I was reminded how hard changing a habit is this past week. I am trying a new way of eating for me and for the first week of it, I have removed gluten, dairy, and alcohol from my diet. This isn’t abnormal for me to do and in the past I have tried this way of eating before. It’s challenging at first, but I know I can do it if I am intentional. And I feel great when I eat this way. The part that is harder for me to change is adding in more vegetables AND during this first week, it is recommended to cook them all to aid in digestion. So I am.
Tracking my feelings.
My realization about it being hard to truly change a habit surfaced on day 2. I was writing down my evening reflection on how I felt about the food I ate and here is what I wrote:
I feel happy about the food I am eating.
I feel frustrated with the food I am eating.
And that is the truth. I never have tried an entire week of eating all vegetables cooked. I’m frustrated because cooking takes longer and I have more dishes to do. Now, I have struggled with my digestion over the years, so I am intrigued with this idea of cooking them vs. eating raw until my digestive system becomes a little stronger. My brain on the other hand wants me to take the path of least resistance, which in this case is eat raw vegetables or my normal amount of vegetables which is maybe 2-3 servings per day in the colder seasons. I just don’t crave vegetables right now. A little brain science for you, my brain in some sense, is telling me “take the easy route, do what we’ve always done! You don’t need to cook those veggies. It’s extra work.” Because that is the neuropathway that I’ve reinforced over the years.
True change is hard because we are literally rewriting the pathways in our brains.
I knew that this week could have some mental hurdles, but my body is happily responding to how I am eating. I feel and look less bloated and dropped some pounds on the scale (a scale which was not moving at all up until I got curious about my nutrition). So although I have moments where my brain says “stop trying to change!” or “go the easier route! Grab that morning pastry we love!”, I am focusing on the feeling that I feel every night when I lay down this week. I am full. I am satisfied. I am content with my choices. And each time I do this, the little baby neuropathway that I’ve formed with this new way of eating is reinforced and will get stronger. True change will come, but it’s not going to be overnight. And that’s ok!
Journal reflection:
- What habits of mine are no longer serving me?
- What neuropathways in my brain am I reinforcing today?
- Am I expecting immediate change?