I'll Start Tomorrow.....

I’ll start tomorrow.  Or when my in-laws leave.  Or when my work deadline is over.  How many times have you told yourself that starting better eating habits will happen when ___ is over?  As if somehow when this one particular time or event passes, life will magically get easier to deal with.  Forever.  And when tomorrow comes, you will suddenly have all the habits and willpower needed to transition into this perfect eating machine.  I know I did...for years!  Not only is this irrational thinking, but it stops us from taking those incremental steps forward that actually lead to lasting progress.  Because life will never get easier….it’s just life!  Work will get hard again, travel will happen, and people that trigger us will still show up.

So how do we rid ourselves of the myth that life will somehow be easier when….?  

I think it starts when 3 things happen:  

1.  We stop assigning labels of good or bad to our food and ourselves.  Food is just food….some is more nutritious, some is less.  And eating twinkies does not make us a bad person.  Or a person without willpower or the ability to succeed at the weight loss game.  It just makes us a person who likes a twinkie here and there.  (I’m from Ohio, I was raised on Hostess...I mean like a freezer FULL of Hostess products!  At. All. Times.)

2.  We let go of the idea that there is a “right” way to eat.  The truth is no one diet is the magic bullet.  Some people do better on high fat, some high carb, some Mediterranean, some Paleo…  The right way for you is the one that makes your body feel good, your mind happy, and moves your towards a healthy weight.

3.  We let better beat perfect.  What is perfect anyway?!  We all know what better is because it’s individualized.  If I normally eat a cheeseburger with mayo and avocado on a brioche bun with a side of fries and this time I get a hamburger, ditch the mayo, and have a side salad instead of fries, did I do better? Hell yes, I did!  Did I do perfect?  Maybe not, but I sure as hell moved closer to my goal than if I would have said Eff it, I’m eating a crappy burger and fries, might as well pair that with a chocolate shake.

No matter what is happening in life, there is always the opportunity to be better or make the best decision given the scenario.  Empower yourself to do so!