As we move into a new year, many people are making resolutions around their health and wellbeing. Maybe you haven’t eaten as well as you’d like to for 2018 and are looking for a fresh start for 2019. So today, I thought I’d give you my number one tip for changing what you eat, starting today!
The secret to changing your food choices
You might think that the way to change the food you eat is meal prepping, or giving up gluten and dairy, or even going on a ‘diet’ (yuck to that word!). But the answer isn’t found in what you choose – it’s in the mind that chooses those foods.
The best way to change the foods that you choose every day is to change your focus.
Let me explain – the unconscious mind doesn’t process negatives. When many people go onto fad diets, focusing on all of the things that they can’t eat, it will not only feel restrictive, but it will also go against how our brains work. Remember what I always say: when you think ‘I don’t want to eat chocolate’, all your brain thinks about is chocolate!
On the other hand, if you change the mental processes that lead you to choose to eat or not eat a specific food, you can shift the way you think about that particular food.
How the brain processes information
Our brains are bombarded with up to 12 million bits of information per second – from our environment, feelings, touch, taste, sound etc.
Our conscious mind can only process a fraction of this information – about 124 bits per second – and we can only focus on 7 (plus or minus 2) bits of information at any one time.
Because of this, at any given second, we will delete, distort or generalise those millions down to just a few pieces. I like to compare it with the unconscious mind would be like seeing as your peripheral vision, and the conscious mind would be like looking through binoculars – it’s focused right in on what we consider important.
This is how the mind (conscious and unconscious) will create the internal representations (or mental pictures and perceptions). So, if you can change that specific image you have of a particular food, you can influence whether you’re likely to choose it. Sounds pretty easy, right?
Shifting your focus around food
Like I said, as we create internal representations for pretty much everything in our lives, we can use this to our advantage when changing our focus. Let’s have a look at this amazing process I use with my clients, based on NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming).
Take a moment to think of something you love. Do you have a picture? (You can close your eyes) Where is it that picture located? Is it bright or dim? Colourful or Black and White? It’s probably right in front of you, you’re probably looking through your own eyes, in bright colours. It might even be like a movie.
Now think about something you absolutely detest. When you think of that something, do you have a picture? (You can close your eyes again) As you ask the questions again, you will notice it’s probably either a little or a lot different from that something you loved. Whether it is now far away, you see yourself in the picture, probably changed the colours and location. The thing that you detest is probably dull in colour, and off to the side. Or maybe it’s in front of you, but the unpleasant scent or taste is lingering.
What you do now is you change the “qualities” (or submodalities) of the something you love to those of something you hate.
For example – say that you love ice cream and wish you didn’t, but you absolutely detest yoghurt. Think of how much you hate yoghurt first and bring that picture up to your mind’s eye. Note where it’s located, the colours and everything about that internal representation, as much as you can. Then open your eyes and clear the screen.
Now, think of how much you love ice cream. Bring that picture up on the screen of your mind. Now what you’ll do is move it to where the yoghurt was – maybe it was towards the back, in dull colours.
Once the ice cream is there, snap your fingers and lock it into place. Open your eyes and clear the screen.
This is a very quick an easy way to change your programming of how you think of ice cream. This technique works for anything – not just food. Give it a try and let me know in the comments.
Very important note!! You have to REALLY want to let go of the food or habit for this technique to work. If you’re telling yourself you don’t want to eat this, but you don’t want to let go, then it will not work and your unconscious will sabotage your efforts.
Want to learn this and many more techniques to immediately shift your focus? If you let your emotions control your eating, how would it feel to take back control and rid yourself of this, without even having to think about it?
Check out my new 6-week End Emotional Eating program. Our January round is currently on Early Bird Let’s do it together!! I help you stop overeating in response to negative emotions with the help of hypnosis!
You will break through what is holding you back from being your healthiest self!
In the program, you will:
– get your mind working for you, not against you, in record time;
– align yourself with your values (and shift them if needed);
– release negative emotions and your most pressing limiting beliefs;
– have simple strategies to catch your unhealthy habits and replace them;
– learn how to use a pendulum to easily accelerate your metabolism;
– set yourself up with your own practical strategy – yes because on top of working on your mindset, you have ME – a dietitian & nutritionist to bounce off ideas!
– lock your future goals in!
Details for the next round:
– starts January 28th 2019, fully online
– 6 weekly Modules
– 6 weekly Q&A calls
– weekly Hypnosis and tasks to support
– private FB group with accountability and access to me
– PLUS you can come back for future rounds with lifetime access!!
Want in? Book a free 15min chat here and mention this blog and get $50 off the program price!
And remember: Health is not a size, it’s a feeling!
Love,
Caroline
