Ah….the end of January. We are finally getting through what I think is one of the most obnoxious months of the year. Everywhere you go and everywhere you look right now there are motivational signs. “The New You!” “Meet your Goals!” “Miracle Pill”……blah blah blah. I do think this is an awesome time to start new things and set new goals, I just don’t want it crammed down my throat everywhere I go. Also….the lists……… Every facebook post, article, and recommended ad link is a list. 10 ways to use coconut oil, 15 diets to try, 27.3 breakfast recipes, The top ten pairs of underwear from 2014……….yuck.
A few weeks back, my aunt posted one of these lists on Facebook and I’m so glad she did. After reading it, one of the points has stuck with me and I keep returning to it. Here’s the full article, yes it’s another list: 15 Phrases that Will Change Your Life in 2015. I have to admit, when I read the title I threw up in my mouth a little. Change my life? Really. I clicked anyway and so should you. After reading the first one, I kept reading and ended up loving this list. While I found the whole list to be helpful and inspiring, #8 has stuck with me for weeks now. Here’s a blurb:
After reading this article, I found that this is something I naturally did throughout my weight loss. “I don’t” feels so much better than “I can’t.”
“I can’t” implies, I should be able to but I’m too fat and gross. I’m not normal like you…….
“I don’t” implies, I’m choosing not to for my health, and gross, you shouldn’t either!
Start paying attention to the language you use around food. Saying “I don’t” can be really empowering especially for your brain. Studies show the more you say “I don’t” vs “I can’t” the easier it is to say no and stay on track. I say “I don’t eat that” a lot, especially around my students. I even think there’s a tad of judgement when saying “I don’t”. When a student offers me hot cheetos I say, “I don’t eat those because…….” and I think it makes them think twice about eating them too. If I say, “I can’t eat those” then it implies that I want to eat them, I just can’t and I can honestly say, I never want to eat hot cheetos!
My I Don’t List
Here’s a list of foods that I just don’t eat. Some are hard and others are easy.
I don’t eat doughnuts. They are too sugary and I threw up the last time I had one which was over a year ago. My body rejects them they are so awful.
I don’t eat regular chips. I do eat baked chips when craving salty snacks but I avoid regular chips at all costs. Especially hot cheetos.
I don’t drink regular soda. I’m hoping to get to a point where I don’t drink ANY soda at all but for now, this is my mantra.
I don’t eat sides of bread or a whole bun. Whenever I get a roll or biscuit, I just don’t eat it. If I’m having a full sandwich, I cut out half the bread. It’s just habit now.
I don’t drink beer. I don’t really enjoy beer and it has soooo many calories so I have a low cal cocktail instead.
I don’t skip the gym. In the past year I have ‘skipped’ less than 5 times. I’m not talking about missing a day for a meeting. I’m talking about days I need to spend more time at home or I’m feeling overwhelmed by deadlines. When I tell myself I’m going, I’m going.
Even if you’re not saying “I don’t” yet, create a list of what you’d like to be able to say “I don’t” to. Maybe it’s a goal list but at least it’s something to work for. Try to cut out “I can’t” as much as possible in all areas of life.
I love this concept of “I can’t” vs. “I don’t”. As I have been going through my own weight loss journey these past few months, people will ask me if I can eat this or that. If it’s something I’m not eating right now, I always say, “I can eat it but I am choosing not to right now”. As small as the semantics may seem, it really is huge difference in mind set.