5 Mindset Shifts to improve your diet.
Shifting our mindset from quick-fix fad diets promising unrealistic results to more sustainable lifestyle changes is how we take control of our overall wellness and achieve our health goals.
Is your mindset around healthy eating temporary? For instance, you want to lose a stone but then what? Would you like to keep it off?
Small consistent changes or upgrades create a compound effect.
If we can make these small changes into Habits and turn those Habits into Routines we don’t need to think very hard about we can free up TIME for so many other life-enriching activities.
Stop feeling Guilty
We need to release guilt from our daily mindset.
Feeling guilt about breaking a food ‘rule’ from whichever diet or plan you are currently following can lead to ‘falling off the wagon’ and ‘starting again Monday’ which is not a healthy cycle to be in.
Ditch the guilt! Instead, observe why you feel this way. What can you change about the circumstances that lead to the feelings of guilt so you don’t feel that way again?
Eat as though you LOVE yourself
Eating in a healthy balanced way is a form of self care.
Food shouldn’t be a reward or a punishment.
Everything you eat is broken down into fuel (energy) for your body. If we don’t get enough of a certain nutrient our body will compensate, for instance, if we don’t get enough carbohydrates (our brain’s primary form of fuel) it will break down our stored protein (muscles) to create its own. This will reduce your muscle mass and in turn your metabolism.
A reduced metabolism needs even fewer calories, this can lead to weight gain.
Add, don’t takeaway
Have you ever experienced this…
The minute you remove something from your diet that is ALL you can think about, you become obsessed and the craving builds until you just give in and then overindulge.
I certainly have!
When looking at mindset shifts I like to teach the ‘crowd it out’ approach.
If you have a habit such as a cup of tea and a few biscuits in the afternoon but you are lacking in energy throughout the day and you have realised your health might benefit from more fresh fruit and vegetables, try adding a smoothie at this time and see how you feel after. If you still want the tea and biscuits go for it, but, be mindful, check-in with yourself, and see how you feel.
Don’t overwhelm yourself
Take baby steps.
Maybe use a Habit Tracker. I recommend using a tracker like this not just to help implement new habits but also to observe, in a non-judgemental way, whether they are working.
If you get to the end of the week and you haven’t ticked any spaces on one of your desired habits you may need to rethink the habit or the approach.
If something doesn’t fit your lifestyle you are not going to be able to make it a habit.
Make time to Plan
Brain dump all your goals.
What do you need to do to achieve them? What steps do you need to take?
Plan these into your month and weeks. Constantly review your progress and adjust course if you need to.
Maybe you need to meal plan? Spending time doing this can:
- Reduce decision fatigue
- Save money
- Balance your overall nutrient intake
Planning well balanced, nutritious, and satisfying meals can give you something to look forward to and can stop you from grabbing some food that is just available but not satisfying which can lead to snacking after a meal.
Can I help you?
If you would like to chat with me about your unique menopause transition, book a Wild Well-Being call and come away inspired and motivated to begin your journey to optimal health.