I WAS A CHRONIC DIETER FOR MOST OF MY LIFE. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE HARD TO STOP, BUT I WAS WAY WRONG.

COMING FROM A DIET MENTALITY I HAVE BEEN PLAGUED BY THE "WHAT IF'S" OF AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET.

1. WHAT IF I GET FAT AGAIN, OR GET FATTER?

2. WHAT IF I DON'T GET ENOUGH PROTEIN AND I LOSE MUSCLE?

3. WHAT IF MY FATS ARE TOO LOW AND MY HORMONES GET WONKY?

4. WHAT IF I GET HUNGRY AND I'M NOT ALLOWED TO SNACK?

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE FEARS THAT HAVE RATTLED AROUND INSIDE MY HEAD SINCE I STOPPED DIETING.

 

NEXT, CAME THE INSIDIOUS THOUGHTS FROM THE HABIT OF DIETING.

1. MAYBE THIS IS TOO MUCH MEAT.

2. I SHOULD WEIGH OUT ONE SERVING AND JUST HAVE THAT.

3. A WHOLE AVOCADO IS PROBABLY TOO MANY CALORIES.

4. I'VE PROBABLY EATEN 'X' AMOUNT OF CALORIES TODAY, I NEED TO CUT BACK.

5. I LOOK FLUFFY IN THE MIRROR TODAY! I MUST BE GETTING FAT AGAIN.

6. I SHOULD WEIGH MYSELF. I HAVE TO BE GETTING HEAVIER.

7. HAS THAT FAT ALWAYS BEEN THERE? OH NO! I REALLY AM GAINING WEIGHT.

8. THIS IS A HUGE SERVING OF FOOD, I SHOULD SAVE SOME.

 

WRITING ALL THESE THOUGHTS DOWN REALLY CEMENTS HOW SILLY THEY SEEM (YET ANOTHER REASON TO JOURNAL). IT IS A LOT HARDER TO BREAK A DIETER'S MINDSET THAN YOU MIGHT THINK. IT'S A COMMONLY HELD BELIEF THAT IT TAKES 21 DAYS TO BUILD A HABIT. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DIETING?

 

YOU WILL EXPERIENCE A MYRIAD OF EMOTIONS AS YOU TRAVEL THIS NEW TERRITORY. I'VE DEFINITELY EXPERIENCED MY FAIR SHARE OF FEAR, ANXIETY, TREPIDATION, VULNERABILITY, EXCITEMENT, ANTICIPATION, JOY, FREEDOM, AND SO ON. JUST REMEMBER, WHATEVER YOU'RE FEELING IS IN RESPONSE TO THE UNKNOWN. WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS PRACTICE THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME THEM:

 

DEDUCTIVE REASONING:

• IF YOU LOOK GOOD ONE DAY, WOULD YOU REALLY HAVE "GOTTEN FAT" BY THE NEXT DAY? NO. DRASTIC CHANGES FROM DAY TO DAY ARE MOST OFTEN JUST WATER WEIGHT.

• IF YOU DON'T FEEL AS STRONG PERFORMING AN EXERCISE THIS WEEK AS YOU DID LAST WEEK. WOULD YOU HAVE REALLY LOST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MUSCLE IN ONE WEEK, OR COULD IT BE POOR SLEEP, DEHYDRATION, EXTRA STRAIN FROM THE PREVIOUS DAY'S WORKOUT, STRESS, ILLNESS, OR MENSTRUAL CYCLE? IF YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING MUSCLE, MAKE SURE YOU'RE PRIORITIZING PROTEIN AT YOUR MEALS.

 

JOURNALING:

• WRITING DOWN YOUR FEARS IS A GREAT WAY TO LET THEM GO. AS I MENTIONED ABOVE, SOMETIMES JUST SEEING THEM ON PAPER IS ENOUGH TO DISPEL THEM. ALSO, JOURNALING PROVIDES A PLACE FOR SELF-DIALOGUE TO PRACTICE DEDUCTIVE REASONING.

 

SELF-LOVE:

• WHEN YOU FEEL YOURSELF DIVING INTO A BAD HEADSPACE, FLIP THE SCRIPT. TRY PRACTICING SOME POSITIVE SELF-TALK AND BEING KIND TO YOURSELF. YOU ARE UNDOING YEARS OF DAMAGE AND ABUSE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDO THE DAMAGE WITH KINDNESS, PATIENCE, AND POSITIVITY.

• IF YOU FEEL YOURSELF GETTING READY TO SAY, "I'M JUST A LOSER. I CAN'T DO THIS. I'M JUST GETTING FAT, OR FATTER, AND IT'S HOPELESS", TRY CHANGING YOUR INNER MONOLOGUE. CHANGE THOSE NEGATIVE WORDS TO, "I MIGHT BE HAVING A HARD TIME RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN DO THIS. I SHOULDN'T BE FOCUSING ON HOW I LOOK. I SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON MY HEALTH, MY FUTURE, AND HOW I FEEL."

THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGES AREN'T EASY.