Identity Transformation
For many of you, the past couple of days probably felt like a lot. It was a lot. Most people who start diets will abandon them at a certain point because they focus on quick fixes and not lasting change. As we discussed on day one, true transformation requires a shift in your identity.
We don’t let go of our old habits very easily. That’s why you’ve been writing your health mantra in your food journal every day:
I care about my health and I make healthy choices.
We haven’t made significant changes yet, so this probably rings a little hollow when we write it. However, when we’re going through a transformation, we need constant reminders of the person we wish to become. Today’s focus will be on how we can leverage our mantra and other tricks to start making our habits sticky.
Today’s Checklist
If you’re following along with the 40FRESH Challenge, here’s your homework for today:
Read this post
Identify your triggers
Stack your habits
Don’t forget to journal
Identifying Our Craving Cues
Go ahead and crack open your food journal and see if you can identify any patterns for when you consume the most ultra-processed foods. For me, it was anytime I reached for a snack. Maybe for you it’s a Diet Coke habit or grabbing a quick bite to eat for lunch when you’re at work.
Whatever the case might be, it’s important to identify the triggers that cause you to crave these foods the most. Many people are triggered by their emotional state, choosing to eat when they are bored or depressed. Sometimes it’s the location or time of day that can be triggering. Or maybe you make better (or worse) health choices when hanging out with certain people.
If you’re like me, you’ll have multiple triggers. I tend to eat when I’m bored and I often feel like snacking right before bedtime. Not surprisingly, this is a horrible idea. Once you understand your triggers, you can begin to interrupt them and layer in the healthy habits you’d like to form. After you’ve had a chance to reflect on your triggers, go ahead and jot them down in your journal.
Habit Stacking
The idea of habit stacking comes from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. It’s a simple concept: tack on a new habit you’re with a current habit. This helps us create a cognitive link between our existing behavior and the new habit we want to form. You can read all about the neuroscience behind this here. The formula looks like this:
Before/After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].
In your journal, examine your triggers and write down a few new habits that you can pair with your existing triggers. It’s important to be as specific as possible. For example, I use this for my habit of late night stacks:
Before I open the door to grab a late night snack from the pantry, I will recite my health mantra and see if there is any fresh fruit in the fridge.
You can even start to layer in things you want to do as rewards for when you perform the habit you’re trying to form.
After I choose a healthy late night snack, I will give my partner a kiss.
This is where the notion of “stacking” comes from. You can start to layer habits together. For now, keep things simple and try to bite off small things that are associated with your current triggers.
Up Next...
Hopefully today felt a bit easier than the past couple of days. Don’t forget to keep your food journal going and go ahead and put another X on your calendar. Tomorrow we’re going to start planning for your first real change, cutting out ultra-processed foods from your drinks.