Small Steps, Big Changes: Why Doing Less Might Be the Best Move for Your Health

I recently had the chance to be a guest on the Ingredient Intel: Bad to Good podcast where I talked about a common theme I see in my work with clients: overcomplicating the journey toward better health.

It’s easy to get caught up in trying to do a hundred things at once, but more often than not, this approach leads to feeling overwhelmed and burned out. My advice? Do less—start with one small step and build from there.

One of my favorite strategies to simplify things for my clients is what I call pre-feeding and calorie budgeting. Let’s say you know you’ve got a family pizza night coming up on Friday. Rather than trying to avoid it or feel guilty about it, we plan ahead. By making small adjustments throughout the week, like skipping a slice of bread each day, you can “save” around 1,000 calories for the weekend. This way, you get to enjoy pizza night with the family guilt-free and still stay aligned with your goals. It’s about balance, not restriction.

Another key I shared on the podcast was what I call eating like an adult. I’m a firm believer that food should be enjoyed and celebrated. It’s central to social life, culture, and honestly, some of the best moments of our lives. I love food. My approach isn’t about cutting out your favorite foods but rather keeping treats as treats. You can have the pizza, the doughnuts, the wine—just not every day. When treats become part of your everyday routine, they’re no longer treats; they’re just part of the diet. Reframing treats as occasional rewards, rather than daily staples, is a powerful shift in creating a healthier relationship with food.

For anyone interested in building these kinds of habits, I’ve got a free Eat Like an Adult guide available on my website. It’s a quick read, plus there’s a link to my TEDx talk where I dive deeper into this mindset shift. The guide walks through six foundational habits that can help you make lasting changes without feeling like you’re overhauling your life.

You can find it HERE.

And if there’s one piece of advice I can leave you with, it’s this: start small.

Don’t try to climb the whole mountain in a day. Instead, focus on putting down one solid step each day and let each step build on the last. Six months from now, those small steps add up to big changes.

Listen to the episode here: