For years, health experts have encouraged people to make little changes in lifestyle — taking the stairs in place of the elevator, cutting down on fast food rather than eliminating it, adding extra steps by parking farther from an entrance rather than setting aside an hour a day to walk. But — with long-lasting results as your goal — is it really easier to make little changes?
How many people do you know who have lost a lot of weight, stuck to an exercise program, or quit smoking with little changes? Not many. In fact, most people who achieve a significant weight improvement have made big changes — they started walking after dinner, stopped snacking while watching TV, tossed all their junk food so they could start eating right, or swore off fast food.
It’s a myth that little changes are easier than big changes — because small changes are too close to old habits. The well-meaning though misguided belief that if you just have to “give up a little” you won’t feel deprived is especially destructive; you’re still giving up something significant psychologically, but not gaining much for your trouble. Why bother? With big changes, you’re also giving up something, but you’re much more likely to see the fruits of your effort — which reinforces your commitment to keep going.
So although small changes may seem easier at first, they’re actually more difficult to maintain in the long run, and don’t achieve lasting results.
More Power Vacuuming
Every year or so another study concludes even moderate increases in activity spread out over the day have a positive impact on health. The media and health experts immediately jump on the story, encouraging everyone to do housework with vigor and watch the benefits pile up. And yet another TV doctor suggests we park our cars a bit farther from the entrance.
If prompting people to do just these little things actually resulted in lasting weight loss, it would make sense. But the fact is it doesn’t. Take a walk through any airport or mall to see how effective the “here and there adds up” message has been. It hasn’t worked. And in fact it may have had the opposite effect — such as deluding people into thinking they don’t have to set aside time to exercise.
The Truth About Changing Health Habits
For better health habits to be long lasting, they need to be big, not little. To feel like you’re actually accomplishing something, you need to take a big step outside your comfort zone, not just slip a toe over the line.
Attempting little changes may actually set you up for failure, not success. But by thinking big, then acting on your big ideas with big changes, you give yourself a chance to accomplish something big and feel good about yourself... a chance to look in the mirror, say “I did it,” and have that mean something. Make up your mind right now that you’re going to make big changes in your health habits to experience big rewards.
