Take CONTROL!! Shift your mentality to follow your diet…..
August 19, 2008I am so sorry I havent been bloggin but with 2x a day cardio plus training plus all the other prep for my show in 3 wks and that little thing called my JOB, I have been super busy!! I have been watching you all in the LMS and cheering everyone on though!! Also found this great article and thought I’d share - great advise for all those times we are tempted….. 
| Mentality Shift-Easily Follow Your Nutrition Plan | ![[Quote]](http://s3.images.proboards.com/buttons/quote.gif) |
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Read this on another Forum. It made so much sense that I wanted to share it here. ******************************************** Applying (& Succeeding With) I’d like to start with a question… In other words: Take a moment and think about these three things. But don’t just think about them. Write down your answers. Heck, even up the ante and post them in thread below so that we can discuss them. Now that you’ve recorded what you want, let’s go one step further. Think about that one for a moment. Do you consistently make the right food choices, food choices compliant with the PN lifestyle? Or do you get derailed by “the world” and its “forbidden fruits”? And do you consistently make it to the gym, getting your 5+ hours of exercise per week, doing a mixture of interval work, strength exercise, and lower intensity work? If you’re regularly and consistently achieving 90% compliance in the gym and at the dinner table, that’s great. However, if you’ve not ever achieved this level of compliance (or if you have, but sometimes “fall off the wagon”), we’ve got a powerful technique to share with you. The Cheesy Solution That Works Now, we have to admit, this solution sounds pretty cheesy. And you’ll see why once we describe it. However, the truth is this. It’s amazingly powerful. Here’s why… People have this unique tendency to go back and forth when it comes to nutritional decision making. When faced with a number of choices - some good and some not-so-good - indecision sets in, tension rises, justification and rationalization sets in, and we sometimes make the wrong choices. Then what happens? Well, in retrospect we know we faced a moment of weakness. We know that we rationalized a poor choice with thoughts like: There are a ton of phrases that help us justify poor decisions. However, as we all well know, it’s only after we make the poor decision that we see the err of our ways. So today, we’re going to disempower these harmful phrases by introducing a new phrase. A cheesy one that will absolutely help you avoid the poor choices we’re all prone to making. A phrase that will give you control back when you feel like you’re slipping. The “Oh Well” Technique Of course, that sounds easy enough. Just tell the kid to cut out carbs and the seizures will stop. With that kind of incentive, he’ll jump right on the bandwagon, right? Fat chance! Come on, now. He’s just a kid. And since no one else follows such a weird, carb-free diet, why should he? Well, seemingly against all odds, Dr Beck’s son was 100% compliant to his strict diet for 6 years, until his epilepsy was under control and he no longer needed to follow this plan. How did he do it? He did it using the “Oh Well” Technique. You see, after learning which foods were on the plan and which were off the plan, each time he was presented with a food off the plan, instead of debating the merits of the food, instead of justifying “just one bite,” instead of talking himself into a poor decision, he simply repeated the cheesy trigger phrase: Then, with a shrug of the shoulders, he’d move on and busy himself with something else. An activity. A book. A conversation. His compliant food choices. Etc. Such a simple phrase. But such a powerful way to take the power back. Some Additional Examples Well, if the food being served doesn’t fit the bill, rather than kicking off a “big deal” internal monologue, instead of cursing the kosher gods, encourage them to use the “oh well technique.” What about someone taking a statin drug? Interestingly, grapefruit juice doesn’t mix with most statin drugs. It can cause major problems. So, if someone offers them a grapefruit mixer at Sunday brunch, then the best strategy is to “oh well it.” No biggie. What about diabetics who need to avoid high sugar foods. Same deal. “Oh well” it. Of course, the list of examples goes on and on. However, the strategy remains the same regardless of your personal cross to bear. You can “oh well” it all. The next group party offers only junk for snacks, “Oh well.” When you do it enough times, you won’t think twice. The monologue is silent. The decision has been made. And you get to be in control. My Clients Of course, we all have our share of internal debates with food choices. But some of these internal struggles amaze me. Indeed, many clients have explained in graphic detail the internal dialog and bartering they go through over something as simple as the office candy dish. Out of control isn’t even the phrase for it. Instead, they were under the control of the candy. Or the pizza. Or the donuts. Or the sugar free, artificially sweetened jello. Or the after work beers. Or the… Eliminating the Cheese Factor After all, with all the serious dietary choices people have to make - and all the psychological baggage involved - a simple shrug of the shoulders and an “Oh Well” couldn’t possibly work. Well, I was dead wrong. And if you’re thinking the same, you’re dead wrong too. This is one of the most powerful strategies I’ve ever found for helping folks make the right decisions day in and day out - both in the gym and at the dining table. It allows folks to avoid the messy mental gymnastics and gives them a touchstone for remaining true to their real intentions and goals. Indeed, it helps us avoid the problem outlined in this quote… Now, let’s be clear. You don’t exactly have to use the phrase “oh well.” Instead, you can choose from a host of other phrases. Some polite: “Much appreciated - yet I’ll pass.” “No thank you.” Some not so polite: “I’d rather you pluck out my eyes with a rusty knife.” “How about a kick in the crotch instead?” Ok, I’m just kidding about the last few. But I think you get the point. Pick a trigger phrase that turns your nutritional decision making into a “no big deal” proposition and, as Rage Against the Machine would say, take the power back. |
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