No, Seriously, It Worked for Me!
Okay, I know some percentage of you all are going to read a few sentences here and instantly reject it as utter, ridiculous nonsense. Others will say, “That’s all very well, but it would never work for me.” And I’ve come to terms with that, but my response is: Just try it. Literally no one else has to know what you’re doing, so there’s no risk if it doesn’t work.
What I’m talking about is, playing mind games with yourself. When I started to eat more healthily and visit the gym on a daily basis, one thing that helped immensely was engaging in the many varieties of mental gymnastics you will see below and in the next few posts. Yes, of course I knew I was doing it, as I was doing it. I just shoved that particular awareness aside and did it anyway. And maybe these tricks worked because I am more imaginative (or unstable!) than other people. But really, I’d love for you to take at least one of these ideas and adapt it for your own purposes. There’s literally no risk, so just try it!
Before you touch the food, build in your mind a quick sketch of what is in it. Is there likely to be a lot of sugar? Fat? Sodium? Would it have more protein, or more carbs? How much do you want to bet that it has scary-sounding preservatives in it? Now (if they're available) look at the Nutrition Facts and see if your guesses were correct. Look at the ingredients list. Do you recognize ANYTHING in there? Think about it as unemotionally as possible, because it’s emotions that are making you want that food.
If you’re still tempted, tell yourself that MAYBE you can have SOME of the food, but you have to wait 60 seconds. Literally count the seconds in your head. Or tell yourself you can have just a couple bites, but only after you do some other task. Hopefully, you can stall long enough that you are making a more rational choice about whether to eat the food or not, and if so, how much. Remember, eating only a couple bites of something bad instead of the whole thing is a better choice, though no bites at all is even better.
Do you absolutely have to have chips with your lunch, or are you eating them because you always have chips with your lunch? Do you really want the beans at your company barbecue, or are you putting them on your plate because that’s what you do at a barbecue? If you feel like you have to take them so you don't offend your boss who is irrationally proud of his baked bean recipe, put a little on your plate, say hi to the boss so he sees the beans, then take great pride that you're secretly going to throw them away.
Think really hard about the side dishes you eat, and don’t feel obligated to eat something you only kinda want.
Eat frequent meals. If you have a good breakfast and a healthy snack at mid-morning and another in the afternoon, you will be less likely to desperately crave junk food for lunch and dinner. Yes, they’re calories, but they’re good calories and they’re worth consuming. Don’t let yourself get to the point where you’re staring into the fridge, ready to shove any old thing that doesn’t move into your mouth. Not that I’VE ever done that, of course.
If you often eat lunch at a restaurant, find a healthy but enjoyable meal that can be your “usual”. Then, when it’s time to order, always order that meal. It will become habit, and soon you will be ordering that meal before you’ve even had a chance to think whether you want the grilled bacon-cheese-and-donut sandwich. The employees may even start to remember your order, which is even better.
If you eat a lunch from home or eat at home every day, prep your meals on Sunday night and stack them in the fridge, ready to grab and go. I grill chicken breasts and roast vegetables, then portion them into five reusable containers. This meal is delicious warm or cold.
*There is a case to be made for fasting as a weight loss tool. I would especially encourage you to look into "intermittent fasting" which involves not eating for a specific period of time, which is not the same thing as starving yourself. It's not something I've ever tried, but I've read lots of evidence in its favor.
Best wishes,
The Friendly Lifter
What I’m talking about is, playing mind games with yourself. When I started to eat more healthily and visit the gym on a daily basis, one thing that helped immensely was engaging in the many varieties of mental gymnastics you will see below and in the next few posts. Yes, of course I knew I was doing it, as I was doing it. I just shoved that particular awareness aside and did it anyway. And maybe these tricks worked because I am more imaginative (or unstable!) than other people. But really, I’d love for you to take at least one of these ideas and adapt it for your own purposes. There’s literally no risk, so just try it!
