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I hosted a group coaching session the other night on this topic. Before I left for the event it occurred to me that people don’t need help because they eat too much broccoli or steak. When most people need help making health habit lifestyle changes that last, it primarily revolves around sugar and junk food. The modern world is filled with hyper-palatable foods that have been designed to get you hooked. Mindless eating is the norm and they’ve made mindful eating challenging for some. Food manufacturers have figured out how to hijack your taste buds and brain to sell more products. If you’ve ever tried to slay the sugar dragon and failed I’m here to tell you that it’s not your fault. The key to getting healthy through food choices requires mindful eating habits.
Of course, there are other habits like sensible exercise, improving one’s sleep, disconnecting from electronics, and reducing stress that also falls under the category of making health habit changes. In this article, I’m going to use sugar as an example but you can insert any health habit lifestyle change into each step.
The real trick is how does a person change so many things? Also, how does a person implement changes that will last? Is anyone even looking for that? I just scrolled through Pinterest looking to see what other headlines looked like. Granted I didn’t spend much time but I didn’t see anyone talking about making health habit lifestyle changes that last… It’s interesting to me. Does diet culture have us so conditioned to fail that no one is looking for their last solution?
Step 1: Focus On Your WHY
Why do you want to make this change? What happens if you do it -vs- if you don’t do it? Many people will say that they want to get rid of their sweet tooth. (Sorry sugar. You’re an easy target.) They say they want to get rid of their sweet tooth but there’s little focus on the why. When they find themselves in front of cake, cookies, pie, etc the sugar dragon kicks in and many find themselves back in sugar’s grasp. Mindful eating is easier when you can remember your WHY. Surely whatever your goal, it’s more important than cake.
Conversely, if a person says that they want to slay their sugar dragon because they don’t want to get diabetes or heart disease because they watched a family member suffer from that, suddenly it becomes a bit easier to turn down the cookie. Hmmm…. Do I want diabetes or a cookie? In my mind, the WHY is more compelling than the cookie. Sit down with a pen and paper and write down all of the pros and cons of the health change you want to make. Hang it on the refrigerator or a vision board as a daily reminder if you need to. When you know your WHY it makes it easier to get healthy and make better choices.
Step 2: Reassess Your Beliefs About Health Habit Changes
For some reason, every event, special occasion, holiday, or celebration revolves around sugar. Most of us have grown up with sugar as a reward. Get straight A’s and someone takes you out for a sundae. Do you really need sugar as a reward? Is there something else that will bring you more fulfillment that better aligns with your goals? A pedicure, chair massage, a walk with a friend? Make a list of alternatives that you can implement mindful eating practices in lieu of whatever habit you’re trying to break.
Do you genuinely believe that you can make this mindful eating change? As I said before we’ve been so conditioned to fail by diet culture and a lot of false health information that I don’t think many believe change is actually possible. What is your internal dialog? Do you believe you can get healthy and stay healthy? Perhaps, like many of us, you had a childhood that left you with a lot of self-doubt as an adult. Do those thoughts cause you still doubt your abilities today?
More often than not making health habit lifestyle changes that last isn’t so much about the sugar but rather our own inner dialog and beliefs. Find the trolls hiding under the bridges in your mind and shine a light on them. When you see the thought patterns that sabotage you it’s easier to interrupt them going forward. Reflect on your past and where you’ve gotten stuck and the things that trip you up. Knowing where there’s a pothole in the road helps you avoid it.
Step 3: Phone A Friend
Maybe you’ve dialed in your WHY but you’re still struggling to get healthy. The next time you find yourself facing a sugar craving call a friend, accountability partner, or support group. There’s a lot to be said for simply having someone to voice things too. Most of us are struggling with one thing or another and when we share it with our close friends it helps us realize that we aren’t alone. Perhaps you’d like to begin weight lifting, mountain biking, hiking, or backpacking but you’re not sure where to start and/or you don’t want to do it alone. There are countless groups online where you can make friends and find people who are willing to help you learn how to do it. My ultimate message is that if you feel it’s too difficult to tackle on your own: phone a friend.
Step 4: Get The Facts Straight
There’s a lot of information in the health and wellness space and if it isn’t a subject that you regularly read about it’s easy to be confused and overwhelmed. Should you avoid fat or watch your calories? Is cardio 5 times a week for 60 minutes better or worse than weight lifting? Is my weight a good indicator that it’s working? Our beliefs about health and wellness are so broken that many believe a protein shake filled with sketchy ingredients is healthier than eating a steak. Always eat the steak! Chewing sends a signal to the brain that you’re eating and it helps trigger the hormones to help you feel full. Digestion begins in the mouth and when you’re drinking your food you’re essentially skipping the first step.
Whether you eat more meat or vegetables is up to you. Avoiding the things that everyone agrees are bad can give you a huge boost towards getting healthy. Use mindful eating practices to simply stay away from fast food, processed food, and deep-fried food (because of the fats used, not because fat is bad). Artificial ingredients, artificial sweeteners, and sketchy preservatives are also on the list everyone agrees we shouldn’t eat. Employing mindful eating, focus on single ingredients (whole foods) and you’ll come out far ahead of most.
I’ve met a number of people who’ve tried to give up sugar and they’ve not been successful. One of the reasons is that although they’re avoiding sweeteners they’re still eating foods that produce a huge insulin response. If you’re skipping the candy aisle but you’re eating wheat and grains 3 times a day it will make kicking the sugar habit a challenge. The same is true for fruit. So many people will decide to get healthy and they’ll go buy 12 different types of fruit and not mention a vegetable. One of the biggest keys to getting healthy and employing healthy habit lifestyle changes is simply knowing what works and what doesn’t.
Step 5: Bait And Switch
A technique that has been shown to be effective is the good ol’ bait and switch. If cinnamon rolls are your thing go to the bakery and look at the cinnamon rolls. Then walk out without getting one. If you need to phone a friend to help you over the hump then do that. It’s been shown that the more times you turn away the thing that you don’t want it helps to break those neural circuits. The other approach is that when you’re craving a cinnamon roll eat a steak or something else instead. I’m not talking about keto cinnamon rolls here, those will keep you tied to the original cinnamon roll. What I’m talking about is that when you want something sweet, eat something savory. The food you eat when you have a craving helps shape what food you’ll crave in the future. The more times you do this swap the easier it becomes to make healthy habit changes that last.
Want more help getting clear on your WHY? Grab a copy of my Mindfulness Workbook below.
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Originally posted on October 2, 2019 @ 13:42
