85: 6 Thoughts That Lead to Yo-Yo Dieting
In this week’s podcast I’m explaining the most common thoughts that lead to yo-yo dieting and overeating. Here’s one:
I messed that up so……
That thought leads to a feeling of failure which leads to an action of - might as well eat all the things and start over Monday.
Sound familiar? It makes no rational sense. We’re like - I want to be healthier and I want to lose weight but I ate this one “bad” meal so I’m going to eat my face off for the next 3 days.
Your body can handle a night out with chips, queso and margaritas. What it can’t handle is the chips, queso, margaritas and the 3 days of binging after it. But that’s what we do. It’s why mind work is SO important.
What if you chose to eat the chips, queso and margaritas because you were out with your girlfriends and that’s what you wanted to do? And you did it without judgement on yourself? You choose it on purpose, you enjoy it and that’s that. You move on and you’re not a failure.
It’s alllllll about the way that you’re thinking and it’s why you must “take captive” the thoughts that do not serve you.
EPISODE 85: 6 Thoughts That Lead to Yo-Yo Dieting
SHOW NOTES
(0:00) Intro
Welcome back to the club!
Self-Coaching Christians in the CHC
Working on the mind part of spirit, mind, body and especially how the way that we think affects the results we get in our body.
Today I want to zero in on one of the lessons that specifically addresses the top 6 thoughts that lead to yo-yo dieting and overeating.
Statistically, 75% of annual weight gain is shown to take place during the holiday season.
(5:02) #1. I’ll start after…
The most common, destructive thought that people think at this time of the year and it’s this - I’ll start after the holidays.
Any time your brain says, “I’ll start after…” this is trigger thought #1. You need to take that thought captive!
That thought is essentially setting the tone for - I’m gonna eat my face off between now and Christmas. That’s the permission you are subtly giving your brain. I tried to explain that THIS is the time to be most vigilant and accountable.
I’ve had people LOSE weight during the holidays - imagine that - imagine showing up in the new year already ahead of the game.
I’ll start after vacation, after my birthday, after Christmas, after my house is organized, after this work project, after football season, after this bottle of wine.
(9:09) #2. I’ll start when…
I’ll start when things settle down, when my schedule isn’t so crazy, when I’m not so tired, when the kids are gone, when I get organized, when I have more money, when I have more time.
Oh my gosh that last one, “…when I have more time” — I hear this a lot and I’m like When you have more time to what - EAT? Girl, you’re going to eat in like the next 4 hours. It’s not about time, because you are going to be eating anyway.
It’s not really about the time, it’s about the choice.
There is no on and off season when it comes to eating.
You are going to eat every day for the rest of your life.
This I’ll start when, I’ll start after, I’ll start on Monday is POISON, my friend. We’ve got to stop thinking about food in this off and on kind of way.
(14:02) #3. I already messed up…
I already messed up so I might as well eat all the things and start again next Monday. Start again next time.
We condemn ourselves for eating something “off plan” and, yet, justify going more “off plan.” We’re so weird y’all.
In one of the SCC lessons we did I put an example of this in The Model. Remember the model is just a written formula that helps you understand how your thoughts are creating your results. So here is the example I gave - say the circumstance is…
C (circumstance): Had chips, queso and 2 margaritas. That’s what happened. That is a fact. That information means nothing until you assign a thought to it. And the thought is something like - I’m so bad, I ate so bad or
T (thought): I already messed up so I might as well eat the cookies too.
F (feeling): Failure
A (action): The actions we take always come after the thought and the feeling.
What if you just chose to eat the chips, queso and margaritas because you were out with your girlfriends and that’s what you wanted to do? And do it without judgement on yourself.
In Feast 2 Fast® we call this a Heck Yeah and this is what will preserve your sanity. You choose it on purpose, you enjoy it and that’s that.
(18:58) #4. & #5.
Better eat it while I can...
I’ll eat it all now so it’ll be gone…
The enemy loves keeping us in thoughts that perpetuate a cycle of self-sabotage and defeat. It’s why it’s so important to expose them and take them captive.
Better eat this cake while I can because once I start this diet I’m not eating it anymore.
I’ll eat all these chips now so they’re gone by Monday.
Better finish off this bottle of wine so there’s none left tomorrow.
We all have these kinds of thoughts and your work is to capture yours.
(21:34) #6. It’s not working anyway…
We get so impatient with our bodies that we throw in the towel before we give something time to really change.
Now quite often, you will see changes quickly but depending on the situation and the level of dysfunction, it can take a while.
This is also so ironic because it sure as heck can’t work if you’re not doing it.
(24:20) Recap and Closing Thoughts:
The 6 thoughts are full of justification and argument. They sound reasonable in the moment. But these thoughts are destructive to our bodies as holy temples.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Cor 10:5
The work is to make peace with a lifestyle of eating
If you have been thinking about doing Feast 2 Fast® don’t put it off until next time. There’s a lot of food that’s going to be consumed between now and then. Come be intentional about it. Come put yourself in the company of other Believers. Come work through these thoughts so that you start the New Year fully ready in spirit, mind and body.
(27:17) Outro & Disclaimer
Thanks for listening! Have a healthy and blessed week!