If there is anything that matters most in making healthy habits last, it's changing our mindset. This is what I help clients with every day. They go from having dieted on and off for most of their adult life to making doable diet and lifestyle choices that they enjoy.
Instead of a quick fix diet to shed a few pounds, instead transforming how we do things on an everyday basis makes wellness something we LIVE, not just a lofty goal we feel like is out of reach.
Without changing the way we think about what being healthy means, however, the diet cycle of disappointment, rebounding, and guilt will always repeat. Here are three examples of this type of mindset shift for sustainable wellness.
1. Look for the cause not a quick fix.
There is no magic fix, pill, or surgery that is going to shimmy that weight or those bad habits away without some kind of negative side effect or impact on us mentally.
Our lifestyle choices, stress levels, hormones, and past experiences with eating and physical activity all contribute to our current state of health. It's about addressing these and turning them around in a sustainable way that works for you.
2. Increase your nutrition intake vs restricting it.
Often when we diet we restrict foods like carbs and fats to shed weight quickly but this causes nutrient deficiencies, cravings and bingeing like night time snacking.
It also wrecks havoc on your self esteem as it's incredibly hard to stick to and if we don't we beat ourselves up about it and call ourselves unmotivated or lazy... which simply isn't true.
Instead when you increase your nutrient intake you're giving your body everything it needs to function optimally which helps us feel better and want to stay that way. It's about fueling not fearing.
3. It's about finding what works for you and your lifestyle.
Often we try to fit a one size fits all approach into our busy lifestyle and when it doesn't work we tell ourselves there is something wrong with us, we're not able to be consistent or we simply lack will power... which is so disempowering!
We are not a one size fits all people! We are all unique and different and as as result it's about finding what works for you and your lifestyle specifically and is something you can enjoy doing and maintain long term.
When preconceived notions from diet culture dictate our choices, we tend to fall into an "all or nothing" mindset. Rather than extremes, guilt, or deprivation... consider how we are functional beings that need fuel and energy to really thrive.
If you are ready to explore any of these mindset shifts and take small action steps towards feeling better long-term, I'd love to chat with you.
Email me at jaimepalinchak@gmail.com to start the conversation and BE INTENTIONALLY WELL
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