Do you ever find yourself wanting but resisting making dietary changes?
It’s funny how we resist something we really want. And resist even harder when it’s something we really need.
It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small. You are likely to resist if it requires taking a look at yourself in the mirror, hearing some things you don’t want to hear, or ‘giving’ up something you LOVE that you KNOW makes you feel bad, sick or stressed.
When the something is about health or eating healthy, it seems the resistance doubles. When we talk about giving up a favorite food, the resistance is even stronger.
Here are my 5 steps to help you to push through your resistance and make the change you want and need.
1. Acknowledge and Decide to Make a Change.
This is when you look in the mirror and you don’t like what you see. Or when you realize that every time you eat a certain food or don’t eat a certain way, you feel horrible. Or maybe you have no idea what the source of the reason is but you know you don’t feel 100%. It’s noticeable and uncomfortable.
It’s easier to think things through when you write it down.
Write down how you are feeling. How is this spilling over into other aspects of your life? How is this affecting your relationships? Your productivity? Your happiness? Then, close your eyes and ask yourself, what would my life be if I didn’t feel this way? This is your chance to dream big – anything is possilbe – what would your life be like?
Then reflect back on what you’ve written and decide which scenario you want. I’ll bet you’ll pick the later.
2. In with the new, then out with the old.
The old adage out with the old, in with the new is backwards. When you are making changes, it’s easier to introduce a new food or activity before taking the food or activity away. There is nothing worse than feeling deprived. By introducing something new first, you crowd out the old and are less likely to miss it.
In the Breakfast Challenge, we introduced a well-balanced breakfast. Many of you noticed your need for your afternoon coffee was not longer there. Our focus was not on giving up coffee but on introducing breakfast.
3. Start small.
The tendency is to think you need to make big changes to have a big impact. The reality is that sudden, big changes are usually unsustainable. They can add too much stress to your life. Not only do you have to change routines, but you also adapt to how your body will react.
If you start small, you give yourself and your body more time to adapt. Baby steps.
4. Make a plan and be prepared.
The more you can plan ahead the better. When it comes time to making the change, you don’t want to have to think about it, you’ll just do it.
This was the beauty of the Breakfast Challenge. You were given the shopping list, menu plan, the recipes, and the schedule of when you needed to have things prepared. You didn’t have to think. You just had to do it. Have a bad habit of reaching for sweets around 3pm? Have a healthy and satisfying snack already prepared so you can just grab it will bring you more success than having to think of and prepare a healthy snack at that moment.
5. Get support.
Change is hard. We all need support. Support can come in many ways. It could be someone helping you make the decision, advising you on what first step to take, or being your cheerleader throughout the process.
You are not going to be perfect. It’s nice to have someone to help you get back up when you fall, celebrate your small victories and motivate you to take that next step.
Is there a change in your diet you’ve been wanting to make? Then, join me for my Fall Harvest Wellness Bootcamp for Women. This 4-week program is designed to give you a full plan laid out and get support from me, other women with similar goals and some amazing guest instructors. There’s no way you can resist.
Feel confident about your food choices so you look and feel great this summer.
It starts Friday, October 9. It’s going to be an amazing 4 weeks! Click here to register.