EATING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE ISN’T RESTRICTIVE! PART II

You will be able to determine when you are ready for a new food or not and, thereby, create your own new system of success. One reason a person would fail after reaching a weight loss goal is because they go from eating in a contained system or meal plan to not eating in a system at all. Having a system for maintenance is essential to success. And it’s very individual, meaning it will look different for everyone.

When you begin to add foods back into your diet in a structured manner, you can properly assess how each food affects your body personally, resulting in either weight gain or in the ability to maintain your new healthy weight.

Because many of us are all-or-nothing eaters, some foods will be a trigger for us moving into maintenance, and we will need to avoid them for the time being. Everything with food isn’t just about self control or willpower; sometimes… many times… it’s how foods are affecting you emotionally and physically that trip you up.

The struggle that can come with dietary changes for weight loss or living healthy is real, and we recognize that. Keep your eyes on the goal and remember what you are being freed from. Don’t focus on what you don’t have – focus on all you can have.

Remember, when you are tempted, to look back and desire to return to the very foods that held you in bondage for so long and ended up putting you in a difficult, if not debilitating, situation today. Remember the years it robbed from you and the dissatisfaction it ultimately brought. It really never did solve anything, and any pleasure was only very momentary.

Once you continually entertain that desire to go back to what had a hold on you before, you will find it very difficult to move forward in freedom again. It can be done by going back to what you did in the beginning that worked the first time, but for many, it often takes some kind of wake-up call.

Wake-up calls are not pleasant. So, if you’re finding things difficult, take some actions steps. Get your journal out and write down all the negative aspects those unhealthy foods have had on your life. Figure out a plan for dealing with them.

Dig deeper and ask yourself why you really want those foods. Most of the time, you will find that your reasons for wanting them doesn’t really add up. Does it really bring comfort? If so, then why do we need to eat comfort food every day, several times a day or all week long?

That comforting ability is very short-lived and doesn’t work long term. Perhaps you use the food as a coping mechanism, but does it really help you cope with an underlying issue to eat something that is ultimately destructive to your body? No! Actually, you will just end up with more to cope with – in addition to doctor bills, hospital bills and expensive medications.

It is a very real struggle and a very real pattern. It all starts with your thinking and your mindset. The more you know and understand, the better you will be able to accept and implement what you are doing to advance a productive outcome.