The Four Diet Mentality Traps

The mind is a powerful thing and arguably more than the words we receive from others. The words you speak over yourself incredibly important and can not be overlooked. There is growing evidence and professionals that believe the words you speak over yourself have an influence on gene expression, in a positive or negative way.

Our culture has created what might be referred to as a ‘Diet Mentality’. An idea that you have to be ON or OFF of something. This year I’m going ON (name your diet of choice) diet. Or I fell OFF the wagon again…I’m not good enough…should be stronger…I’ll never… OR I guess I’ll start again on Monday.

These statements and many others are a pervasive mindset, primarily focused around food and exercise that has a defeating impact on your physical, mental/emotional, metabolic and spiritual health.

This self limiting belief of Diet Mentality commonly falls into four different characteristics:

The Diet Mentality Trap Frustration

1. Fresh Start Dreaming

I believe that there’s always hope. All too often we can set a magical time, season, or date that a ‘fresh start’ is all that’s needed to make it work. We genuinely believe that the fresh start will be the one where all of the stars align and we finally follow through to our goals and beyond. 

2. All or Nothing

These statements are the biggest red flag for diet failure. This sounds like ‘on track / off track’, ‘can / can’t’, ‘should / shouldn’t’, ‘good / bad’, on / off the wagon’, ‘allowed / not allowed’, ‘good food / bad food’.

We will never be perfect, and eating something not allowed won’t break the system. Leave space fore grace and carry on.

3. “What the Heck”

When we are really focused and something intentionally or accidentally falls out of line with our diet or health program, that frustration can lead to What the Heck! and we throw in the towel. We might say something like I blew it, might as well eat whatever the rest of the day. This can easily be a slippery slope and turn into weeks or months.

4. Lack of Ownership

I’ve heard countless times new clients share a laundry list of diets that they’ve been ON. From paleo, Whole30, Weight Watchers, low fat, low carb, vegan, keto, Noom, and countless weight loss shake programs. With a mentality of being ON or starting something, that gives a back door to eventually going OFF, or stopping it. This wraps your identity up in the program and not in who you were created to be. Your health and sustainability is rented out to the program and never truly your own the efforts, progress, success, and even failures. We don’t blame other people or things. 😉

This is AWARENESS that I spoke about recently. You can not change what you are not mindful or aware of.

Which of these the four Diet Mentality traps do you most relate to?? 

As much as we want to have clear black and white rules, real life doesn't play by those rules. In order to find true health freedom, we have to break the rules and learn to be strong and flexible, rather than rigid and fragile.