Periods of fasting and elimination diets can be very beneficial for health. But for some, including myself, sticking to it for more than a day or two always proved to be impossible.
However, in recent years I’ve been able to successfully complete three rounds of elimination dieting, a seven-day juice fast, and a three-day water fast with little to no struggle.
So, what changed?
I attribute my success in consciously choosing what I do and don’t put in my mouth to one simple shift: I moved from a mindset of deprivation to a state of abundance.
We resist the feeling of deprivation. The second we feel like we are missing out on something, we begin devising ways to not feel deprived. Think: I’m going to let myself eat this entire cake because I just went a whole week without alcohol. When we are suffering from feelings of something being withheld in one area, we easily allow ourselves over-indulgence in another. This is often misunderstood for reward. We deserve to eat a whole pizza for dinner because we made it through the day resisting the donuts in the break room. But how is it a reward when all forms of overindulgence leave you sick, sad, and more unhealthy than before? I think it’s actually a reaction to feeling deprived. We believe we missed out on something so we find a way to make up for it.
Diets don’t work because they focus on deprivation. (Here is a list of all the things you are not allowed to eat.) Our psychology resists being told it doesn’t have a choice. The minute we are given a rule of what we can’t have, we feel deprived, and therefore suffer. The brain has the important task of keeping you from suffering, and goes to work to make you feel better.
While some people are blessed with the personality type that lends itself to long periods of willpower, I am not one of them. So I found a way to game my system. The last few times I have set out on a period of elimination dieting or fasting, it has been an easy and pleasurable experience. Simply because of my mindset. My focus was not on all of the things I couldn’t have, my focus was on all of the things I was getting. A clear mind, a healed digestive system, a renewed taste for whole foods, an opportunity for my cells to regenerate, a reprieve from compulsive eating, a feeling of success and being in control of my body. I practiced gratitude that I get to make healthy choices for myself. I get to treat my body kindly by giving it a rest. I get to be free from sugar addiction. I focused on the abundance of amazing benefits vs focusing on all of the things I was giving up. If we can convince our minds that we are not being deprived, that we are actually gaining so many things, the suffering dissipates.
I don’t do self-discipline well. I am as weak-willed as they come, making most choices based on how I feel in the moment, not on what’s best for me. I don’t have the willpower to overcome bad habits for long periods. But when my thoughts are full of abundance and gratitude, it is easy to make choices that align with my overall health. It doesn’t require willpower.
Because I strongly believe in the health benefits, I’d always wanted to practice fasting. It’s a huge victory to make a commitment like this to myself and be able to keep it.
If there is something you’ve wanted to do, but you find yourself quitting sooner than you’d like, check your mindset. Are you coming at it from a place of deprivation or abundance? That small shift could be the difference that leads to your success.
Rebecca Stark is a Mastery Certified Health and Life Coach. She is the owner of Rebecca Stark Coaching. You can contact her at 720-412-6148 or visit rebeccastarkcoaching.com If you have questions you would like answered in this article, please submit to rebeccastarkcoaching@gmail.com.
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