A friend shared with me that she’s experiencing some health issues and as we were discussing options she said, “I’m afraid I’ll have to change the way I eat and I don’t want to do that.” Now, I know she’s not truly afraid (she’s a rock star in my book) but she expresses something I hear a lot.
Food is a touchy subject, with rules (and some hype) that evolve over time, leaving smart people feeling like healthy eating is too complicated and, for certain, boring. And the rules don’t leave room for individuality. There are some basics tenets of balanced eating that benefit us all. But then we each have a unique physiology that in some cases requires a personalized approach.
A common problem I see is that people don’t apply the basic tenets consistently enough to see and feel the benefits. This is where I coach clients to take small steps, consistently over time, that lead to some pretty startling results. For example, last summer a client’s doctor told him he needed to take statins for his cholesterol. My client said he wanted to change his numbers with lifestyle…nine months, and 30lb later, his doctor told him his blood work looks exactly as he would have expected it to with medication! My client says he feels better than he has in 15 years.
But it can also be that someone has applied the basic tenets consistently over time, but still doesn’t feel good. I recommend a professional approach at that point. You may need testing to see what your particular physiology, biology, structure, etc. needs to be well.
Another problem is anticipating the change to be harder (scarier?) than it is. I told my friend that any change I’ve ever made to improve my health, including my way of eating, never turned out to be as difficult as I imagined, and ultimately became an easy habit. The key is in the mindset.
Legendary coach, Lou Holtz said “Winners embrace hard work. They love the discipline of it, the trade-off they’re making to win. Losers, on the other hand, see it as punishment. And that’s the difference.” Notice what he says about those who fail… they see the work needed to succeed as punishment.
Maybe you’ve been consistent and you need to work with a professional, like a naturopathic doctor who can do a thorough assessment and is educated in nutrition and lifestyle factors. Once you have information, you can make that trade-off decision. I’m with Lou though…learn to love the lifestyle and you’ll never feel deprived of a thing.
If you’re more like my client, needing structure, accountability, and options for reaching your health and weight loss goals, let’s talk!
What’s the next small step you can take that will make the biggest impact on your health and well-being? Do it now.