When I first started looking into the Precision Nutrition (PN) Program I loved all the science behind it and their philosophy. But when I looked into the full curriculum, I thought that it might be too slow or more of a beginner program and not right for my clients or myself. How could these simple habits get the results I wanted for my clients? It was too simple. It definitely needed to be more complex.
Then I dug a little deeper and started to understand the program a little better. I realized that the program had three different levels of nutrition. Ok, maybe this program can work. Maybe the level three nutrition guidelines will be enough for us “advanced users”.
So I pressed the “play” button and started my 12-month journey on the PN Program.
The first two weeks were a little different than other “diet” programs I have ever followed. The first two weeks were about being ready. Being ready to make a change. I spent more time digging into myself than I did on anything nutrition related. And I realized that it was a critical piece to any journey to change. I loved the questions they asked and the method behind it.
I first needed to decide if I was ready, willing, and able to make change and then my favourite part was digging into my values.
What do you value?
Dig down for a second.
- What’s most important to you in life? Why?
- What kind of person do you want to be? Why?
Are you living those values? Chances are not as well as you’d like. And that was the same for me. And I felt it in my gut. Literally and mentally.
Digging deep into these values allows us to know what’s important to us and why gives us direction and purpose.
If we live according to those values, life (and often, good health) “flows” almost effortlessly.
And then the program asked me to dig into my actions to see if they matched my values through the 5 Whys system.
The “5 Whys” was a system originally used by the Toyota Motor Corporation. It’s very simple and really cuts to the core of why we want something. When you want to accomplish something (or if something goes wrong), you ask one why. And then you ask why to that first answer and so on five times.
Here is an example of how this would work in the PN Program (one of my clients 😁:
Why are you doing PN Coaching?
- To lose weight
Why is that reason for doing PN Coaching important to you?
- To look and feel better and to develop healthier eating habits that I can sustain
And why is that important?
- To be the most confident I can be, and to prevent the cycle of ‘dieting’
And what difference will that make?
- If I feel I am at my best, I will be more likely to take chances and pursue big goals
And why will that previous thing matter?
- Because living the best life you are capable of is our own responsibility
For this person, a simple answer of losing weight turns into feeling adequate and ready to take on big goals to live their best life. Now that is a purpose. Losing weight is not a purpose but taking chances and pushing forward to live out the life you want, is. Losing weight is just a way to get there.
Are you interested in making a lifestyle change? One towards living the fit life?
What to do today?
- Write down a list of your top 5 values. Why are these important to you?
- Do the 5 Whys exercise to dig into why you want to make a lifestyle change?
- Take a peek at your current lifestyle and determine an area of your life where your values and actions don’t match. Determine ONE small “5-Minute” habit that you could do this week that supports your values?
- Keep yourself accountable with a habit checklist (fridge, phone, bedside notebook)
Let’s take one small habit this week and move towards who we truly want to be. One Small habit.
What’s next in PN – Eating Slowly (my first PN habit). And this is the habit that truly changed my opinion on the curriculum and my mindset on the “beginner” program. Until next week.
