You all know how incredibly important it is to have a good mindset around whatever goal you are trying to achieve. We have talked in the mast about mindset, and about self-talk. This week, I want to get more specific. We are going to talk about food. I know, this generally lands like a ton of bricks, but it is really important. Don’t run away! Stick with me!
But Why?…
Unless you never make any decisions about food, your thoughts are the keystone in the success of your nutrition plan. (eye roll, I know this, Megan). It is possible that unintentionally you are destroying your progress before you make any? Is it possible that your mindset about certain foods, cooking, ways to eat, diet plans are precluding you from success? I don’t know, you may not know either. And if you don’t know…. Say it with me people… you can’t do anything about it.
But How?…..
1 – Awareness. Step one is always awareness. You need to get real about what you are saying to and about yourself as it relates to food. These stories make up the larger mindset you have around the issue.
What are your food stories? These are things like:
“I have to have diet Pepsi”
“Life isn’t worth living without pasta”
“You’ll never get me to give up chocolate”
“I hate cooking”
“Eating healthy is too expensive”
“It’s too much work”
Frankly, this is tame, sometimes the stories we have around food is not only wrong but harmful and downright mean. You need to get aware of the things you say about food. Pay attention when you are ordering at a restaurant, at the grocery store, feeding your family, the office pot-luck, grabbing a bite in the middle of a crazy day. When you have these thoughts ask yourself:
“Is this true?”
“Is this accurate?”
“Is this in line with my health goals?”
“Would I say this to anyone else?”
2 – Change the story. It turns out that you can take control of your thoughts, and create a new mindset around diet and nutrition. Take control back. To do this write down the mindset you want to have about food, and reinforce it. To get you started a good mindset might be things like.
“This is fueling my health goals”
“This has the nutrition I need”
“My body is thanking me”
“I am proud of the food decisions I make”
“This is getting me to my goals faster”
“I can do this”
“I can make this work”
In the beginning, if you need extra support, write your positive statements down on sticky notes and put them in your lunchbox, fridge, pantry, and in your car – you know why.
Real Talk: You didn’t build your current mindset in a short period of time. The new one will be harder to create. Because you have to undo years, maybe decades, of negative self-talk, and false stories. Stick with it! We are here for you.
