I read a very simple article on T-Nation.com, “One-Rule Diets That Work Every Time”*, that served as a reminder that big change can come from rather simple changes. I call these “baby steps”. (I force the students in my Exercise Motivation & Adherence course to watch What About Bob? to underscore the importance of baby steps.)
The author focuses on for “one-rule diets”, but the concept can be applied in any area of behavioral change. Simply focus on one healthy task at a time. Master this and then add to it. This is often referred to as goal “stacking”.
I am not a fan of the “Tabata” and “12-minute workout” (as examples) movements. BUT…. If these can be taken as initial steps toward creating habits, then they are certainly productive. Short HIIT/HIIRT workouts will have minimal benefit, but minimal is better than zero. Doing something is better than nothing. Habitual small efforts are far more effective than infrequent big efforts.
Pick an exercise habit—albeit small—and do it until it is habit. Then, add another.
No time to exercise? (First of all, denial just ain’t a river in Egypt!) Block of a small chunk of time and start. Pick one exercise and do it. Pick a few and do a couple small circuits. Don’t feel like you have to spend an hour or more at the gym on a daily basis.
Pick one activity that fits your most important goal. For example, if fat loss and general fitness are the goal, then do a 12-minute HIIRT workout. This will be better suited to the goal than 12-minutes of cardio—particularly if the cardio is only modest intensity steady state aerobic exercise. Work toward more activity—and, perhaps, more diverse goals.
Remember that, with diet, caloric balance is most important. So, make the decision to reduce caloric intake or expenditure in one simple way at first. Cut something that is not important to your health (e.g., cut one sugary drink per day, cut one serving of fat, cut your normal pasta serving in half, etc.) and build form there.
I have found that three of the “one-rule diets” work very well for me. I can easily avoid sugar. I have a sweet tooth, but there are other option that satisfy my cravings (e.g., I have switch to high-cocoa chocolates–80%). I don’t do well with breads, so I can cut those. It takes some adjustment for those of us who love a good burger—but it is the burger, not the bun, that I love too much. I also do well limiting carbs to 100 g per day. It is not ketogenic, but it is enough to still fuel my exercise performance. Substituting riced cauliflower for most traditional carbs (e.g., rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) is easy and saves a lot of calories (roughly 160 kcal per serving!). Following the practice of fist-sized portions of vegetables, it is pretty easy to keep carbs under 100-g without tedious measuring and counting.
The fourth rule detailed in the article will certainly work for some. It doesn’t work for my sometimes complicated schedule. I am also more inclined to binge-eat (especially when hypocaloric) in the evening. So, for more me, limiting my eating before early evening is easier. So, for me, a “one-rule” approach might be “no carbs before noon” or “save half of my calories for the evening”.
These four “one-rule diets” are good starting points. We are all different. Certainly, there are “one-rule diets” that are nonsense, but one can’t go wrong with “one-rule” starter plans. Baby steps. Make a change and build on it.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!