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This is the Making Moves Podcast hosted by Vanja Moves.
The biggest mistake that I see with people who are trying to become healthier is that they think getting healthier means flipping your life upside down overnight. For me, the biggest changes in my life did not come from extremes. They came from tiny small habits that I would stack over time which eventually turned into discipline. Now the mistake that most people make is that they try to do too much too soon. So today, I wanna share 10 of the habits that actually changed my life.
Vanja:Not because they're perfect, not because they are the only way, but because they worked for me. And maybe they can spark something within you as well. If you implement some of these things that I talk about, you might be able to achieve your health and your wellness goals faster and more efficiently. The first habit that I implemented many moons ago was tracking my food intake. So when I first started learning about nutrition, I was absolutely clueless about what I was eating.
Vanja:I didn't know the concept of calories, macros, micros, any of that. I thought I was quote, unquote healthy, but if you looked close-up, not so much. And here's the thing some people miss. Sometimes that clean salad with that ranch dressing and a handful of croutons has more calories than a burger. And the wellness smoothie that you have after gym every day might pack in more sugar than a milkshake.
Vanja:It's important to be aware of this. So tracking my food was like putting on glasses. Suddenly, I could see. I realized how much I was underestimating and sometimes overestimating my food intake. And once I had this awareness, I had control.
Vanja:I had knowledge. I wasn't tracking forever. I was tracking to learn. And now I can eat intuitively because I have built that foundation and that knowledge. So a simple action step for you is just to track everything that you eat for a week or two.
Vanja:Don't change anything just because you're tracking. Be honest. Put it down, calculate it, and look at the the reality of what is going on into your mouth. You will be surprised by the outcome of that, and you don't have to keep doing that forever. You have to keep doing that until you establish a baseline from which you can work with to change things and to work towards your goals, whatever they may be.
Vanja:But you need clarity and you need awareness first. Habit number two was building a high protein foundation. Now these days for me, if a meal doesn't have protein, it doesn't count as a meal for me. I'd rather not eat than not have protein. That's how important this habit has become.
Vanja:I start every plate with chicken, fish, beef, lamb, eggs, whatever it is. Around that protein I will add vegetables, I'll add fats and if I have some room left over I'll eat the fun food. This way, I'm always feeling my body properly first. And the difference for me was crazy. My energy leveled out.
Vanja:There were no more crashes, no more hungry moods, no constant snacking. It was like flipping your body from chaos mode to stable mode. For you, if you're not inclined and if it's not habitual for you to eat protein, I would just suggest that with every meal that you eat, have a look at your plate, ask where is the protein? And if you haven't put it, figure out a way of how you're gonna put 25 to 35 grams of protein on each and every plate. It's gonna make a massive difference for you.
Vanja:Habit number three, cutting out processed grains. Now this one's controversial because everyone tells athletes they need pasta, they need rice, they need bread, they need carbs for energy, and sure there is a place for them, but when I cut out processed grains, I felt better than ever. My recovery improved, my energy skyrocketed, and I wasn't crashing mid afternoon. I had so much clarity, so much focus. For me, it wasn't about restriction.
Vanja:It was about clarity, less fog, more fuel, just feeling cleaner overall. For you, it can mean swapping out just one processed grain meal this week for a whole food alternative, eggs instead of cereal, vegetables or potatoes instead of pasta, and then just notice how you feel. Track that over time and see the outcome of your energy levels, your sleep, your performance, your your mental clarity. It's going to make a significant change. Habit number four was intermittent fasting.
Vanja:Now intermittent fasting gave me freedom. I used to think that I needed to eat six meals a day, I used to think I needed to calculate everything I eat or my metabolism would collapse and that's what the fitness industry does try to drill into you eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, have some snacks but fasting flipped that there was no more lugging around Tupperware, there was no more obsessing over meal prep, I could just push my first meal later in the day and suddenly I had so much more time, I had so much more focus and so much more clarity. The best part for me was bigger, more satisfying meals later in the day because I love to eat. So an action step for you could be just to delay your first meal by a couple of hours. That's all you have to do.
Vanja:And that's how you would build up slowly. I promise you would have so much more clarity and so much more focus during those morning period of high focus work if you skip that meal.
Vanja:Okay. So really quick, I wanna share a resource with you that I have available if you are currently feeling injured, stiff, broken, if you're a professional athlete looking to improve your mobility, my mobility toolkit is currently helping over 50,000 people in 40 plus countries. People ranging from all walks of life. Complete beginners, professional athletes, men and women in their 70s and eighties. If you have fifteen minutes to spare, this will work for you and it's gonna produce dramatic results within weeks.
Vanja:Check it out.
