Faulty thinking that derails us causes us to forget that it is possible to wake up and even encourage cravings again. There is a slippery slope. A little bit of something here, a little bit of something there… soon those pleasure wheels are spinning again. That necessitates reengaging in the hard-fought battle to keep away from it. We had our blood sugar and insulin spikes under control and now we need to go through detox again. This can be a hard pattern to break.
Failing to make peace with a sustainable way of eating sabotages results
Place tremendous effort on acquiring the skill of consuming the right foods. Certain foods allow your body to function properly. Eating the right foods can decrease inflammation, balance out your blood sugar level and regulate your insulin response.
The goal has always been to provide basic structure and strategy in the short-term, and in the long- term providing an education about food and its effects in order to keep you moving consistently towards better health.
Viewing healthy foods as negative is counterproductive
Looking at weight loss as nothing more than a goal or number to reach and then you are done, can really sabotage great results. Not only are you setting yourself up for failure mentally after you lose the weight, but for now you will view the process of eating your current, healthier foods as negative or as a punishment to finally be done with.
Flawed thinking won’t learn to make adjustments
Embarking on a new journey with the promise of a better life, doesn’t mean it will be an easy road. There will be some tough days. Much like any new challenge, few things remain totally stable. There is a time to re-adjust, to learn new things about yourself in the process, and to accept the path you are on. Perhaps you need to take time to mourn the things you left behind?
Refusing to break damaging patterns is a train wreck
Think of it like fighting an addiction – you end up craving the very thing that is hurting you physically, emotionally and psychologically. Breaking that pattern, however damaging it is or was, can be very stressful.
We seem to forget that there is a high cost that accompanies those other things – like pain, suffering, disease and bondage. It’s easy for us to find ourselves looking back to desire the very same things that were destroying us. But all that kept us from living a life free from pain and disease and feeling and looking healthy.
Forgetting what you’re freed from distorts your perspective
- Don’t focus on what you can’t have – focus on all you can have.
- When you are tempted to look back desiring what you used to eat, remember those foods ended up putting you in the predicament you’re in today.
- Don’t forget the years robbed from you and the dissatisfaction it ultimately brought.
Declining to journal negative aspects of unhealthy foods thwarts success
- 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 don’t really add up.
Using food as a coping mechanism is a defective strategy
Perhaps you use food as a coping mechanism? That comforting ability is very short-lived and doesn’t work long- term. 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.
Inaccurate view that once you reach your goal you go back to eating “normal.”
Looking at weight loss as nothing more than a goal or number to reach and then you are done, can really sabotage your great results. You are setting yourself up for failure mentally after you lose the weight. Now you will view the process of eating your current, healthier foods as negative. You may even see them as a punishment to finally be done with.
Overlooking that it won’t always be easy is broken reality
Just because you are embarking on a new journey with the promise of a better life, it doesn’t mean it will always be an easy road. There will be some tough days. Much like any new challenge, few things remain totally stable. There is a time to re-adjust, to learn new things about yourself in the process. You will need to accept the path you are on – and perhaps even mourn the things you left behind.
If you are 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.
- Does it really help you cope with an underlying issue to eat something that is ultimately destructive to your body?
Neglecting to acknowledge the real struggles is a very real pattern.
It all starts with your thinking and your mindset. The more you know and understand, the more you will be able to accept and implement what you are doing through your weight loss journey.