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CordesRed t1_irb73az wrote

I love this!

I've been trying to change the way I eat for a long time.

I'll get myself all worked up and ready. I'll get started but if I mess up and eat something I shouldn't I've had the tendency to get really discouraged and throw the whole plan away.

Recently I've started trying again but this time I've done a few things differently.

I'm giving myself room to fail. I'm not so hard on myself. Maybe I shouldn't have given in and had that cookie but it doesn't mean the whole thing is a fail. I can forgive myself and keep going.

I'm also focusing on a lifestyle change. Instead of calling it a diet, I'm calling it nutritional therapy and instead of telling myself I'm doing it to lose weight, I'm doing it to help my stomach feel better.

Framing it this way has helped my mind adjust to the idea that this is a permanent change and not just a temporary diet I'm doing to lose weight. It just feels different this time.

It's been about a month so far and it's been going really well. I'm starting to notice myself being thirsty for water not soda and hungry for fruits and veggies instead of candy and chips.

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TreatThompson OP t1_irbfydd wrote

I relate to this more than you know!!

I used to have such a bad habit of making everything I do all or nothing. I never made breathing room, or room for grey area.

So happy to see the mindset change is going great for you!

Keep it up 🙌😤🥳

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Cooky1993 t1_ircrpee wrote

My biggest successes in eating better and losing weight have come when I just focused on making one small change at a time.

Rather than a big grand plan, I just go with 1 change at a time (more if I can manage it, but you must do that in the knowledge that not all those changes will stick at the first time of asking)

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Charming_Love2522 t1_ircsvt7 wrote

You just motivated me to make a small change: quit drinking soda.

I work at a gas station and we get free soda all day long if we like. I typically have a cup or two everyday I work.

I quit it for a bit(3-4 weeks), then craved it when someone brought in pizza and now I'm back to drinking it every damn day. It's unhealthy AF.

I'm not going to go on a whole weight loss journey just yet, but I can start with cutting out soda.

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Cooky1993 t1_irctqaw wrote

The other trick is to find a substitute for when you want that soda.

I don't know a huge amount about your sugar free soda options in the US, but in the UK there's sugar free Fanta and sugar free Lucosade Pink Lemonade and they taste better than the sugared versions to me. So when I need a "cheat" from not drinking soda I go for one of those.

Finally, you didn't fail if you do have a sugary soda, you succeeded for 3-4 weeks. It's a journey, but those small changes add up. I lost 2 stone in the last 2 months from not drinking soda and making a few healthier choices for meals (usually that means having regular meals rather than snacking for me). These changes won't happen overnight, and equally one slip won't throw you all the way back. Focus on the successes, and believe that you deserve them for your hard work!

You've got this my friend!

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Charming_Love2522 t1_ircv3a2 wrote

Thank you! I actually had a ton of those flavors you add to water that I bought to work when I wanted to stop, I'll go back to using those. And I just did like 10 minutes of Journaling snd decided: I'm not going to commit to QUIT drinking it all together. That seems to much of a commitment right now, what I'll do is not drink soda at work. I don't drink much soda outside of work, maybe one or two times a week. I don't want to completely limit myself because I do freaking love my Diet Pepsi.

I know myself well enough to know I'll have a diet pepsi at some point at a resturant, and be like "ahh well this goal is now forever ruined and I'll just go back to drinking soda."

Little steps.

Also thanks, I did succeed for a few weeks and that definitely gives me a better mindset to try again. Rather than thinking "oh I already failed once, I'll probably fail again," it's "oh! I already succeeded once and can do this again!" I appreciate you pointing that out and helping me change my mindset

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connor24_22 t1_ircsvsp wrote

Congratulations on having a great month. I’ve been through what you’re going through and can happily say my lifestyle has actually changed, several years later, which is the key to anything lasting.

It sounds like you have the perfect formula for self-success and already have the right viewpoint. Good luck with your progress!

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