Food as fuel: cognitive reframing (and a promo code)

One of the biggest challenges to losing weight can be tied to how we think about food. When starting a diet, first first thing we normally do is tell ourselves that we can’t have this or that. No more cookies, ice cream, French fries, soda, etc. What this does is put a negative connotation in our brains about these foods as if they are bad. If any of you were ever teenagers, you know that feeling when your parents told you you couldn’t do something, it just made you want to do it more. Or the example of “don’t think about penguins” and the first thing that pops into your head is an image of a penguin. Yeah, the same goes for food. When you tell yourself that you can’t have something it makes it that much harder for you to resist. Why do that to yourself? That is where cognitive reframing a “diet” or foods come in to play. First, let’s define reframe. re∙frame verb

1. frame or express (words or a concept or plan) differently.

(Google dictionary) Second, defining cognitive reframing. Cognitive reframing Cognitive reframing is a psychological technique that consists of identifying and then changing the way situations, experiences, events, ideas, and/or emotions are viewed. Cognitive reframing is the process by which such situations or thoughts are challenged and then changed. (Wikipedia) In our case the the idea of dieting is what needs to be reframed. We typically think restriction, but what we really need to think is fueling. Food is essentially your bodies energy source to do bodily functions to stay alive. Food is necessary, but eating a sleeve of Oreos is not. (Share on Twitter) So here is my suggestion: Think of meals/snacks as either fuel or recovery. Don’t think about the individual food stuffs themselves rather think about timing of nutrient intake. (Share on Twitter)

Photo cred Fuel: Think: What does my body need to get the most out of my next workout? Recovery: Think: What does my body need right now to heal itself from the stress I just put on it? Every time you feel like opening the refrigerator think to yourself: Does my body need fuel? Is it trying to recover? If the answer is yes to either of these questions, then go ahead and open that damn fridge like there is no tomorrow. But only if the answer is yes. And don’t lie to yourself—because you would only be cheating yourself. Personal story: I really love Long Johns (white frosting, no sprinkles 😇) so I ask myself:

1. On a physiological level, what is the benefit of eating this?

2. Will this food help or detract me from reaching my goal?

3. Is this truly fuel or recovery?

Being honest with myself, I walk away from the donut. This thought process takes time to train yourself to do, but the more your do it the quicker you can either make the decision to walk away or to eat it. Now, that you have know how to think about food. The next question is what is the food to be eating for fuel and for recovery. I’m glad you asked. I’m going to go over the basics now but a great resource on how to know what and how much to eat is the Nutrition 101 Ebook I released last week. It walks you through how to determine your fueling needs specifically for your gender, weight and goals. So check out Nutrition 101 for a more in depth coverage. As my appreciation for you reading the blog, I have created a promo code that gives you 30% off. Nutrition 101 Ebook Use the promo code BLOG30 to save 30% off the listed price.

But here is a brief of food basics: The basics: Protein, carbohydrates, fats. A typical diet should consist of: 30% Protein 45% Carbs 25% Fat This balance of the three is ideal (unless you are epileptic, then little to no carb is good, but most people aren’t epileptic so that means eat carbs.) (Share on Twitter) Carbohydrate is a fancy word for sugar and it is basically in EVERYTHING you eat. There are simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs are fast to be broken down by your body while complex carbs are slower digesting. Simple carbs are things like cereal, bread, bagels, chips, pretzels, candy, soda, juice, alcohol.. basically anything processed. Complex carbs are the unprocessed variants from fruits and vegetables (yes, vegetables have carbs— this is actually where the majority of the carbs in your diet should come from.) I will leave the protein and fat overview for a different email… Do check out Nutrition 101 Ebook, follow the steps and it’ll help you transform. Promo code: BLOG30 - Stay consistent. Trust the process. #keepshowingup Sarah sarah@run-fearless.com ^ don't hesitate to shoot me an email! Coaching Custom Training Plans Supplements