Heather Bedard, C.H.E.
Each person has their own unique struggles when it comes to making diet and lifestyle changes. For some, food was used as a reward when they were a child and that has made it hard to break free from using treats as a way of making themselves feel like they are accepted. For others, food was used a replacement for love or connection and that makes it hard for them to give up food because then they don’t feel connected or accepted by the people around them. Still others use food as a numbing mechanism or a way to fit in with a group. Food is a wonderful tool for celebration and joy, but it can turn into a negative when it becomes the ruler of someone’s life.
In addition to this, many people have a hard time believing that government funded entities don’t have their best interest at heart and would feed them toxic, poisonous substances - so it hasn’t even occurred to them to question the quality of the food they are ingesting. Still others have been trained to think that healthy food tastes bad and refuse to step out of the box to try new things. When it comes to lifestyle many of the same issues present themselves. People make excuses because they feel like they don’t have the time to be healthy, or the discipline, or refuse to acknowledge that their bodies will give out one day.
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome in creating healthy habits is transforming the way we think about ourselves, our food, and the quality of our lives. In many cases, these mindsets have been ingrained since birth and reiterated over and over again by the world around us. It may seem drastic on the outside, but seeking help from a cognitive behavioral therapist can be really helpful in addressing these root issues. There is a really awesome worksheet under "printable resources" that you can use to help you organize your thoughts. Until then, there are some really simple, practical things that you can do to get yourself started on the right track.
First, address your internal dialogue. When you make choices that you know are not optimal, how do you talk to yourself? Are you angry and vicious? Are you disappointed and condescending? Do you make excuses or feel like you’re missing out? The answers to these questions can give you insight as to where these mindsets came from and why you make the choices you make. Many use food or negative lifestyle choices to escape from negative feelings. If this is you, ask yourself what you do specifically to escape negative feelings? How do you justify your behavior? What are the thoughts and feelings that are the source of those negative feelings. Outline some healthy ways to relieve stress or pain that are not related to food.
Once you have brought some of these things into the light, you will want to write a motivation statement. This is something that outlines why you are going to make different choices and in what situation you will make those choices. A lot of poor decisions are made simply because of poor planning. Just thinking ahead a little and making choices based on your core motivation can really keep you heading in the right direction. Keep your goals in a place you will read it often like the bathroom, your purse, the car, your clothes drawer. And give yourself some grace! Remember, perfection is not the goal. I know I used to think, "Well, I messed up already today. May as well go big or go home." Or, "It’s the holidays – gotta eat bad all day," or "I’ll start on Monday."
Thirdly, It was freeing for me when I realized that will power would never keep me from making poor decisions. It’s just not sustainable! I wasn’t making bad choices because I just wasn’t good enough or capable of doing it, I couldn’t leave unhealthy options in my home if I expected to succeed in the moment. Even the strongest people will fail sometimes. It’s important to keep your environment sterile. If chocolate is a problem for you, then don’t keep that chocolate bar in the house. It’s a lot harder to drive to the closest gas station when you want some chocolate, then for you to dig around in the pantry. If potato chips are a temptation for you, then don’t even buy them. It’s not worth it! You are the one in control of what you buy and how often you buy it. It would be a good idea to go through your cabinets and pantry and remove the items that are the most difficult for you to avoid so that they aren’t even there to tempt you. Make it a celebration. You are setting yourself up for success!
If you do what everyone else is doing you are going to get what everyone else is getting.
Don’t follow what the majority is doing. You don’t need the vote of the majority to make your decisions.
This may come off a bit strong here, but I think it’s important to realize that constant fad diets and restrictive eating plans are a form of self-abuse in my opinion. Once we realize that these programs, that have been so common in our world, are not backed by quality studies and perpetuated by the healthcare industry, which has a lot to gain, we can feel the freedom to experience a healthy diet that doesn’t consist of calorie counting and starving and confusion.
Besides, when it comes to exercise, you can’t out-exercise a poor diet. It will catch up to you eventually whether in weight gain or illness. We are not after working out hard so that we can eat whatever we want, because we are informed consumers who understand what we are fueling our body with and are able to make choices accordingly.
There are two main ways we can make these changes. How you make these changes will depend a lot on your personality and the situation you find yourself in.
One, if you want rapid change, you need to make big changes. Big changes in weight or serious illness don’t come by eating one less handful of potato chips or substituting vegan mayo for regular. If this is what you’re looking for, I would encourage you to take the HealthCARE Basics 2.0 course as soon as possible, understanding what a healthy eating pattern is, and just go for it!
Two, if you are parent or living with other people, making drastic changes can be a bit harder. Especially if your children or older or your spouse or partner is unwilling to make any changes. You may have to make these changes little by little.
To do this, remember that people do much better knowing the why behind something. Perhaps sharing with them your health journey and why you are making these changes will help them to come around.
Also, don’t force your changes on them. As a friend or spouse, you can create meals that support your eating plan and that also give them the option to add whatever else they want on top of that. For example, make vegan chili with ground beef on the side, or spaghetti with sauce and the meatballs on the side. It doesn’t have to mean a lot of extra work for you, and there are a lot of things you can do like making dressings without oil, or sautéing vegetables with water instead of oils , that aren’t going to make a lot of difference in the taste of the end product.
When it comes to children, you can be a bit more proactive in intentionally engaging them in the kitchen, having them experiment with you, teaching them the why behind why they’re not going to have that snack or dinner, and helping them feel like they have a voice in what’s happening.
So, to sum it up:
1) Change the way you think about food by addressing root issues
2) Address your internal dialogue
3) Write down your goals
4) Sterilize your environment and
5) Stay informed
This is a journey, and there is a learning curve. As I’ve said before, you may be addressing more than just your physical body. It is a spiritual and emotional health journey as well – because it is all interconnected.