Sometimes we resist trying something new because we can only picture how hard it will feel at first. We think that it will always feel that hard and naturally that makes us reluctant and unmotivated to start or continue something new. Whether it be a new way of eating, an exercise plan or a new class, picturing how much work it will take to keep this new thing up can make us want to quit before we even start.
But what we are missing is that it’s only hard at first.
The hardest part of anything new is the very beginning. Because we are taking our state of mind and our physical body from what it has known as its normal to something different and new and this brings up resistance. Yes, it’s not just a lack of discipline or willpower that eats at your motivation, it’s that your brain and the rest of your body are actually resisting what you are changing at first.
I realized when I started yet another diet plan this past January that I did what I always do when I first commit to a diet: I resisted and binged on 2 dozen cookies the first two days! Because if you are going to go off the wagon, go BIG off the wagon, right??
I always thought I did this as a weird way to make myself so sick on junk that the diet plan becomes a welcome change and makes it easier to commit to. But this time, I realized WHY I actually always do this: because I am rebelling against the thought that I will no longer be able to eat what I want once I fully commit to this diet. So, naturally, I try to cram in as much sugar and salt and processed junk as I can as a way to “store up comfort” in my brain before I have to stick to a regimented meal plan.
But I forgot how our brains and bodies work. Yes, the new change is hard at first as our bodies have become adapted to the way we have been feeding them for so long but, our bodies become adapted just as quickly to the new way we start feeding it when we change our diet.
So, what happened after I got my cookie binge out of the way and finally did commit to the new eating plan? After two days, it honestly became easy and by the next week, not only was I sticking to it without any cravings or urge to cheat anymore, but I was actually less and less hungry as each day went by. *It is worth noting that the eating plan I was following was a very well-rounded, whole foods plan that did not cut out any food group at all except for the processed kind. 😉
This is the way a lot of new things go in life. Everything that is different and new feels hard at first but we forget that the more we do something or think something, the better we get at it and the more our brains and bodies take it in as “our new normal”.
I’ve applied this philosophy to dieting but what else could you apply this to?
A new hobby? A class or even a degree? Socializing? Talking to strangers? DATING????
What if you remembered that it only hurts at first before you tried any of these things? What couldn’t you do if you no longer let the initial discomfort hold you back from starting? And what couldn’t you get really, really good at by allowing yourself and your body the grace to adapt to a new normal?
Food for thought(with or without a dozen cookies),
Coach Alicia🍪
