You are committed to making a lifestyle change, right?
You know exactly what you should be eating and you might even understand why but every day you still make a concession to eat just a little something like ice cream, your favorite chocolate bar or fries on the side of your bun-less burger.
For some people this is because of a fear of missing out.
For others, it is a powerful craving that takes over.
Either way the scale is not moving and you are frustrated that you continue to sabotage your own ideal vision.
You likely do not even notice how often you make concessions.
You think, “I only do it here and there. The occasional exception.” But if you ever do concede and journal what you are eating, that my friend, is when you clearly see how often you are straying from your commitment to getting thinner, happier and ultimately more comfortable in your own skin.
How would you like to learn to stop letting your challenges and cravings get in the way so that you can eat healthy, lose the weight, be more energetic and improve your confidence (or just fit into your favorite outfit?)
Do not spill the milk.
What image appears in your head when you read the line above? Spilled milk right? How about this, “Hold your cup carefully with two hands.” You likely can see your two hands wrapped safely around the cup. When the instructions are clear and stated in the positive they provide a solution to your problem that you can work with.
When you are making a lifestyle change you need to focus on what you can have instead of worrying about what you cannot.
I know that, “Do not eat that chocolate bar” is only going to lead you to find a dark hiding place where you will quietly devour it and pretend it never happened (which I totally understand, I have done it too). Or you will avoid the food and continue to think about it, feeling deprived. But if I say, “Eat those fresh peaches cooked in melted butter with whipping cream on top” you have an actionable, satisfying plan.
Next time you are tempted with something that is going to throw you off track from what is so important to you, focus on the solution, not the problem.
Here are some examples:
I will go home and a have some of that awesome By Design lasagna in the fridge instead of stopping for fast food.
vs.
I will not eat fast food anymore.
I will go over to the health food aisle and grab a dark chocolate bar instead of getting the peanut butter cups I am craving.
vs.
I cannot have peanut butter cups anymore.
I will grab an herbal tea at Starbucks when I go to meet with my friends.
vs.
I cannot have coffee today.
Have you got a problem that you are fixated on? Put this trick into action right now. Write down the problem and reframe it so that is stated in the positive (I will...) and offers a solution, not a problem.
For more simple By Design recipes why not pick up your copy of the Eat By Design Cookbook. I’ve created it in the form of a 28-day meal plan (plus grocery lists!) so you don’t need to think about what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next month. Or you can grab the first 7 days FREE by clicking here.