Live Better – All Or Nothing

This page is part of Live Better Health Coaching. Find out about Live Better by clicking here.

Before you start…

Make sure you have a pen and paper handy. You will be asked to complete simple, written tasks as you go along.

Allow time to work through the whole topic, preferably without distractions – 30 minutes should be plenty.

Watch the video

For your convenience, you can watch a short video covering the topic below.

The Problem

Here are the main problems you will try to solve this week.

The Problem
Writing Task
  • Which of these problems ring true with you or not?
  • Do you struggle to take the first step and start or is it harder to keep going?
  • List how you respond when you think/ feel you have not achieved what you wanted to achieve.

A Solution

Here is an overall solution for the problems you face. Make sure you understand the general idea of how you are going to solve things.

A Solution
Writing Task
  • List how this possible solution may or may not work for you.
  • Write down your first step. Is it achievable? If you have doubts, make it easier.
  • List the ways you can take your first step to start introducing small changes to your lifestyle habits.

Your Action

Here is the detailed Action Plan you can follow, like a recipe, to solve the problem.

Your Action
Writing Task
  • Re-write Your Action above, but customising it to your personal situation.
  • List the barriers to you successfully completing Your Action this week (eg – what events, situations, people etc could get in your way?)
  • List the ways that Your Action can be made easier to achieve this week (eg – what tools, tactics, people etc can help you overcome your barriers?)

Now do it

Now you have your Action Plan in place for the coming week, make sure you actually do it! Don’t let yourself get distracted or nudged off course.

If you complete the Homework Form to log Your Action, you will receive reminders throughout the week to help you stay on track.

Remember, you are worth the effort you will put into this…

Tools to help

Homework Form – if you complete this online you will receive reminders to help you throughout the week.

Review Form – complete your review online before you attend the Review Coaching Session so you are prepared for the session.

Continue your food and exercise diary – these will form a valuable source of data for you as you progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I actually start to make a change?

It is really common for people not to know how or where to start. We can get stuck in routine and find it really difficult to see a way of things being different.

In the Exercise and Activty topic, we talked about there being no such thing as too smalla dose of exercise. It might be worth a revisit of this topic to remind you of this idea. We think a similar principle applies here.

Some top tips:

  • Better is better – remember this. No matter how small a step you take in a healthier direction, it is better that where you are now.
  • Start anywhere! Do one thing that is different and moves you in the right direction. Don’t overthink it.
  • Find a buddy to help – doing something together is often better than going it alone.
  • Focus on what you do well and write it down. Small successes count, no matter how small and add up to positive momentum. Progress not perfection.

I really struggle to keep going. How can I maintain better habits when I’m finding it tough?

This is another common problem that people encounter. Acknowledging that progress will be tough at times is part of the process. Expecting things to go smoothly doesn’t help prepare you for when things do get tough.

Have a strategy you can use when things do get tough. Don’t just hope it will be different this time. It won’t.

Think about:

  • What are the things that help you maintain momentum? This might be friends/ family, a specific healthy meal that you enjoy and know how to cook easily, a distraction eg a walk, a dance round the kitchen, doing a jigsaw, having a plan for the day/ week ahead.
  • Go back to basics. Food and exercise diary, plan your healthy meals and exercise, re-enlist your support crew to help. This is the equivalent of ‘making the first step ridiculously easy’.
  • Set yourself some achieveable steps, your non-negotiables – and write them down. Use this recipe when things are tough so you don’t waste precious energy thinking about what you can do.