It’s Not About Willpower…
“I know what I should eat, but I just don’t do it.”
I hear this a lot! And that cooking takes too much time, or feels like too much work.
Sure, these things ring true in our busy lives. But let’s dig a little deeper. Is there something more stopping you from making the meals you want to eat (or… want to want to eat)?
A big part of what makes nutritious meals happen: Our habits.
Willpower has nothing to do with it.
So don’t bother thinking that other people make the healthy choice because they have more willpower. That’s just not true. Plus, that kind of pressure doesn’t help.
In my 1-to1 nutrition consulting program, we take on habit change to help you move your health forward.
This starts by realizing that habits get in the way of good intentions every day. We think little about most of our habits. Of course, that’s what makes them habits, the not-thinking part.
Some research finds that habits drive 40% or more of our actions each day. Think about brushing your teeth or locking your car. You just do it.
Our brains love habits, because there’s little to no perceived effort! And the not thinking or not deciding frees up mental space for new and creative thoughts or important decisions around work, relationships, finances or just having fun.
This is why spending 5 minutes after a grocery run to chop veggies for the week, or 10 minutes preparing a homemade breakfast instead of hitting a drive-thru, just doesn’t happen.
When you stop to think about it, of course 5-10 minutes of food prep is not truly difficult. Blame our autopilot-loving brains will make it seem so.
I can help you.
Changing habits starts with awareness. Awareness of our triggers for unwanted habits and what we expect to gain by doing that thing (or by not doing a certain healthy behavior.)
In my program, I’ll guide you in ditching unhealthy habits and creating new, healthy habits around food and other healthy lifestyle behaviors.
As you develop awareness — and stop being hard on yourself — it’s amazing what is possible.
(P.S. If you love to cook and truly don’t have the time, I have ideas for you, too!)
