Staying Focused

Why do we stop doing the things that make us feel better or are leading us to our goals?

How many of us start out with the best intentions of following a food plan, treatment regimen or exercise plan only to fall off it a short time after? We start to feel better and then stop taking the supplements, herbs or fall off the plan.

So the question is, why? 

We all want a quick fix, which is why fad diets are so appealing. For many people, the psychological cost of giving up their unhealthy lifestyle seems too great, so they opt for a fad diet, a quick fix. The only approach to weight loss that works is to change your lifestyle permanently and develop a healthy relationship with food.  Most of us are more motivated to change the way we look than to improve our health. Fad diets appeal to people’s vanity, at the expense of their desire to stay healthy. The focus is on losing inches or pounds as opposed to reducing the risk of diabetes or other health related issues. Consider your motivation and make sure it’s compelling enough to keep you on track when the going gets tough.

Instead of finishing things, seeing things through to fruition or continuously working towards our goals, we get side tracked, lose our footing and have trouble getting back on the path.

When you consciously want something but subconsciously doubt your ability or fortitude, your inner saboteur is at work. Our self-perceptions, beliefs of unworthiness or feeling undeserving of success and ultimately happiness, comes from a negative self-image and low self-esteem. By working on your self-esteem beliefs, you can become comfortable with the person you are, not the person you think others want you to be. There is nothing more attractive than somebody who is comfortable in their own skin and at peace with who they are.

We have to stop searching for short-term fixes and instead focus on life long health. Eat healthy every single day of your life. If you choose to indulge in your favorite foods, have it. Make room for it in your day, but don’t overeat and walk away feeling good about your decision. The problem is that most people walk away feeling guilty and unhappy.

Your brain doesn’t know if something is real or perceived and will respond to your thoughts. Most of us are familiar with the experience of turning to food for comfort, to cheer us up or to ease boredom.  According to Rabbi Max Weiman, “Whenever we exercise control and restraint of our natural urges, we feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. Expressing inner strength makes us feel like we own ourselves. When we can’t control ourselves, it hurts our ego and self-worth. The fact that self-restraint is pleasurable is one of the indications that we are essentially a soul, not a body.” I call it refraining, the more we can  refrain from over-indulging and wanting to fulfill every craving we desire, the greater the expression of the real you. The more power your soul has, the closer you are to the light. It is important to journal and become mindful of what your triggers are. What foods, feelings or situations begin the cycle of binge eating or over indulging for you?

Start getting movement into your day, every single day. It will give you the propensity to want to eat healthy, not to mention the endorphins that make us feel good. When I am consistently doing my yoga practice, I feel amazing and choose foods that keep me feeling that way. For those who have read my first book, Feed Your Body, Feed Your Soul, I talk about how “we eat who we are.” If you feel heavy and lethargic then you will most likely choose foods that will keep you in that place, but if you feel energetic and healthy, you will choose foods that are energizing and healthy.

It can be challenging, but anything you set your intention to and work hard for pays off in so many ways. Write down your goals and intentions and set yourself up to win. Finish what you start; achieve what you set out to do. With every problem there is a solution. It may take some creativity on your part to come up with it, but it is there, waiting to be uncovered.

Whenever we ask ourselves a question, our subconscious mind will search like a computer and will come up with the answer. If you ask yourself, “Why did I eat that entire plate of pasta?” Your answer will most likely be negative. Rephrase the thought and say to yourself; “Ok, I ate an entire plate of pasta, I am feeling really full, what has this taught me about myself and how can I use this experience and this non-pleasurable feeling the next time I go for dinner?”

Start to focus on what you want, and be grateful for where you are. Live in the moment, and let go of your attachment to the outcome of things. Think about what’s going right and what’s working. Be thankful. When you approach your goals with confidence and knowing, you are empowering yourself. Don’t wait for a health issue or life changing event to motivate you to make the necessary changes in your life. Do it now!

Book an appointment and come in to see me to help get you back on the path to health, both mind and body. Let’s uncover the blockages that are preventing you from living your life to the fullest.