I can’t believe it is October already and we are in the last quarter of the year!
Looking back did you say to yourself in January that you were going to lose weight and here it is October and you are no further along?
I know you had every intention of following your diet, but somehow you found yourself self-sabotaging.
I am here to tell you that there is nothing wrong with you, that self-sabotage is normal if you don’t know how to manage your mind. You are normal but what I want you to know is that you can learn how to stop doing it.
What you need to know is that your brain is just doing its job to keep you safe and comfortable. Yeah I know having this weight on you isn’t comfortable but to your brain what you have been doing to stay at that weight is comfortable and safe.
So let’s look at you trying to eat healthier. You tel tell yourself that you are having chicken and salad for lunch, you pack it and have every intention of eating it but then you walk into the lunchroom and see the donuts sitting there.
This is when the battle in your brain starts up.
Your prefrontal cortex, the thinking/planning part of your brain is telling you that you planned to eat that chicken and salad, but your primitive brain is giving you every excuse why you should have the donut instead.
So why is this happening, well you eating donuts in the lunchroom is something you have done before, you have a habit of doing this, and now here you are trying hard to change that by eating chicken and salad.
Your primitive brain is the part of your brain that wants pleasure and instant gratification, so of course, that donut when you have eaten it in the past always made you feel good if only in the moment.
That part of your brain also wants an easy, fast, safe way that it doesn’t have to put any work into.
So having that donut is the easy way and it feels safe and comfortable to your brain, but why is that?
Having chicken and salad is new to your brain so anything new your brain will perceive as a threat and not safe. The unknown to your brain is dangerous, so it will keep you safe by telling you to choose the donut over the chicken and salad. Also doing anything new is too uncomfortable and feels hard.
Yeah, this sounds crazy, as if the chicken and salad would harm you! But the thing is your brain doesn’t know this; it only knows that you are doing something new and who knows what could happen. It is doing its job to keep you safe.
So what can you do if your brain is doing its job, but you want to change what you are eating so you can lose weight?
Well, you have to learn how to manage your mind.
How you do this is, you use your prefrontal cortex (the thinking/planning brain) to override your primitive brain by preplanning and then commit to what you planned no matter what your primitive brain tells you. Just expect it to give you every excuse possible.
When you stick to what you planned over and over and haven’t given in to your urges, then you build confidence in yourself that you can do what you say you will do, but also you have then created a new habit. Your new habit is choosing the healthy option you packed over those donuts in the lunchroom.
Think about all the time and energy you have wasted in trying to decide at the moment on what to choose, and then most of the time you end up giving in and eating that donut anyways.
I know it might not sound easy, but it is doable.
So it is time to take charge of your primitive brain by following your plan no matter how hard your primitive brain tries to talk you out of it. This is how you no longer will sabotage yourself.
Tell you primitive brain you hear what it has to say but you are choosing to follow and commit to your plan. You do this no matter how uncomfortable you feel.
I know you got this!
Reach out to me if you are wanting more help in ending your self-sabotage or you want to find out about my one on one coaching program. Book your call here where we will find out where you are at and how I can help you lose the weight for good!
Hugs,
Karen
P.S.S. Click here to join a community of Successful Women losing the Weight For The Last Time here.
