I am reading an incredible book right now that discusses how the brain forms neural networks and ultimately how we develop our habits. Habits are something that most of us form subconsciously. It is an act that we have repeated enough times to the point that it has become our regular pattern. You may be wondering right now what the heck this has to do with nutrition. Everything. Every time we repeat something it makes this neural connection stronger and we seek to repeat it more. It doesn’t matter if these habits help or hurt us. The brain cannot distinguish it either way. The only thing that matters to our brain is that we practice it over and over.
This is critical in the area of health and weight. Whatever has become learned behavior towards food most often stems from what we adopted as children. If food was something that you used for comfort due to a disruptive household,saw as “good” or “bad” depending on your modeling,interpreted as something to be used in any way other than nourishment,this is the pattern that you have practiced into adulthood. One of the ways to begin to reform your relationship with food and your body is to figure out for yourself what triggers you to eat for something other than the true need to fuel the body. Often,people jump into programs to change their bodies but fail to look at what it was that initially lead to the disconnection between food and their bodies. This is your clue to begin a new relationship with food.
Although these neural networks have been in place for years,they can be broken and reformed. That is the exiting part! You have the power and ability to reframe your mind and ultimately your relationship to food. By beginning to practice new ways of thinking and eating you will start to weaken the old connections and start new ones. In the beginning it will be hard. However,the more you practice your new way of being,the easier it gets. It is very similar to how you feel the first time you begin a new exercise program. You may start with curling 10# dumbbells and a few weeks later you are increasing the weight and beginning to see and feel the results.
We are much more patient when it comes to our fitness programs. We don’t decide to start running and expect to do a marathon next week. When we begin a new way of eating we expect instant results. It takes years to develop our habits with food and the additional weight that comes with them. Imagine what you could do if you gave yourself just one year to learn and re-from your relationship with food. A pound a week doesn’t sound like much but adds up to 52 pounds over the course of a year. Dieting is hard. Anyone who tries to sell you the idea that it’s easy is lying. I even hesitate to use the term “dieting” because of the connotation associated with the word. Maybe,a better way of putting it would be to say “reprogramming” your relationship with food is hard….in the beginning. This is especially true if the avenue you choose isn’t in alignment with your desires.
I encourage you to look at your relationship to food and any self-destructive habits that could be impeding your efforts. Choose one habit to “reform” and create a new way of being that is in alignment with where you see yourself in the future.
