Subtle Shifts for More (Food) Freedom

Okay, today I want to jump right into business.

 

There are some subtle shifts that you could make today that may make a gigantic difference in how things are going for you.  They have to do with CHOICE.

 

I’m going to break this down with an example

of a conversation…

 

“I am feeling anxious because I am having to give up wine, sugar, and pastries for ‘x’ (insert a style of eating: Whole 30, Paleo, Keto, Sugar Detox, etc., etc.).”

 

Do you see the thoughts/words in there that are making this feel like a restrictive punishment?

 

The first are: “having to give up.”

Who said you had to give anything up?  Is someone forcing you?   No-  YOU WANTED to do this because of your goal to improve your diabetic blood sugar levels (or fill in with your goal)!

 

Or did you?  Maybe you really didn’t.  Maybe the goal feels imposed on you too.  Something you may want to consider (more on this in a couple paragraphs).

 

The second set of words is: “for ‘x’.”

Really?  Are you “giving up” wine, sugar, and pastries for a “diet”?  Aren’t YOU actually CHOOSING not to have them FOR YOURSELF and YOUR GOAL of healthier blood sugar regulation?  Oh, yes, of course that’s it!  No, you’re not a victim to a certain “diet” or “set of rules.”  YOU are making the choices.  “It’s” not choosing for you; YOU ARE! 

 

I know it sounds a little sassy.  Maybe I am feeling that way a bit today.  Haha!   But what I really want to make evident is that the way we THINK and SAY things makes a HUGE impact about how we end up FEELING and ACTING toward those things too!  So, giving up the wine, sugar, and pastries will feel like a restrictive rule, deprivation, and burdensome; while CHOOSING not to have those things is EMPOWERING!  It is taking action on the goals you desire so strongly!!!  Doing it for a certain “diet” may also feel encroaching;while doing it for yourself will feel like SELF-CARE!!  Do you see that difference?

 

Okay, lastly…

 

Let’s go back to something I shared with you a couple weeks ago about our subconscious mind.  Remember how I told you it creates IMAGES.  So, when we say I’m giving up wine, sugar, and pastries or even I’m CHOOSING not to have those things, our subconscious creates an image of those very things.  Our subconscious doesn’t add red circles with x’s through them even though we said we WEREN’T choosing those items.  So, we end up with visions of these things in our mind.  That does not work to our advantage when we are trying to shift our attention to more health-promoting things.  So, we would want to shift our attention to the things we DO WANT to achieve the desired healthy blood sugar regulation (or insert your goal).

 

I lied, one more (important) thing…

 

I won’t go into great detail about this here because I’ve already shared quite a bit about it in this post. But if you don’t have a goal that truly compels you with a great big, meaningful WHY behind it, it will be challenging to stay motivated toward your goal for long.  If you feel like this is a challenge for you, make sure to go read, DESIRE + Learn + Trust + Nourish + VIBRANT LIFE (Part 1), the first post in a series of 4 that I wrote about goal-setting.

 

Okay, wrapping up – 3 things:

• Choose your words carefully.
• YOU are making choices; you are not a victim.
• Recognize how your choices relate to your goals, not just a “set of rules” or a “diet”.
• Make sure your goals and your WHY are both COMPELLING and in ALIGNMENT with your VALUES.

 

I hope you find these somewhat subtle shifts helpful.  I know they make a world of difference for my clients.  And now that I’ve written all of this, I actually feel like I’ve written on this topic before, but I’m putting this out there again because I feel it bears repeating (a lot).  These changes often require a great deal of practice and mindfulness.  Don’t expect to see immediate results overnight.

 

But keep with it, keep planting and watering your seeds, and watch them blossom!!!! 

 

Do you have an area in your life where these shifts will be helpful?  Know you’re not alone!