today to reflect on your top values, then choose one small habit that feels doable and aligned. Write it down, rate your confidence, and commit to trying it for just one week.
No perfection. No pressure. Just progress.
And if you’re tired of doing this alone or second-guessing every step, I’d love to support you. Go here to book a free call with me — let’s create a personalized plan that actually fits your life.
You’re capable, you’re worthy, and you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself.