Most of us know that horses react better and learn more when things are broken down into little increments, or changes. It may not seem like you’re getting a whole lot done in short sessions, but training actually progresses quicker that way. They retain more and have a better attitude which allows the training to progress at a faster rate.

Humans are the same way…

Read any article on long-term weight loss and they’ll tell you that when it comes to food it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change. The reasoning behind that is that diets are too strict and unrealistic to maintain. I tend to agree with that, but at the same time changing  your whole lifestyle is major upset as well.

If you think about it, a diet is temporary even if it is for a few months. A lifestyle change, on the other hand is permanent. That’s kind of scary – you’re changing your whole life, not just what you put into your body!

The older I get, the more minimalistic I’ve noticed I’m becoming. I ask myself, “What small changes can I make?”

For a person that’s always been impatient and wanted results fast, that’s a pretty big change in itself. I’ve spent decades going on the next greatest diet and going down the scale to get results quickly only to go right back up. I got the results quickly – unfortunately those results were quick in both directions!

Like everyone else out there, I’m busy and have a full schedule. I already get up at 4am most mornings and my day is stuffed full of things that have to be done. I can’t radically upset that apple cart! Yet, I know I need to make some changes to be healthy.

So how do you make those changes when your day is already full? I’m finding the easiest way is to make small changes, and make them as effortless and enjoyable as possible. If something is too hard, or not enjoyable then it’s too easy to slip back into old habits and schedules.

One small change that I made several months ago is drinking home made green smoothies. I throw in a handful of kale or spinach and then fill the rest with fruit, almond or cashew milk, and vanilla protein powder. It takes maybe 5 minutes to fix. I take the smoothie with me to work and that’s my daily breakfast.

One of the most important things in drinking a smoothie every day is to make sure I enjoy the taste. If not, I’m not going to be motivated to drink it every day. I add enough fruit to improve the taste of the spinach, and add a protein powder that I truly love. I have to steer clear of soy and whey which made it a little difficult to find a good tasting protein powder but I found a couple of great tasting and affordable protein powders at Swansons Vitamins.

Because the green smoothies are quick and easy to make, and I enjoy the taste, it’s not been all that hard to maintain that one change. As a result, I’ve started drinking smoothies at other times as well. For instance, when I’m either short or time or it’s too late to actually make a meal.

The good thing about having a green smoothie for breakfast is that leaves only two other meals to manage during the day. Even if you bomb those two meals, you’ve at least gotten in one healthy meal for the day! It’s all in how you break it down.

Just like with horses, small changes can make a huge impact long term. What small changes can you make in your life that will make a difference in your health? Maybe it’s making that smoothie for breakfast. Maybe it’s getting an extra fifteen minutes of sleep. Whatever it is, find a way to make it easy and enjoyable to maintain it.