Let’s try this scenario on for size…
You wake up on Monday morning and your clothes feel a bit snug, your face is a bit puffy, and you feel tired and sluggish.
You vow to yourself that “This is it. NO MORE. I want to look and feel my best, and I am determined to do it this time.”
So you strictly follow your diet all week, track your macros, drink all the water, and even get in some exercise.
By Friday you’re feeling leaner, your clothes fit better, you have more energy, and you’re feeling so proud of yourself for everything you accomplished.
You’re just buzzing for the weekend and feel so good that you celebrate with a glass of wine or two. No big deal.
You make it through most of Saturday unscathed, until your family wants pizza for dinner. Sure, why not. You’ve done so well all week, you deserve a treat. Then after dinner out comes the ice cream, and you figure at this point you’ve already had the pizza, so what’s a little ice cream going to hurt.
By Sunday the food floodgates have opened, and you eat whatever you want with no moderation because “you’ve already screwed up this much, you might as well”.
And then we tell ourselves once again that “successful diets always start on a Monday”.
And around, and around we go.
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Or maybe you’re on track for most of the day and totally blow it with desserts or late night snacking. Or maybe you stay on track for months, but go off plan for a holiday or special event that spirals into weeks of self sabotage despair. Whether it’s full blown carb binges, or just overeating keto foods you KNOW you are sabotaging your efforts.
Sound familiar? YOU ARE NOT ALONE! It does not make you a bad person, it makes you a human with deep seated thoughts and behaviours around food just like the majority of us!
“Self sabotage” is a mindset issue where we make choices that go against our own values, morals and goals. It totally contradicts what we know is best, and often sadly - what we actually want for ourselves.
So WHY do we self sabotage if it goes against what we truly desire?
We put ourselves in tempting situations then underestimate the challenge, and overestimate our self control.
We tell ourselves that “tomorrow will be different” without actually implementing any changes that will warrant a different outcome.
We think having willpower will be enough to pull us through.
We expect weight loss results quickly, and if it doesn’t happen quickly enough we feel like the whole thing is pointless.
We don’t believe we are worthy of being healthy or losing weight, so we subconsciously find actions and behaviours that will prove those beliefs to be true.
We have an “all or nothing” mentality surrounding food.
We strive for perfection, and if something goes wrong we make a bad situation worse.
We reward ourselves with food instead of other things that bring us joy.
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How to stop self sabotage.
The good news is that we can overcome self sabotage and work towards our goals and what we want to achieve.
Acknowledge the cycle exists. By seeing it for what it really is we have a better chance of catching it before it starts, and stopping the merry-go-round of disappointment and self-loathing.
Be extremely honest with yourself. When we develop a strong sense of self awareness we can start to unravel the reasoning behind our behaviours. Try journaling on how you’re feeling and why you’re feeling that way when the urge to implode begins. What is the pattern that emerges? What is the behaviour that follows? What will happen if nothing changes? What will happen if something does change? At the end of the day, no one will care about your goals more than you will. So it’s time for some tough self-love to call yourself out on the BS in order to move forward.
Take a serious look at your habits. Habits are behaviours that occur most of the time. They are often subconscious and automatic without even giving it any real thought. Are particular things triggering the desire to sabotage? Do certain places, people or circumstances cause you to go off plan? What can you replace that habit with that will yield a different result?
Set up your environment for success. If you don’t plan to succeed, you are more likely to set yourself up for failure. Keep unhealthy tempting foods out of your house and replace it with healthier options more aligned with your goals. Plan your meals in advance. Prep meals or protein so when you get home after a long day you aren’t reaching for the junk food, or your phone to order delivery.
Seek positive support. When we talk about our struggles it may be to people that don’t understand, or are not on the same page as you and your goals. Find someone that will be willing to support you, lovingly call you out when necessary, and hold your hand when needed.
If you are tired of struggling on your own, just know that I am here to help you. You can download the free Daily Keto Habit Checklist to start building habits that takes the option to self sabotage completely off the table. Working with a coach can help hold you accountable, and hold your dreams for you when you feel like they’re impossible. I can help you build sustainable, healthy habits while addressing and overcoming issues with food to end the self sabotage cycle for good. To learn more or connect go to theketolisticcoach.com.
