“How to Stick to Eating Healthier & Weight Loss Goals: 7 Keys to Crush ‘Black & White’ Thinking”
When you start a plan to lose weight or just eat healthier, do you feel like you are either all-in or all-out? That there’s no middle ground? If so, you’ve fallen into the trap of “Black & White” thinking. And the single biggest roadblock in your way is…your mindset.
But what if you could change that? What would be possible if eating healthier and your weight loss goals weren’t dependent on your job, life, or you being perfect?
I am going to give you a step-by-step strategy to challenge and change your thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes.
First key to crush B&W thinking: Learn to spot Black & White thinking
Before you can change self-sabotaging thoughts, you must first learn to spot them.
Whether you’re talking to others or yourself, pay attention to keywords like:
- Always
- Never
- Impossible
- perfect, or
- ruined
An example of ‘black & white’ language in action:
I just downed a row of Oreos. Well, I guess my diet is “ruined.” So now you think “It is impossibleto keep this diet going now. I’ll start again when I can give it my full attention.”
Catching yourself using ‘Black and white’ keywords takes practice.
Second key to crush B&W thinking: Describe the situation
In this step, we’ll briefly describe the situation or circumstance that led to your thought(s) [ we identified in the first step]
Triggers like:
- The pressure at work or school is mounting,
- You put off a project until the last minute,
- You woke up late,
- You had an argument at home
Third key to crush B&W thinking: Capture the “stories” you tell yourself
In this step, you will capture the thought you had immediately after the triggering event. This thought was likely subconscious or automatic.
An example, “This always happens! (triggering thought). (immediate thought to capture) That’s why I’ve never been able to stick to a diet.”
Notice the black & white keyword “never” in the second thought.
Another example: I just downed a row of Oreos. Well, I guess my diet is “ruined.” (triggering event and thought) (immediate thought to capture) “It is impossible to keep this diet going now. I’ll start again when I can give it my full attention.”
Notice the black & white keyword “impossible” in the second thought.
Conclusion
Want more? Click HERE for Part TWO
What are your self-sabotaging thoughts that hinder you from consistently eating healthier (or more plant-based)?
I invite you to have a 1:1 conversation with me to take a deeper dive in Uncovering the hidden challenges and unconscious self-sabotage that’s been holding you back from your desire to eat healthier (more plant-based) and weight loss goals.
Click [here] to have a conversation!