“I need more discipline. How do i get that?”
A question often asked by clients. And it usually comes around this time of year when there are leftover Halloween candies when they are preparing for Thanksgiving and a house full of food.
But what if its not the food that makes you lack discipline. I mean SURE- there is the converstaion around hyper-palatability. These foods you cant seem to get enough of, the salty, sweet, crunchy and satisfying ones- those were MADE to leave you feeling like “i need just one more.” literally designing in a lab and it requires your taste buds, your brain chemistry even, so that you can not have just one. I get it.
But there are ways in YOUR control where that allure those foods have, they dont need to control you like you feel. But how?
How do you not let the bite size twix win? How do you not let the straggler cookie yell at you from the counter “pick me, choose me, love me” (any greys anatomy fans out there?)?
Your approach. Your mindset.
Typically if you have 1-2 candies after the kids are in bed, you are “bad.”
But what if- WHAT IF you went into the day with permission. ALLOWING yourself the ability to choose 1-2 pieces without guilt, without shame, without feeling like you are doing something wrong and letting yourself down?
CANDY IS DELICIOUS! Ask yourself this: “Am i NEVER going to have another piece of candy ever ever every again?” Thats not realistic.
So then what you are setting yourself up for is feelings of regret and guilt every time you have candy? Dude- no. Thats a long life, a long miserable life in my opinion.
Give yourself permission to eat 1-2 or pieces. Plan your day for it.
The other thing? The other way to make sure you are in control, not the food? Make sure you are adequately fed. What do i mean by that?
if you are chronically under-eating, constantly dieting, always living in a space where “i cant remember when i had my last meal” then you need to fix that. OF COURSE you have no control around candy or other tempting foods. Your bod is hungry. There is no such thing as willpower or discipline at this point – right now, for your body, its a matter of survival!
Lets recap:
1- give yourself permission to have SOME of the foods you love. All or nothing wont work forever.
2- nourish yourself. make sure you are adequately fed. Not sure what that means? Download this free meal planner and calorie calculator to find your starting point.
This is no easy task, and I get it. if you need help, a starting point, support or guidance, I am here. These are the conversations and shifts I walk most of my clients through. life is long. Lets make it a good one- filled with delicious foods and feelings of being proud of yourself, how about it?
More info on my coaching here.
