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Small Changes Reap Big Results: 10 Simple Ideas for Weight Loss and Health

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We can visualize the goal. The arms thrust in the air as we cross the finish line, zipping up the smaller jeans or finally achieving an unassisted pull up.

The only thing we need is a step by step guide that will lead us to the promise land.

Do x = achieve y.

If we just quit all our bad habits and do exactly what they say, success is guaranteed. Who cares if that means turning our lives upside down, committing to working out everyday, never touching sugar again and working past dawn to dusk?

It sounds ridiculous, but how many 30 day challenges or running streaks have you joined? How many diets? And the truth is usually that massive overhauls don’t last because the discomfort is too great.Small daily improvements are the key to success -- learn how to implement thisAt the end of the day we fail because we cannot sustain the requirements.

They’re such a drastic deviation from our lives that it doesn’t take much to pull us off course and then it feels too hard to start again. I’ve certainly fallen in to this trap with my race training and even with my diet at times.

When I look back at what has been successful, it’s NEVER been a massive change. It has been making small changes and allowing them to add up over time. I have maintained my 35lb weight loss for 12 plus years because each new change was small, it didn’t require me to overhaul my life. Instead it became my life.

This part of what I hope to share in the Running For Weight Loss Ebook because I’ve seen it work repeatedly for myself and others.

The idea is to make changes that feel so insignificant you barely notice they’ve shifted your life. We become what we repeatedly do, learn the value of small habit changesBig sweeping changes absolutely work in the right circumstance

It shakes up life and gets you to refocus on a goal…but more often than not it follows a very similar pattern of initial excitement followed by a road block in the form of daily life and then a return to old habits.

What if you thought small instead of big? Could you make more lasting change? #health Click To Tweet

Examples of Small, but Big

Breakfast
If all you do this week is add shredded carrots/ground flax to your morning oatmeal that’s unlikely to generate either high or low, but now you’ve started your day with a veggie and added some bulk to your morning meal that might help it last longer.
97 ideas for protein packed breakfasts >>

Evening Routine
Or maybe you commit to doing some squats/leg lifts while you brush your teeth before bed…no added time to your day, but working your biggest muscle burns calories and starts to shift your mental patterns.
More ways to activate those glutes >>

Parking
Stop circling for a spot, just park in the very first one you see. Usually means walking a little farther and saving a lot of time/frustration.

They seem silly they’re just so small!

However a breakfast that keeps you from reaching for the candy jar could mean 50-100 calories a day saved on snacks and firing up the glutes is good for runners to prevent injuries which could derail your training or weight loss efforts.10 small changes for big results in your health, life and weight lossIt’s why they call it a Yoga Practice and why I’ve relabeled the Clean and Lean Challenge to  the Clean and Lean Blueprint…because it’s an ongoing process of making small tweaks to grow.

I know Transformation Thursday posts and other dramatic stories, make us all crave BIG shifts. But the real story is it took time and for many people there were a lot of failures before success.

Start your journey today with just one little change and you can post your own WOW moment in a few months.

10 More Small Changes

Start thinking about your small changes! Here are some ideas to get you going:

  • Stand up to make phone calls
  • Pack lunch the night before
  • Eat an apple every afternoon
  • Fill a water bottle upon waking with water and lemon (good for flushing the body)
  • Commit to walking your pet daily (take that chore from someone else)
  • Park in the first spot you see no matter how far from the door
  • Read something positive each night before bed
  • Reach for a cup of tea when munchies hit that aren’t hunger driven (read why!)
  • Wait until at after lunch to have any sweets (hmm imagine if you could easily bypass pastries at morning meetings)
  • Set a daily reminder on your phone, when it goes off take 5 deep breaths
Feeling overwhelmed at trying to change everything at once and understanding what really works? Here’s my proven system to upgrade your health habits for lasting weight loss >>

What small changes have you made over time that added up to big results?

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Posted by amanda Categories: Clean Eating, Healthy lifestyle

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susie @ SuzLyfe says

    December 6, 2016 at 4:44 am

    Very similar to how I coach all my clients–details add up, so if you are just looking big picture, you might miss the small and very manageable changes that could make the greatest difference over time!

  2. Pippa says

    December 6, 2016 at 8:15 am

    I’ve made myself take a walk every morning before i do anything. It’s great because working from home can be tricky in terms of going a bit stir crazy. Getting out and about makes such a difference!

  3. meredith (The Cookie ChRUNicles) says

    December 6, 2016 at 1:01 pm

    love these tips and definitely agree, small changes can give big results!

  4. RHONDA @ CHANGE IN SECONDS says

    December 8, 2016 at 10:09 pm

    Bang on! This is my message to my visitors and community at change in seconds, its all about changing your lifestyle habits one at a time until they stick.

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Amanda Brooks : Run Coach
ANKLE AND FOOT STRENGTH - A lot of questions latel ANKLE AND FOOT STRENGTH - A lot of questions lately about shin splints and while they’re commonly the result of adding too much distance or speed too soon...
🏃‍♀️you can also work on strength, mobility and running technique.

