3 Common Nutrition Traps
Written by Kim Scheid, Mind-Body coach
Avoid these pitfalls to transform your eating patterns for the better!
You’re committed to create your best health through food and have some big goals to boot. We are confident in that, or you wouldn’t be here, reading this blog. So, we want to make sure you’re aware of these 3 Nutrition Traps! These pitfalls are rarely obvious in our diet guru culture. But, when you can spot them from a mile away, you’ll be able to tap into an inner wisdom and live by nutritional values that work for YOU, and have a life with food that is both nourishing and rewarding!
Trap #1 - Your eating plan is working against you.
If a plan is prescribed to you and feels very unnatural or like you’ll need a lot of will power to be successful, you might be working against your body and your brain. (Disclaimer - sometimes this is necessary for athletes, severe food allergies, or disease. But, for most folks, that’s not what is driving their eating choices.)
These types of plans can include:
Extreme calorie deficit
Extreme or super detailed macro plans
Eliminating entire food groups (without a medical diagnosis requiring it)
Cleanses
Highly processed foods that are encouraged because they fit the plan’s numbers
Forced time tables of eating that contribute to ignoring hunger or fullness cues
Point systems
If any of these things sound familiar, consider the long term results in light of potential temporary success.
Generally, these plans take ZERO consideration for your unique metabolic puzzle. They don't encourage people to learn about their bodies' unique responses to eating patterns and instead enforce an external set of rules. Often, a quick taste of success is water weight loss and then when a plateau hits, people “diet harder” and begin to signal the body to fight back.
This approach can open the doors to restrict/indulge cycles, internal protest, putting the body into an alarm state, and harming metabolism instead of increasing it.
If you’re concerned you might be trying an approach that could be working against you, think about what DOES work for you. How can you tease out that wisdom and apply it to your routine in a stair-stepped method?
Ex. You’ve tried to follow a detailed macro system before and just couldn’t sustain it. But, you did notice that you felt much better and had a less hunger swings when you ate more protein. So, your take-away is to focus on protein. Maybe even a number would work for you. It could sound like this, “I will eat 30 grams of protein with each meal for the next 4 weeks and re-evaluate my eating and see where else I can make some positive changes.”
Trap #2 - You focus solely on the nutrients you eat, which is only a small piece of the puzzle.
Your unique formula must include:
Stress
Health markers
Your body story
Sleep
Movement
A “Kaizen” approach that encourages small sequential improvements
Relationship with food
Your “Food Framework” that honors your personal values and culture
This list obviously is not a simple math formula that alludes you to believe that you can succeed with your health goals by punching the numbers and maxing out your will power.
This list holds the keys to YOUR unique metabolic puzzle that will determine long term and sustainable success with your weight and health. Maybe it isn't sexy or quick. And it doesn't sell before and after pictures. Yet, if you're tired of the lose/gain cycle then don't be living the definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result).
If you are concerned that you don’t have your complete formula, look at this list. What stands out to you? What additional elements of your health or your approach could you weave into your wellness strategy?
Trap #3 - You’re hyper-focused on “outcome goals”.
In Three Point Balance, we help our clients to understand the difference between Outcome Goals and Action Goals, and how to shift towards the latter for long term results!
Outcome Goals are things like weight loss. Outcome goals are beyond our total control. Meaning, weight loss is dependent on many processes in your body. You don’t have total control over that. Outcome goals can be exhausting and frustrating. We have found that outcome goals are best experienced when Action Goals become the primary focus.
Ex. Maybe someone says, “I want to lose 30 pounds in 6 months.” Being “Action Goal” oriented allows them to loosen their grip on an outcome goal so they can celebrate sequential positive changes in their routine. Things like increasing fiber, cooking more, taking up an exercise routine, improving sleep, are all types of action goals. When weight loss can become a healthy side effect of a better lifestyle, more than just your weight has changed!
Being Action Goal oriented requires listening to your whole story, looking for low hanging fruit and stepping into small changes that will snowball into holistic shifts in your body, mind and heart!
We have ALL fallen into a trap or 2 along our wellness journey. You’re in good company if you can relate to these pitfalls. And you can avoid them too!
We invite you to take a look at how you’re focused on nutrition or an eating routine:
Is your approach working FOR your mind, body and heart?
Are you including areas of your life that previously you had NOT considered?
How can you SHIFT your focus towards action goals and loosen your grip on outcome goals?
And, if you’re ready for coaching that aligns with these principles, Three Point Balance has 6 month and year long coaching programs that are uniquely tailored to your needs. You’ll masterfully orient your Fitness, Nutrition and Mindset towards outcome goals by bringing the necessary action goals to life. We invite you to make this time in your life one that carries you into a lifestyle that serves you well for all seasons to come.
Send us an email! info@threepointbalance.com
We’d love to get to know you and discover the together your best next steps for lasting success with your wellness goals!
AUTHOR
Kim Parker Scheid
Mind-Body Eating Coach,
CEO Three Point Balance
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