Goals power actionable behaviors NOT weight changes!

Goals are SPECIFIC and outline exactly what actions our clients are committed to taking.

What does a goal look like?

Weak goal = Include more fiber in your diet.

Better goal = Include a whole grain with lunch meal.

Best goal = Include a slice of whole grain toast with butter at lunch when you eat from the salad bar at work next Tuesday.

How do we set a goal?

Dig deep into the juicy corners of life with clients when setting goals. What is their schedule like on a Tuesday versus a Sunday? When will they go grocery shopping to get the food item we are talking about? Do they have a container that will fit this item to take to work? And so on!

Can you give me an example of that process?

Example Goal = Include a hard-boiled egg within an hour of walking up on Tuesday before my morning shower.

What the conversation around that should look like…

Where and when are you going to buy these eggs?

Do you feel confident in making hard-boiled eggs or will you buy them already hard-boiled?

How many will you make at once?

What day and time do you think you will be able to make them to have ready for breakfast?

How have you historically eaten hardboiled eggs? Do you feel comfortable peeling an egg?

Do you think you will want to take the time to peel the egg in the morning or should you pre-peel it?

Don’t overlook these details! People are more likely to succeed with behavioral change when they can visualize themselves going through the motions of the new behavior.

Now for the goods...here are some sample goals to use in your notes. Edit to suit the needs of each indiviual client.

Gentle Nutrition

Each goal that is recommended a food item should have examples given in the food ideas section of your notes. The food ideas and goals section will autopopulate in the shared goals document.

Aim to eat (food item) within an hour of waking up tomorrow.

Use phytonutrient handout and aim to add 2 items from the (insert color) group to the next grocery order.

Aim to have high nutrient dense snacks on hand to have throughout the day.

On Saturday, take note of how many servings of dairy you consume to see if calcium needs are being met on a typical weekend day.

Avoid going more than 5 waking hours without a meal.

Aim to include at least 3 different food groups at each meal & 2 different food groups at each snack.

Aim to eat something small within an hour of waking up and then another small meal after your morning workout.

Increase awareness to include a clear protein source at each lunch meal while working from home starting Monday.

Try out different snacks to have a hand for indecisive moments or moments when something quick is needed. (If helpful, buy something on sale to narrow down the choices.)

General Health

On Tuesday during afternoon break at work, make an appointment with primary care physician for updated blood work (specifically ask for vitamin D and cholesterol panel check).

On Saturday morning, look through list of therapist referrals.

On Saturday afternoon, email therapists from referral list and ask about their availability to accept new clients.

Diet Culture

Challenge yourself to think of foods that others are consuming in neutral terms. Try replacing "unhealthy" or "bad" with "less nutrient dense."

Practice thinking of foods and body in neutral terms. Visualize negative "diet culture" and judgement based comments as physical things that you can chop in half and replace with a neutral observation (example, these chips are crunchy or this cake is white).

Work on rejecting diet culture by first noticing subtle dieting messaging that may be present in your life. Diet culture is anything that praises restriction or makes you question your internal cues around food.

Practice replacing any disruptive thoughts during the meal experience (prep through clean up) with a neutral observation based on the senses. (example: replacing a judgment about a food item with a comment about the texture or temperature)

Avoid social media that promote weight loss or restriction. There are a lot of positive accounts about Intuitive eating and body positive to check out! Here is a list if you're interested: @iamlshauntay @benourishedpdx @napministry @bodyposipanda @eathority @bodyimage_therapist @laurathomasphd @diannebondyyogaofficial @thebodyisnotanapology @dietitiananna @thebodypositive @foodheaven @beauty_redefined @iamchrissyking @thephitcoach @foodpeacedietitian @meganjaynecrabbe @bodyimagewithbri @iamlshauntay @benourishedpdx @napministry @bodyposipanda @eathority @bodyimage_therapist@diannebondyyogaofficial @thebodyisnotanapology @dietitiananna @thebodypositive @beauty_redefined @iamchrissyking @thephitcoach

Hunger

Use the hunger scale this weekend and aim to eat while hunger is being experienced in a plesant or neutral way.

Throughout the day, as thoughts drift to food or mood shifts, ask yourself the question "Is this hunger?

Mid morning Saturday and evening on Tuesday, check in with hunger.

Picture hunger as a glowing ball and follow it as it moves throughout different parts of your body. Notice if certain points are neutral, pleasant, or unpleasant, and aim to eat during the window while hunger is still pleasant or neutral.

Bring awareness to your emotional response and thought process around your ability to honor biological sensations that aren't hunger (example: cold/hot).

Remember to open the "curiosity door" instead of the "judgment door" when using self talk related to food and body.

Body Image

Prior to a more charged event, like trying on new clothes, use your "self boardroom" to see who will be most helpful for that event and who can stay behind.

Remember to open the "curiosity door" instead of the "judgment door" when using self talk related to food and body.

Journal prompt: Set a timer for 15 minutes and write out examples of body-positive affirmations you might like to use.

Create a list of all the things you want to thank your body for.

Movement

Avoid negative self-talk surrounding movement, replace intrusive thoughts with your movement mantra of "Any amount of this movement will increase my heart and lung strength, improve my mood, and improve my sleep."

When you think about physical activity, remind yourself of the specific positive things you are doing for your body and use the following mantra "Any amount of movement will help me with increased metabolism, increased bone strength, and to thrive during aging."

Making Peace with Food

Visualize the cycle of eating an "off limits" food: Food is forbidden > Restraint is broken, food consumed > Backlash emotion of feeling guilty and a loss of control > Determination made "food item is to blame therefore..." Food is forbidden - cycle repeats. Picture where it feels safe in this cycle and where there could be a point of breaking out of it.

Notice the difference between the uncomfortable sensations of guilt versus the uncomfortable sensation of feeling too full.

Move throughout the week with a mentality of abundance.

Move throughout the week before your upcoming trip with a mentality of abundance and ensure there are enough groceries on hand to avoid skipped meals leading up to the trip.

Make a list of foods that hold an emotional charge or judgment. This is any food that you feel that you don't have total and unconditional permission to eat.

Challenge thoughts that are based on addressing hunger as a chore or something to be suppressed. Aim to think of addressing hunger as a way of nourishing and an act of self-care.

In a moment of indecisiveness, think of what texture or temperature you are craving to help guide a food choice.

Remember: no one meal, one snack, or one day of eating is going to make or break your health

Mindful eating

Use mindful practices while eating a distraction free lunch. 1. Once food in is front of you, sit down, and take a big deep breath. 2. Halfway through the meal, take note of one flavor. 3. At the end of the meal take note of fullness.

Try the following steps to cultivate a mindful eating experience at dinner:

• Before you begin eating, take a deep breath coming into the present moment.
• Notice, with curiosity, any judgmental thoughts about the food in front of you and let those thoughts go.
• As you begin to eat and throughout the meal, try to notice 1 stand-out flavor or texture. How does this change throughout the meal?
• Notice if there is anything that would have made the experience feel better.

As you are cleaning up after a meal discover phrases of gratitude, ask yourself what did you liked about the eating experience?

Challenge the Food Police

When you notice the “food police” voice making a judgement based comment, allow the “food anthropologist” voice to respond as way of challenging the food police.

Cope with Emotions

Use the worksheet “What am I feeling, now?” when emotions are heightened to identify the feeling you’re experiencing and decide “What do I need?”