If you want to change anything in your life, you have to be ready for it. If you are a smoker, a drinker, addicted to sugar, lead a sedentary lifestyle… whatever it is… if you want to change it you have to be ready to change it. You have to be tired of being tired. Sick of being overweight. Over feeling like you aren’t in control. Until you are R E A D Y, no amount of dieting, restriction, coaching, accountability, or anything will help you. It’s a mindset.
As a matter of fact, if you force it and you aren’t ready, you will fail. You will feel frustrated. You will feel defeated. Set yourself up for success and get the right mindset. Let’s take weight loss for example: If you view diets as a restrictive then you will have a negative experience with diets. You might stick with it for a week, a month, or even a few months. Likely, you will go back to old habits and eating things that don’t serve your health and body well. When you are in the right mindset to embark on the journey of weight loss, you will view eating healthy foods as a form of respect for yourself. You will view abstaining from unhealthy food choices as a victory. You can look at something you used to eat for pleasure and see it as poison (like something loaded with chemicals and sugar).
What is a mindset? A mindset is a set of assumptions, methods, or notions held by one or more people or groups of people. There are many motivational speakers and life coaches, that teach and preach mindset. One of my favorite perspectives on mindset if from Mel Robbins, creator and author of “The Five Second Rule”. https://melrobbins.com Her perspective is so easy to understand and adopt for your own life. A point she makes is that motivation will fade. It doesn’t last. Discipline is what you need, when motivation wanes. If you have discipline (in your nutrition choices, in moving your body/exercise, etc.), you will build consistency and ultimately success with whatever you are working toward. On days that you don’t want to workout, or eat well, discipline is what will keep you sticking to your plan. Is that moving every day for 30 minutes? Getting up in the morning and getting the workout completed for the day?
If we relate this back to weight loss, consider an area of your life that you are steadfast in. Is it politics? Is it a decision you made that says, “I will not do X”? There are certain things that we all have made a decision that we will NOT do, or that we will ALWAYS do. This is a mindset. Apply that same mindset to your nutrition. Make a decision that you are going to look at food as nutrition, instead of for comfort. Start eliminating certain food items from your diet. Not necessarily all at once, but things you know you can live without. If you can choose between chips and an apple (like at Panera), choose the apple. Then actually eat it! Once you start making some of these small choices, you will feel momentum and you continue to make good choices. You will feel the success and want to continue the behaviors that are not only making you feel successful, but that make you physically feel good.
If you need help with this, or know someone that does, contact me. I can help with this. This is my role as an Integrative Health Coach. I look forward to hearing from you!