Healthy
We could talk all day about how healthy your food choices need to be to transform your body. But what about your mind? What keeps it healthy?
In the US, more than 7 million women and 1 million men have some kind of eating disorder. But I bet there are many times more people that have a love/hate relationship with food and just never talk about it. If losing weight or “dieting” feels like a torture to you, what are the real chances that you’ll stick to it? Do you really want to keep hammering yourself on the head for the sake of MAYBE fitting in your old jeans? Probably not.
According to a study run by the University of California at Los Angeles, 80% of people gain all the weight they lost from dieting back in less than 4 years. Actually, the researchers concluded that dieting is a predictor of future weight gain. The more you diet, the more you GAIN. Obviously something’s not right with the way most people approach fat loss nutrition. This is often overlooked by most fitness experts, but you need to train your mind as much as you train your body.
“I Have The Worst Cravings”
Here’s the classic cravings story.
You’re bored, and start to think about this bag of chips sitting in your pantry. You hear its calling. You can’t help yourself and tear it open. You start eating with reckless abandon but eventually the guilt catches up and you throw it in the trash can. But seconds later, you find yourself thinking: “They’re in a bag, so technically I could still eat those chips”. Then you feel bad about having the idea that eating food from a trash can is OK.
Everyone has cravings. To make sure they never control you again, apply those proven anti-cravings techniques that preserve your sanity.
Understand your cravings and fix them the right way
Ask yourself: “Why do I crave this food?” Is it because I want something crunchy? Is it because I miss this food from my childhood? Then, satisfy this craving using better ingredients. Instead of indulging on any random chocolate cake, prepare the “Ninja Chocolate Cake” I’ve outlined on ( Diet Makeover - Step 1: Tasty )
Identify your trigger foods
We all have that one particular food that triggers overeating, or that we just can’t portion control. For some people it’s chips, for some others chocolate cake.
Identify your trigger foods and find ways to control the way you eat them. Put your chips in a small bowl and take the bag away, or use 2-3 tbsp. of peanut butter and put it back in the pantry. Don’t use up all your limited willpower to fight against yourself for too long. If a food is too much of a trigger for you, you’ll have to make sure it’s never in your house, and that you only buy it on special occasions, in limited quantities.
Make your house a temple
We live in a world where 99% of the food around contributes to making us fatter. That’s just the way it is. To make your fat loss inevitable, make sure you only keep the healthiest foods possible in your house. Make clear rules about what can be in your fridge and pantry, and stick with them. When you feel like eating a treat food, buy a small portion and finish it right away – leaving nothing behind that could trigger your cravings later in the week.
“I Always Self-Sabotage My Goals”
We all do. Really.
I’m not trying to convince you that even a nutrition “guru” like me self-sabotages sometimes. I’m saying that even the fittest, leanest and most knowledgeable people on the planet (like other fitness experts I hang out with) have to fight their inner BS every single day just like you. This inner demon never goes away – even when you achieve your dream body and develop healthy habits. So you might as well learn the 4 steps to deal with it:
1. Accept that you’ll screw up
If you can’t accept the fact that you’re a human being with flaws… start working on it. Once you understand that bumps in the road are part of life and that they don’t make you a weak or bad person, you’ll be able to deal with them while keeping your focus on the goal.
2. Screw everything up, but learn from it
Once you do screw up, overindulge, skip your exercise or eat the wrong foods at the restaurant, take some time to ask yourself: “Why did that happen? What could have I done better? How do I feel about it?” Trust me – taking the time to learn a lesson from your mistakes is the key to making you stronger in the future.
3. Get back on track. Now.
If you do screw up, the worst thing you can do is to start playing the video on “Repeat” in your head and beat yourself up about it for an entire week. This will destroy your selfconfidence and probably lead you to screwing up even more. The simple question that solves everything is: “Does it really matter that much?” If you ate five cookies instead of two, have you really destroyed all your chances of future success? Then, remember your long-term goal, accept your imperfect self and get back on track.
4. Use damage control with care
If you overindulge on Monday, should you exercise more or eat less on Tuesday? Yes and no. Damage control is a good idea, but abusing it will create a really messy relationship with food. Always use damage control in a positive way, not as a punishment. That might help you enjoy your drinks guilt-free on Saturday, because you know that your exercise and diet will be clean on Sunday.
“I Have No Motivation To Eat Right”
Bad news. You know how essential eating right is to your fat loss results, and yet you don’t feel any motivation to change what you’re doing right now. Is there something more frustrating? Motivation is complicated, and comes from different places for different people. Here’s how to find your own motivation.
1. Find your reason why, and believe
Why do you want to change your eating habits? To lose weight? To feel better? To be healthier? To live longer? Whatever your goal is – if you don’t believe it can actually be done, don’t expect to get any boost in your motivation.If you don’t believe in it right now, pretend you do. I’m serious; sometimes you have to lie to yourself until it becomes your reality.