Vanja:Habit number five, prioritizing movement always. There was a time back in the day when I used to travel a lot or I had long work days which made me skip training because my excuse was I can't actually do my session because I don't have the equipment, I don't have the resources, but then I realised I could actually move anywhere, anytime with nothing but my body and get a better workout than I would at the gym And that mindset was so freeing. Even five minutes mattered. And once it became a habit, I started craving it all the time. Movement stopped being optional.
Vanja:It became a non negotiable for me, just like brushing my teeth. And for you, this can mean, you know, today giving yourself just five minutes, walk around the block, do a mobility routine, do a movement snack, do 10 push ups, see how your body feels after doing that high bout of intensity for just a minute or two. If you sit at a desk all day, make sure you put onto your time light that every hour you get up and you move for a minute or two. Habit number six was cold exposure. I understand not everyone loves stepping into cold water, but nothing wakes you up like the cold.
Vanja:This I can vouch for. I used to start with cold showers, then I moved to ocean swims and eventually ice baths. And, you know, every time I have to hype myself up to do it, but when I come out of that water, the energy has skyrocketed tenfold. No amounts of caffeine, no amounts of sleep, nothing can make you feel as exhilarated as the cold. It's like pure clarity, pure energy.
Vanja:It's like you have conquered a mini battle before the day even starts. A small action step for you is finish your shower with a thirty second cold bout. That's it. And you can build up from there, eventually having completely cold showers, eventually exposing yourself to some ice baths, and then making it a daily habit. It will transform you, not only physically, but also mentally.
Vanja:Habit number seven, getting addicted to the outcome. Here's the truth. Maybe I don't always love training in the moment. Maybe I don't always love skipping my favorite foods, but I love how I feel afterwards. I became addicted to that outcome, the strength, the clarity, the way that I move, the way that I look, my confidence.
Vanja:That shift made discipline simple because I wasn't chasing the moment. I was chasing the vision. So getting addicted to the outcome makes you understand what is available to you out there if you do the things required to get you there. So the next time you want to quit or skip training, pause and ask yourself, how will I feel after I do this? Anchor into that with everything that you do.
Vanja:Visualise the outcome, get addicted to that and then take the process needed to get you there. Habit number eight, daily stillness. Wow. This was a big one for me. My brain is naturally go, go, go.
Vanja:So for years, I was always in overdrive. Cortisol high, thoughts racing, never present in any single moment. Five minutes of stillness changed that for me completely, just breathing, just being with myself. And it was like pressing a reset button. Suddenly, was forced to be calm.
Vanja:I was forced to be aware, more grounded, present with my thoughts. And my brain was still going, don't get me wrong. But the thing is, stillness is a skill. At first, you'll be restless, but over time, it becomes the quiet space that your brain craves. Very simple action for you.
Vanja:Set a timer for five minutes today. Sit, breathe and do nothing. It will feel awkward at first, but stick with it. It's going to produce dramatic results. Now I tend to sit still for hours on end when I'm going through a really hard sort of intense project.
Vanja:Habit number nine, environment hygiene. For me, was a big one too. Your space equals your energy. And if my house is cluttered, my head feels cluttered too. I cannot focus.
Vanja:I cannot do anything. So I made a rule. No dinner until the kitchen is clean. Daily resets, not massive weekend cleanups. And honestly, I even use cleaning as movement.
Vanja:Scrubbing, bending, crawling, it all becomes part of my daily movement non negotiables. The payoff for me is I wake up to clarity, not chaos, and that changes everything for me from the time that I start my day into the time that I end my day. So action step for you, before bed, reset one thing, just one thing. Clear the dishes, tidy your desk, fold your laundry, wake up to a clean state. And if you're already a clean person, well, all the more power to you.
Vanja:You'll know what I'm talking about. Fiction reading. When I'm with friends, in nature, or with my dog, my phone is off. Not silent, not on do not disturb, completely switched off. Most people touch their phone thousands of times a day, even if it's on silent mode, even if it's on DND, And that constant stimulation keeps us anxious, distracted, and overstimulated.
Vanja:So completely turning it off gave me back that presence. And here's a curveball. I started reading fiction, not business books, not self help books, just stories. And it gave my brain space to relax, to imagine instead of always grinding on productivity and learning something and taking notes. So for you, the action step tonight, turn your phone off for thirty minutes, Pick up a book instead, feel the difference, and eventually build up to doing that on a daily schedule.
Vanja:So those are my 10 habits amongst many others that I have. Nothing extreme, nothing flashy, just small habits that stacked up over time and reshaped who I am. And that's the real secret. Health is not built on motivation or quick fixes. It is built on habits, one at a time stacked over a period of time until they become a part of you.
Vanja:Now I'd love to hear from you. What habits have you built that have changed your life? Maybe it's something simple. Maybe it's something unique. Share it in the comments.
Vanja:Send me a message. I'd love to hear about it because the more that we share, the more that we grow. And if you're listening right now, here's my challenge. Don't try all 10. Just pick one.
Vanja:Try it this week, and let me know how it feels.