Making changes to your diet is a process - Part 2 (Keeping on track)

August 08, 2022

I am going to guess that you have tried to make changes to your diet before. Most of us have. What happened? 

Did you get distracted? Or disheartened? Did you find obstacles you weren’t expecting? Was it too difficult when you also had to make meals for others in your household? 

I certainly have my own story of my journey to finally getting the results I had been trying for off and on over the years. That’s why I am so confident when I talk with my clients about the changes I ask them to make. More on that another time. 

Now that you are motivated and have a plan, you are ready to do the real work of making changes to your diet - keeping yourself going. (If you missed my getting yourself motivated and organised to make changes to your diet blog you can read that here.)

I wrote Making Changes To Your Diet Part 2 - Keeping on Track so you can prepare, pre-empt, and redirect yourself as you make changes to your diet. I have seen many common scenarios that can throw you off track - and below is my advice for keeping yourself on course even if you have momentary detours and setbacks. 

The first step to keeping yourself on track is  - CELEBRATE your success!! And celebrate every little success.  You have a plan (yay!). You overcame an obstacle rather than gave in (yay!). You  chose the healthy option (Yay!) You get the idea. Since making changes to your diet is a process not an event, celebrate each step you take. 

Your next step is FRIENDLY SELF-TALK. Your body is geared to seek high calorie foods (in times of famine being able to store calories for later is potentially life saving). Add to this the positive associations we have with higher calorie foods (ice cream anyone?!) and the constant messages we get from food manufacturers, it’s no wonder that we need to work at becoming the loudest voice of wellness for ourselves. Would you rather listen to a negative admonishing voice or a kind understanding friend? Friendly self -talk is the term I use for compassion – sometimes the most compassionate thing you can do is acknowledge the temptation or mistake, while also reminding yourself of your goal and your chosen path towards that goal. “Talk” to yourself as you would a much beloved friend who is making changes and finding it tough -  encouraging yourself along the way. 

I suggest to my clients that they eat when they are hungry but only enough to stop being hungry. When we eat because we are hungry it makes more sense to choose healthy options as they are more nourishing and there is a feel good factor in eating what you know is the healthier option.

If you are noticing that you reach for food at times other than when you are hungry, take a moment to question your motivation when reaching for food. Pause. Reflect. Am I eating because I am hungry? Or is there something else going on? What else is going on? Common reasons to reach for food when we aren’t hungry is stress, boredom, loneliness, or even happiness. I noticed in the past that I would reach for food when I was angry or upset with my partner. Of course, it’s much healthier to address my upset than eat but I could only do that when I became more aware of my motivation. 

Food is a great distractor, and eating yummy food causes a release of dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter that helps us feel pleasure. So, how can you feel good while also making the healthiest choice with your food? Dopamine is also released by smelling yummy food (I have different dietary requirements from other family members I live with who will let me smell their yummy food that I am not in any danger of eating). You could also keep a food flavouring bottle in the pantry to smell to give you a dopamine release that isn’t too tempting.Or you could play a favourite song as music can also stimulate dopamine release and therefore a feel good feeling. What distracting activity will work for you? 

Tiredness can also lead us to unhealthy food choices. If you have used high sugar snacks to give you a temporary lift in energy, I am sure you will also be well aware of the slump you feel a little while later. Even if you are well aware of the downsides, tiredness can lead us to temptation very quickly. I have downed huge chunks of chocolate to keep myself going when I was tired and feeling exhausted looking after my very young children. In the moment it seems like it’s worth it . When we feel like we are constantly in demand regardless of how tired we are we need quick fixes to keep us on track. What options do you have other than high calorie comfort foods? It  can be more energising to exercise, it increases circulation and releases dopamine. Before you stop reading in disgust declaring how stupid I am suggesting that someone tired and in demand has time to exercise, it doesn’t have to be much to get the same positive benefits of a sugar hit without the inevitable decline. A few wall push ups or squats or lunges will change our energy levels for the better.

Another option if exercising is truly out is changing your breathing. One option a friend taught me is to breathe in for a count of 6, hold for 2, breathe out for a count of 6 and hold for 2. Repeat this twice or more. As a side note if you have an upset (or angry/ grumpy) moment then focussing on your breathing in this way can also be very helpful. Your brain is amazing, sometimes it helps to increase it’s oxygen supply so you can think useful thoughts and stay on track with the changes that you were motivated to make just a few moments ago.

There will be more challenges that come up along the way – perhaps you start to notice you want food when you are bored, or upset, or happy. Whatever it is that comes up for you, remind yourself of the goal and the plan, but also after reflection – add to your armoury solutions to the obstacles that come up for you. A “what to do when” list. For example if you notice you eat as you prepare food, you could get yourself a glass of water before you start preparing your food and sip this as you are preparing the food that aligns with your goals. Above all please be kind, treating yourself as you would a much cherished friend who is focused on making changes that are important yet tough.

Making changes to your diet is a process - and keeping on track is really deep in the work of that process.

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