Could you try making micro choices today?

Something has truly shifted in my head lately around food and it’s been really powerful. I want to share it with you because I think it could help you too.

I’ve started to break my day down into small decisions, or "micro choices". These seemingly small choices around the food I put into my body every day have led to significant changes – and these benefits have been almost instant. I’m getting leaner, I’m less bloated, I’m feeling more energised and, best of all, I feel happier in my mind. Food affects our mood way more than we want to believe.

And with each day that passes, I am feeling mentally stronger. It’s like psychological strength training where every time I make a different choice, I’m reinforcing the belief that actually I can be disciplined, I do have willpower and I don’t need to eat the whole bar of chocolate. I can be mindful, and I can listen to my body better.

I’ve started to catch the thought or feeling just before I go into overdrive with my eating. Joe, are you stressed? Are you angry? Are you sad? How are you going to feel if you eat that whole bag? Do you want to feel bloated? These micro choices are making a big difference to me.

So what are some of the small micro choices I’ve been making?

Water over fizzy drinks Squares of chocolate over bars of chocolate Handful of sweets over a whole packet of sweets Meals out for dinner without smashing a dessert Dessert at home sometimes, but not every day Healthier portion sizes over ginormous ones Going to sleep at 9:30 pm rather than 11:30 pm Eating slower Waiting for my hunger to be real and not mindlessly eating Cooking more at home instead of relying on convenience food

I truly believe this approach of making micro choices could help you too, because not only does it feel achievable, but the benefits can be felt almost instantly.

The most important thing with this is not to restrict yourself fully from the things you love because inevitably it will fall apart and you’ll struggle to stick to it. I haven’t got a hard rule with this stuff, I just have a rough guideline that I try to focus on each day. I’m reminding myself that sugar and processed foods are ok to have in moderation and that actually I can eat these foods in moderation – I don’t need to eat a whole bag or give them up completely.

So focus on today. Can you win today? Can you make a few micro choices that your body will thank you for tomorrow? The answer is yes and although we won’t win all of these choices, we can get ourselves back on track by winning the next one.

Good luck today. I know it's a daily battle but just focus on one micro choice at a time and you'll get to where you want to be!

Joe x