2. Focus on the positive
Forget about forbidden foods, cheat meals and other words that categorize food in either the “good” or “evil” categories. They will only make your journey a real torture.Instead of focusing on what you’re missing on by changing your habits, focus on what you’ll get out of it – how much healthier these foods make you and how you can inspire others around you to transform their lives too.
3. One step at a time
Some hardcore people might be able to change everything they eat overnight. But for most people, the stress it creates will lead to quick failure and discouragement. Identify one food habit you want to change this week or this month, and stick to it until it feels like the natural thing to do. Then, focus on the next thing.
Some examples:
- Less sugar in your coffee
- Swapping ingredients when preparing your favorite recipes
- Never drinking liquid calories
- Having breakfast before grabbing your coffee at the drive through to prevent yourself from grabbing those yummy glazed donuts
Taking baby steps will be a slower process compared to diets that make you go “all-in” – but in the end, it will multiply your chances of success.
4. Make fun of your excuses
We’re humans, so we like to justify things. If you have no motivation to eat right, try to find why. Chances are that you’ll come up with one of the excuses contained in the book you’re reading right now (no time, no skills, not sure what to do, etc.). Then, accept how ridiculous this all sounds – and start working on eliminating that sticking point.
“I Feel Overwhelmed”
Fat. Protein. Calories. Macronutrients. The synergy the vitamin C in your orange has with its bioflavonoid complex. There are so many things to think about when it comes to food that this may feel overwhelming. Often times, this leads to paralysis by analysis – so you end up doing nothing instead of trying something and possibly doing it wrong.
Do a media fast
The worst thing you can do when feeling overwhelmed is to consume MORE information. Instead, you need to stop listening to all the noise. And because the media are a terrible source of nutrition and health advice, I highly suggest you STOP watching TV shows and reading magazines on the subject – for as long as possible.
Focus on what really matters
If you spend too much time obsessing over little details, you’re spending less time focusing on what makes a real difference. Instead of spending hours wondering whether you should eat a certain food or not, ask yourself:
- Did that exist 200 years ago?
- Can I understand the ingredients list?
- Can this be grown, picked or raised?
If it fits the 3 criteria, you know this food is a good choice. If not, you know it shouldn’t be a staple in your diet.
Stick With One Coach
Different experts may have different opinions or guidelines on different subjects. If you’re confused by conflicting information, here’s what you need to do: Stick with one coach. I don’t care if you choose me or another expert you trust; just stick with one expert and one source of information.
“My Friends And Family Don’t Support Me”
As if changing your food habits from fat-gaining to fat-burning wasn’t hard enough, you can expect resistance from people around you – including your friends and family.
The Comfort Zone
Stepping out of your own comfort zone is very hard. You have to find the motivation, take action, and then get used to the feeling that you’re not doing the right thing until it becomes a habit. The same thing happens for people around you when YOU decide to make real change in your life. You see, the simple fact that you
change your behavior can trigger their defense mechanisms.
We’ve Heard Them All…
Your friends and family love you; but chances are they won’t understand what you’re trying to achieve by choosing specific times to have treats and focusing on healthier ingredients – and may even try to slow you down using all sorts of good reasons why you should not do it:
- "C'mon… it’s just a piece of cake. It won’t kill you." (I understand, but I chose to have desserts only during the weekend. Do you mind if I bring one serving back home? It looks fabulous.)
- "That’s not healthy." (Nick Pineault taught me it is… you have to check out his book! Eye-opening stuff.)
- "You’re perfect the way you are." (Thank you. I promise I’ll be even better.)
- "Take a break and enjoy life! Eat those French fries!" (Oh thanks, but I’ll probably have them on my treat dinner on Friday anyway.)
Stay strong. Remember that you’re doing this for YOU, and not anyone else.
Action Beats Analysis
If you catch yourself wondering if you should hide the fact that you’re trying to life a healthier lifestyle, or spend too much time wondering what people think about it… Stop. Over-analysis will only create more stress in your life. Instead of staying in your own head, take action. Your new-self may make people uncomfortable and fearful, but your actions and results will inspire them. Trust me. At this very moment, most people secretly wish they were as strong and in control as you – and had the courage to make change happen.
HEALTHY ACTION STEPS
1. To lose weight and stay healthy, you'll have to train your mind has hard as your body. Never forget
that critical fact and get to work.
2. Never keep foods that trigger your cravings around the house. Buy them in small quantities for occasional treats, and finish the whole thing at once instead of keeping a tempting leftover.
3. Accept that you're going to screw up. Everyone does – even the most disciplined athlete (or nutrition
nerd like me). When it does happen, get back on track immediately (not tomorrow) without wasting any energy on guilt or any of those negative feelings.
4. Only you can find the inner motivation to make the right foods choices and start your own diet makeover. Take baby steps, trying to incorporate ONE new thing in your routine every week.
5. If you feel overwhelmed by conflicting information and different experts’ opinions, take a media fast. You don't need more information; you need to do what ONE expert is telling you and stick with it.
6. Expect resistance from your friends and family. Stay strong and remember that you're doing this for YOU, and that your actions will eventually inspire people around you.
