Survival Instinct
Why is it that one day we can feel so convicted and confident in our abilities, and the next day we feel like we’re right back to where we started? One day we declare, “My plan is working. I feel so good, and I have so much energy, I’m going to eat like this every day.” Then 24 hours later, you wonder what happened to that confident, inspired warrior that made those vows. How do things change so quickly?
It’s the power of our subconscious brain that manages all of our body functions, and it has one main function– survival. It’s this survival instinct that’s always telling us to conserve energy and take it easy. To put it bluntly, we’re inherently lazy by nature.
Intentional Habits
This means that if we’re not intentional, we will always take the path of least resistance. It’s called efficiency. It’s part of our make-up dating back to our hunting and gathering days when preserving our energy was a matter of life or death. Fortunately, our hunter/gatherer days are long behind us, and now food is abundant, so we no longer need to conserve. In fact, the opposite is now true. The over-abundance of food means that we have to move our bodies even more, to compensate for the excess of food. We have to work to not over-eat, but as you probably already recognized, this will require that we walk in the spirit to accomplish this great feat that our flesh is fighting against.
We have to be mindful of continually practicing healthy habits; otherwise, we’ll keep reverting back into old habits. To eat healthily, we need to be intentional, diligent, and proactive if we are going to be consistent in our efforts. We need to diligently and consistently plan and remain proactive.
Subconscious Behavior
As we’ve already discovered, the downside of our subconscious brain is that it likes to take the path of least resistance. BUT, the upside of the power of our subconscious brain is that it likes to take the path of least resistance! We can use this to our favor by creating habits that we turn over to our subconscious brain. Our subconscious likes to automate functions which is amazing because once your behaviors can become automatic, they will happen day in and day out without much thought or effort.
Imagine waking up each day and eating healthy foods effortlessly without having to talk yourself into it or forcing yourself. Just like you walk into a dark room and turn on the light without thinking about it, that’s the power of your subconscious brain!
So what are all of the steps required for you to automate your action step? Let’s learn how to turn it over to our subconscious brain so we can “set it and forget it.”
Action Steps
Just for today, plan out all the steps involved in order to automate your action step. Write out a detailed step-by-step plan.
Example. If your action step is to track your food, your routine might be:
- 12:00 P.M. – Walk into the kitchen
- 12:20 P.M. – Sit at the table
- 12:21 P.M. – Pray
- 12:22 P.M. – Eat lunch
- 12:40 P.M. – Enter your food intake into Myfitnesspal.com
- 12:42 P.M. – Wash up dishes
If you are practicing your habit multiple times each day, start with just one.
Reflect
1. Review all of the situations and circumstances that led you to stop practicing your action step. List them and write out what you will do if the situation arises. Example: If I’m invited out to dinner, I will look ahead at the menu to pre-select a healthy choice.
2. Think of the last time you did not carry out your action step as you planned. What were the circumstances, and what will you do differently next time?
3. Plan for contingencies. What does it take for you to maintain your goal each day consistently? Write it out specifically and methodically so that you can repeat it every day. Since my action step is to maintain 100 grams of carbohydrates, here my example:
- In order to maintain my action step, each day, I will plan out what 100 grams of carbohydrates looks like the day prior
- I will make sure that I have the foods on hand and will prep any necessary foods so that I don’t get too hungry and eat whatever I want
- If I eat beyond my allotted portion, I will cut it back at the next meal or eliminate one of my snacks
Learn More
This blog was based on one of the chapters of my new book, “Healthy Eating, God’s Way.” To learn more about how to eat healthy in order to reach your goal weight and learn more practical tips to be successful, pick up a copy of my book today, “Healthy Eating, God’s Way” on Amazon.
For Your Success,
One Comment
Powerful reminders of ways to consciously plan for success in being healthier individual especially when mastering your eating.
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