Many of us know, what we do in the kitchen is just as important as the workout we take on every day. However, following through and making changes to our diet can often times be a bigger challenge for us.
AUTO PILOT
Our brains thrive on habits. We wake up and progress through very similar routines every morning. Our bodies are able to function on auto pilot allowing our subconscious to carry us through our formed habits.
HABIT FORMATION
Cue | Craving | Response | Reward
The pattern above leads to habit formation for our brains. Lets talk through a habit Coach Holly recently worked through. Cues are what lead to cravings. A mid-afternoon lull at work would often lead to craving something sweet. The response was going and getting a cookie. The reward was getting a quick boost of energy from the carbs that reduced the feeling of tiredness.
To change this habit, she looked at what was causing the cue in the first place. If she could prevent the cue, she could prevent the craving. By changing her eating habits and having a healthy snack following her lunch hour, she found that she wasn't experiencing the same lull that led her to crave the cookie.
We can use the pattern of habit formation to not only alter negative habits but to also form positive ones like drinking more water or going on morning walks. Next thing we know, more and more positive habits are in place and take permanent residence leading to our desired outcomes.
