What’s the Plan???

I hope you had a safe new year and 2018 has been good to you thus far. Let me introduce myself in case this is your first time meeting me. My name is Kwynn Carter and I am a Registered Dietitian. I am a newlywed, married for 1.5 years. I just moved to Nashville a week ago with my husband to be with my mom, sister and niece. I currently have a day job as a clinical dietitian in Nashville and have started my own company where I offer one on one consultations as well as written nutrition materials. This is my very first nutrition blog and I am so happy that you chose to share this space with me!

My goal is to break things down so that you have a better understanding of food and nutrition. There is A LOT of information out there about what to eat, when to eat, how to eat it, what will give you cancer, and so on and so forth. I will provide you with the education and facts so that you can make an educated decision on what you put into your body. One thing I want to point out is that things are always changing in the world of nutrition. There is a lot of research that has not been published and even more that has not been formulated. What that means is some things are not set in stone. Information may change or shift with time, but the fundamentals will stay the same.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to the topic at hand…GOALS! I’m not a fan of New Year resolutions, but I like to set goals that I can work towards achieving by the end of the year. The key is to set S.M.A.R.T goals; Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. When I set nutrition related goals with clients, I use the SMART method. For example, instead of saying “Eat less fast food” you would say “Limit fast food/dine-in visits to 1-2 times a month by June 30th”. Now, you have a time-stamped specific goal to reach. You want to allow yourself time to achieve your goals so that you don’t get frustrated and quit. Track your progress (measure) every week or month. Day to day fluctuations can cause discouragement and throw us off. Grab a pen and paper and write 3-5 health goals you want to achieve within the next 12 months. Do you have hydration goals like drinking more water or less sugary beverages? What about chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol that you would like to get under control? Take a moment to think this through so that you can write down specific changes you would like to see in yourself. It’s not too late!!!

Once you have those goals written down, we need to come up with an action plan. How are we going to make sure you achieve your goals? What steps do we need to take? We want to see victory in December! Let us go back to the goal of limiting restaurant eating. Our action plan may be to prepare a daily lunch for work or weekly visits to the grocery store. That way we are not as tempted to eat out when there is food at home or work. If you are used to eating out work, we may start by packing a lunch once a week. Add a day each month until we are packing a lunch every day. Now, you will have to take your work environment into consideration. Is there a refrigerator or microwave around? Where do eat your lunch? Do you work on the road or outside (drivers, commuters, hospice workers, field workers, etc.)? Sometimes a simple sandwich with a side of fruit, veggies, and or nuts is more feasible than packing leftovers from last night.

As a recap, S.M.A.R.T goals are an efficient way to help yourself get on track in 2018, but setting goals is not where it stops. We need an action plan so that we know the how. In formulating the how, you will begin to explore any obstacles that may cause you to quit and go back to what you are currently doing. Take baby steps towards achieving your goals, track the progress weekly or monthly and celebrate all of your victories! Repeat, and watch it add up at the end of the year.

If you need help coming up with goals or an action plan, email me at kwynncarter.rd@gmail.com. I would be more than happy to set up a consultative call where we can work together and create an individualized plan.