How to create a nutrition plan that is right for you
I ripped a shirt the other day, it was one of my favorites.
It ripped right by the seam, and I patched it back to its original format.
It ripped again the very next time I wore it.
If I keep patching it the way I did the first time, it will continue to rip until I have no shirt left.
This pattern happens in so many situations, only some are easier to spot than others. The new year is approaching and with it the most popular time for new year resolutions, new diet plans and goal-setting lists. I have seen many great intentions laid out, willpower fueled manifestos and carefully calculated meal plans last less than a day! "Things start our well, but I can't get past the afternoon cravings".
Diet culture is strongly ingrained in the way we think about food and our successes around food choices, that rather then reconsidering the initial plan, we take blame for its failure. We believe we weren't motivated, good or strong-willed enough to carry it on. We try again the next day, and fail.
I want you to succeed! I want you to live a healthier life in 2023, one that aligns with your values and makes you feel good inside and out.
Good intentions are not enough though. Willpower is not enough. For your plans to succeed you will need CURIOSITY, UNDERSTANDING and a FLEXIBLE mindset.
Rather than following rules, tips or tricks that may have worked for your or someone else in the past, consider what YOUR needs are at this point in time. Ask yourself some probing questions:
Do you want to lose weight? Why? What would it do for you? Is weight the direct issue or a side effect to other behaviours or metabolic processes? How would you know you got to the "right" weight?
Do you want to get rid of chocolate? Do you feel out of control around certain foods? Does it happen all the time or only at certain situations/moods/time of the month? If chocolate disappears from your life, is the "problem" also going away or will it be replaced by a different food?
Do you fight with your hunger? Do you know how to identify emotional vs physical hunger? Do you ignore or dismiss your hunger cues depending on what time of the day it is?
What have you learnt from previous dieting experiments? What went well and what didn't? How would you like things to be different this time?
It's in understanding what gets in the way that we can create more resilient and realistic plans, that really gets us where we want to be. Looking at this from a different point of view, I can more easily see the thin patches on your metaphorical shirt and help you reinforce them. Or, together we can come up with a whole new shirt design.
Yours in health,
Juliana.