Sugar Detox: How to Change Your Eating Habits

Let’s be honest, it’s a little exhausting to manage all the do’s and dont’s of a detox, isn’t it? Because after a few days of detoxing, it isn’t just about the sugar.

You begin to think about ALL the food you’re eating. You have to start creatingailc new healthy eating habits that focus on more whole, nourishing foods, and less just about the processed sugary stuff.

But as you find yourself looking at all foods in a different way – which really is a good thing (hopefully!) – it can sometimes be tiring and take more of an emotional toll to suddenly be making lots of new decisions. We put food on auto pilot to save ourselves daily decisions, which lead to stress. change eating habits

Here are some ways we can make the changes easier and ensure that they last.

Shrink The Change

What do I mean our by saying our emotions get tired?

According to Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, we do all kinds of things throughout the day without thinking (drive the same path to work, eat the same breakfast), it’s when we start to make changes that we begin to analyze every.single.option. If you’ve ever tried to plan a vacation on a whim or pick a restaurant when you’re starving then you know what I mean.

You’re exhausted by the possibilities.

Most people “want to get healthy”. But what does one actually do with that idea?

It’s a bit overwhelming and really the possibilities are endless. That’s why the 7 Day Sugar Detox appealed to me. It was a very clear cut “no processed/added sugar” plan for a manageable period of time, essentially allowing for success. For others, it has been joining the Clean and Lean Project to focus on making specific incremental changes.

Figure out what best fits you and make 1 change at at time. Maybe it’s just changing your breakfast this week and then looking at your afternoon snack in a few weeks when that change feels natural.

Have Doable Guidelines

The “all or nothing” approach is what turns me off of diets and dietary labels. I think it leaves too much room for feeling like a failure if you stray from the specific guidelines.

However, having said that, it is the act of having guidelines that allows us to stop over analyzing and simply follow the plan.

Thus while the science is very fuzzy {as in not there} for Bob Harper’s rule of never eating after 7PM, that guideline takes away all the questions about “what is a good late night snack?” “Can I have carbs?” It eliminates the over-analyzing which will help lead to success.

“People don’t like to act in one way and think in another. So once a small step has been taken, and people have begun to act in a new way, it will be increasingly difficult for them to dislike the way they’re acting. Similarly, as people begin to act differently, they’ll start to think of themselves differently, and as their identity evolves, it will reinforce the new way of doing things.”

This is partially why things like Meatless Monday, or meal planning for a week work so well for creating new eating habits and it’s also why you might find it hard to break your Friday night pizza habit. iffym running

Ask for Support

I love my husband, and he is supportive of my hour-long hunt for places to eat or the random meals that I throw together and call dinner. His food support stops there though – he is not willingly giving up his stash of cookies, ice cream and other assorted processed foods. I could nag him endlessly, but that would only serve to hurt our relationship.

Instead, I’ve deployed the same tactics on him that worked for me! I encourage him to join in and create change as well.

Easy
Make it easy and keep healthy snacks in the house instead of the processed ones. Cut up vegetables, stock up on tons of fruit – make it accessible and easy to grab so you don’t think twice about it.

Consistent
Small and steady wins the race. Every little change adds up and it can’t all be done at once. I didn’t eat like I do overnight, but gradually my palate changed and per the quote above the way I thought of myself changed so my habits had to keep up.

If support at home isn’t available, remember that is just one of many options:

Start a group at work that keeps each other accountable for lunch {pack it, instead of dining out! This is HUGE}
Join something like the Clean and Lean Project for a consistent guidance
Join a running club or yoga class or find a healthy cooking class. If those aren’t readily available, then find a buddy you can meet up and walk with or go to the gym with.
Remember to be your own champion too! Celebrate even small successes

Remember that no one wants to join your “I hate my body club”, but everyone wants a part of the beautiful salads you keep bringing to work and your endless energy. Just as we defined a specific and emotional WHY on day 1, you need to tap in to their emotions too!