Stall Through the Moment of Danger
Often, when I want a food I shouldn’t eat, it’s because I just saw that food and had an instantaneous, impulsive reaction to reach out, pick it up, and gobble it down. If you can resist temptation for just a little bit of time, you will likely reach a moment when you can think more rationally about what you’re doing. Stall for time.Before you touch the food, build in your mind a quick sketch of what is in it. Is there likely to be a lot of sugar? Fat? Sodium? Would it have more protein, or more carbs? How much do you want to bet that it has scary-sounding preservatives in it? Now (if they're available) look at the Nutrition Facts and see if your guesses were correct. Look at the ingredients list. Do you recognize ANYTHING in there? Think about it as unemotionally as possible, because it’s emotions that are making you want that food.
If you’re still tempted, tell yourself that MAYBE you can have SOME of the food, but you have to wait 60 seconds. Literally count the seconds in your head. Or tell yourself you can have just a couple bites, but only after you do some other task. Hopefully, you can stall long enough that you are making a more rational choice about whether to eat the food or not, and if so, how much. Remember, eating only a couple bites of something bad instead of the whole thing is a better choice, though no bites at all is even better.
Beware of Tag-Alongs
I’m not talking about the peanut butter Girl Scout cookies (though you should beware of those too). I’m talking about side dishes that you don’t need or want. I may be about to rock your world here, but...burgers don’t actually HAVE to have fries on the side. Sandwiches can be consumed without chips. Ribs can be enjoyed without potato salad. I discovered something about myself when I had this epiphany: I kinda don’t like french fries. It had been so deeply ingrained in my mind that you have to have fries with your burger that I spent much of my life eating fries I didn’t even enjoy.Do you absolutely have to have chips with your lunch, or are you eating them because you always have chips with your lunch? Do you really want the beans at your company barbecue, or are you putting them on your plate because that’s what you do at a barbecue? If you feel like you have to take them so you don't offend your boss who is irrationally proud of his baked bean recipe, put a little on your plate, say hi to the boss so he sees the beans, then take great pride that you're secretly going to throw them away.
Think really hard about the side dishes you eat, and don’t feel obligated to eat something you only kinda want.
Remove the Moments of Weakness
The human brain gets much more emotional and impulsive when it’s hungry. There are two ways you can try to combat this unfortunate fact of psychology: don’t get hungry*, and make choices in advance.Eat frequent meals. If you have a good breakfast and a healthy snack at mid-morning and another in the afternoon, you will be less likely to desperately crave junk food for lunch and dinner. Yes, they’re calories, but they’re good calories and they’re worth consuming. Don’t let yourself get to the point where you’re staring into the fridge, ready to shove any old thing that doesn’t move into your mouth. Not that I’VE ever done that, of course.
If you often eat lunch at a restaurant, find a healthy but enjoyable meal that can be your “usual”. Then, when it’s time to order, always order that meal. It will become habit, and soon you will be ordering that meal before you’ve even had a chance to think whether you want the grilled bacon-cheese-and-donut sandwich. The employees may even start to remember your order, which is even better.
If you eat a lunch from home or eat at home every day, prep your meals on Sunday night and stack them in the fridge, ready to grab and go. I grill chicken breasts and roast vegetables, then portion them into five reusable containers. This meal is delicious warm or cold.
*There is a case to be made for fasting as a weight loss tool. I would especially encourage you to look into "intermittent fasting" which involves not eating for a specific period of time, which is not the same thing as starving yourself. It's not something I've ever tried, but I've read lots of evidence in its favor.
Mental Changes Lead to Physical Changes
You can change how you think about food, but you have to let it happen, and it takes effort. You'll have to allow that change to happen, though. Don't just decide you can't do it! I'll have some more mind games for you to try in my next post, so stay tuned!Best wishes,
The Friendly Lifter
Also don't miss...
Mind Games 3 (exercise)
Mind Games 4 (motivation)
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