Let’s start with some strength pieces!

⭐️ Plus, these movements are stellar for anyone with ankle pain or needing more lower body strength to hit the trails.⭐️

👇👇
10-12 reps x 2 a day
1️⃣Banded rotation - hitting the peroneal muscles that run along the outside of your lower leg these control ankle movement and foot strength. Better ankles, better stability, less shin pain.

2️⃣Banded turn outs - helping with muscles that control the arch of your foot and prevents knee, ankle and foot from dropping in if the arch isn’t staying strong with each step.

3️⃣Toe raises - we’re really hitting the front of the shins with this. Make it easier with legs closer to wall.

4️⃣Calf raise with ball - calf strength and arch strength happening with the use of the ball, which can again prevent the foot falling inward. Also strong calves absorb impact and spread lower leg load.

5️⃣Foam roll along outside of shin and calves to release tightness from overworked muscles.
///
Have you ever dealt with shin splints or ankle injuries??
EMBRACING A PAUSE🤢🤢 - It’s been a decade s EMBRACING A PAUSE🤢🤢 - It’s been a decade since I’ve been can’t move from the couch sick. I don’t recommend this stomach bug.
|||
In truth, I’ve been thinking I needed to hit pause for a few weeks.

💼 I’m so excited about what’s happening in my business, I’ve been hard charging for the last year.

🏃‍♀️I’m finally enjoying adding in hills and speed and strength, but could tell I needed a big down week... I just didn’t want to.

🥾On vacation or with fam, I’m always sneaking in work and again that’s not entirely bad because I love it.
|||
BUT LIKE AND INJURY, sickness is a reminder to appreciate our health.

🟧I’m not trying to make up the missed workouts.
🟩I’m not guilt tripping over eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch because it was all that would stay down after 30 hours.
🟦I’m not feeling bad for moving a lot of meetings and not responding to nearly any messages.

What reminds you to step back and press pause??

📸from our great trip a few years ago. Those long vacations are my best way of letting go.

#iamwellandgood #loveyourbody #solopreneurlife
GIVEAWAY- 3 WINNERS🥳🥳 Can we talk about runn GIVEAWAY- 3 WINNERS🥳🥳
Can we talk about runners and gut health for a second? And then you'll understand why I love @previnex so much.
//
DID YOU KNOW: There are 500 species and three pounds of bacteria in our gut! 😱😱It’s a living and breathing factory that:

🔵impacts your energy levels and can be reason for joint pain
🟣impacts your mood and focus
🟡can cause runners trots and nausea when micro biome is off
🔴can cause more food sensitivities and intolerances when not balanced with good bacteria
//
So yesssss your gut can make you a better runner when it’s working right and probiotics are a big helper.
//
PRIZES:
Each winner gets a 2 month supply of probiotics and fish oil, the two things I use DAILY and that you’ve emailed me saying “OMG this helped!!”
+
A copy of Run To The Finish on audiobook.
.
Your chance to try a SUPER HIGH QUALITY option and see the impacts. It’s beyond superior to what’s in most stores.
//
HOW TO ENTER:
1️⃣Like and save this photo
2️⃣Follow me and @previnex
3️⃣Tell me what you’re training for

Open to US only. Winners selected Apr 17.

#runningtips #runhappy #trailrunning #guthealthmatters #probiotic #runmehappy #runforlife
☀️MORNING OR ⭐️EVENING RUNNER? Which are y ☀️MORNING OR ⭐️EVENING RUNNER? Which are you?

🐦 early birds let’s hear, what time do you get up??? These times are often 🤯🤯
//
Most of the year I’m up by 5, which often leads to “when do you go to bed?!?!” 
Early 😂.
I’ve been prepping for AARP time since we moved to Miami and it was so dang hot. 

The habit stuck, so now I’m up early and lifting it not heading out immediately in the snow.
//
In my early 20s, I ran after work and then a lot over lunch...even in to marathon training.
👇
Now I have to psych myself up for evenings which is when most groups are!
WHAT ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN? Clearly I talk, read, w WHAT ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN? Clearly I talk, read, write and learn running non-stop. But I still have so many areas I’m working to improve, like trail running!
//
But today I wanna know about you??

🤓What could you easily give a 30 minute presentation on??

😱I’m prepared to be fascinated and learn once again I might need more hobbies.
//
An expert doesn’t mean you know it. ALL, but does mean you have significant experience and knowledge in a topic.
//
I could also talk about blogging 😂dealing with brands and pizza with confidence, but maybe not feel like an expert even with running this business for over a decade.
👇👇
All right, let’s hear it!! Don’t be shy, don’t play down your strengths, own it.
.
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#strongwomenlifteachotherup #runtothefinish #communitylove #urbanrunner #runforgood #denver #streetart #runnerstyle #runnerlove #runnerlife
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Website written, managed and maintained by Amanda Brooks, a certified running coach and personal trainer. Any advice should be taken as general information and not a personalized plan. All opinions, tips and reviews are based upon her personal life experience and the experiences of those she has coached. View our full privacy and review policy.

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