Proactive and Reactive Nutrition Decisions

There’s a big psychological component to nutritional guidance. And this can get messy due to the food and health associations you’ve formed over time. Trying to help improve someone’s views is not an easy task. We aren’t talking about 1 hour of training. We are talking about forming habits that you are conscious of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. And these changes will inevitably bring about resistance to change and the “why’s.”

“Why can’t I do this”?

“Why can’t I do that”?

And so on.

Instead ask this "why" question, "Why am I doing this"? Take some time and think about it.

Look, I think educating yourself is great and ask as many good questions as you can. But there comes a point when you have to brush some of those “why’s” to the side and try something different. Your “why’s” are holding you back from becoming proactive. Instead ask yourself these two simple questions:

“Am I getting healthier doing what I am doing”?

“Am I happy”?

It’s really that simple.

The longer you wait and fight with the “why’s” it prevents you from implementing a plan and being proactive. Ever wondered why your nutrition plan didn’t work for you? There are no stakes involved and because IT WASN’T A BIG ENOUGH DEAL. And if there are no stakes involved, what’s holding you to stick with it? And herein lies the problem with trying to be proactive, there’s no sense of urgency. We need it to be a big deal before we can proceed with a change. We aren’t proactive, we are reactive to change.

Yup, I'm the John Edward of the body communication plane.
But in all seriousness, add some objectivity to your lifestyle. 

It’s funny; people try to negotiate with me when it comes to a nutrition plan. When this happens, I tend to say, “it’s not me telling you this, it’s your body. I happen to be translating on its behalf”.

Most of us are searching for a nutrition plan that let’s us eat what we want, as much as we want and still look good. Let me save you some time, it doesn’t exist (or it did, during childhood). Now a smart plan will be a little flexible and allow you to indulge a little. But honestly, how many of us are good with moderation?

Others will eat “healthy”. And sure, the food choices are certainly healthy one’s. However, it’s too much. You can’t argue the simple logic that if you are eating too much of anything, healthy or unhealthy, and your body isn’t utilizing the food as energy, it’s too much! “It’s not me telling you this, it’s your body. I happen to be translating on its behalf”

Again, “it’s not me telling you this, it’s your body. I happen to be translating on its behalf”. They are your goals, not mine. I’m merely a compass trying to point you in a healthier direction that’s based on your goals, your health and your happiness. But if you think I have some magical power to allow someone to eat what they want, as much as they want and look the way they want and still be healthy, sorry but I don’t. It’s about choice. It’s ok to eat a Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup everyday if that’s your thing. But then realize you have to make sure you don’t overeat because it didn’t satiate your hunger. That can be difficult.

Damn you Red Velvet Cake and all of your deliciousness!

A friend once told me how she tried a diet once. She said she felt great during it and that she completed it. But not long after it, she fell off the wagon and went back to her old ways. She just couldn’t give up that damned Red Velvet Cake and beer! The reason she gave me for breaking the plan was that it wasn’t sustainable. While on it, she hit on great personal points; she felt better, looked better and was happier. It did work for her. So what’s the problem? Her way of thinking about nutrition was the problem. The 30 days of her plan was over but it was just the beginning. Nutrition can be a day-to-day struggle. No matter what plan my friend implements, none will procure a healthier future until she can embrace the notion that nutrition never ends. If a plan is to work, there’s going to be some work involved because it calls for being accountable to herself because of her choices.

Instead of telling her what I thought, I told her to imagine…

Upon your annual check-up, your doctor informed you that you have diabetes. You knew it was always a risk because of your family’s history but you thought you’d have more time to make those changes. Time ran out to make that lifestyle change you put off and choice has been taken out of your hands.

A clairvoyant foretells in 10 years time you will be diagnosed with diabetes. Technically, you are healthy right now and don’t need to make any changes yet.

Maybe, we should start looking at our future
more like this.

The clairvoyant has laid out a potential path but you have the power to alter that path. The question now is will you make any changes? If your answer is “no, not yet” because you have time, good luck with that. You fail to see the big picture that a lifestyle change isn’t a quick fix but rather a gradual process to improve over time (this is probably another reason you haven’t reached your health and fitness goals). If your answer is “yes” you just made a decision to commit to your health. By making some changes to your lifestyle now, you can gradually improve your nutrition habits over time. You are invested in your future.

This is an extreme example but we could play this game with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, food allergies, etc. The point is we lack forward thinking. Forward thinking requires planning. And planning isn’t something we do very well until we are confronted with needing to make a change. We react to the problem in front of us. We tend to complain less about a change when it’s no longer a choice but a necessity. Now, it’s beyond my ability to communicate with the body…IT’S YOUR BODY TELLING YOU THIS!

If this is your nutrition philosophy, "I know this doesn't
fit, but gosh darn it, I'm going to make it fit", you are in
trouble!

Now before you label me as a monk being on the other end of the spectrum, I’m not advocating that either. The lifestyle shouldn’t be an all or nothing thing but something that works for you. It should be a balance of something that you are happy with and keeps you healthy. For example, more than likely you equate social outings as freedom to eat and drink freely. Or maybe you think of vacations of decadent foods and lounging at the beach with a strawberry daiquiri. And that’s your choice. But the next day when you reflect on the copious amounts of alcohol and food you consumed, was it worth it? If you regret it, than I’d say it wasn’t. Look, I’m not here to judge because I understand it’s not easy but a lot of this is common sense. You know most, if not all of this. But sometimes common sense isn’t so common J Health and Nutrition is like a puzzle. What fits? What works and what doesn’t work?

Make small changes to start and gradually over time there will be a shift in a more positive way. Have that slice of Red Velvet Cake because you didn’t stray from your nutrition plan and because you were consistent in your training for the week. But stop at that one piece. And if you stumble a little, that’s ok. Get back into the routine. Even if you take two steps forward and one step back, you are still one step ahead from where you started!

Here comes the simple truth, if you aren’t happy or healthy, you need to take a good hard look at your lifestyle and make changes. Remember, I’m John Edwards and “it’s not me telling you this, it’s your body. I happen to be translating on its behalf”. Look, there’s no crystal ball to foretell if and when your health will be affected. Nutrition will always be a struggle because it’s a 24 hour, 7-day a week never ending battle. It’s not a diet that ends after 30 days. Ultimately, whatever plan you implement should lead to a lifestyle change full of better decisions. Make smarter and healthier choices and you will be better for it. And if you can do that, congratulations, you are being proactive! Best of luck in your training and health!