Redesign the maze that shapes your eating habits.

For all of January, we’ve talked about how you can embody that new year, new you vibe. How do you maintain progress toward your New Year resolutions in 2021, especially with all that’s going on in the world?

Contrary to popular belief, the key isn’t will power. The key is to focus on designing your environment to make your healthy eating options the easiest possible choice.

Follow these 3 steps to change your eating (and reach your dietary resolutions) by redesigning your maze.

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1) See The Maze

What Influences Our Choices?

Barriers and Predisposing Factors

2) Name Your Walls and Paths

What Do Behavior Change Barriers Look Like?

TIME:
ACCESS
SKILLS and KNOWLEDGE
CRAVINGS/EMOTIONAL EATING

3) Redesign Your Own Maze

Think of anyone in your life who has made some incredible change in their eating habits: they cut back on processed foods, they increased veggies, they quit soda!

Odds are, they didn’t make these changes through some sort of superhuman force of will. Instead of working harder, they worked smarter. They redesigned their maze. They shifted their walls to remove the barriers preventing them from eating veggies; and they set up their paths to lead directly to veggies. What does shifting barriers look like?

There are tons of situation-specific ways to shift barriers to eating change. Here are a few below:

TIME:

“I don’t have enough time to prep healthful foods because I’m balancing family responsibilities and work, and I just don’t have enough help.”
- Shifts:
  - Meal Prep: Find 1 hour each week to prepare a large batch of food. Spread it out over 5-7 days.
  - Ask for Help: Find a food prep buddy, and share the responsibility of large-batch food prep on alternating weeks.

ACCESS:

“I don’t have access to healthful foods because I live far away from a grocery store.”
- Shifts:
  - Team up with neighbors to make 1 big grocery store trip each month.
  - Find a farmer’s market
  - At a convenience/corner store, choose the healthier options (frozen veggies)
  - Find a food delivery service to get raw ingredients delivered to you
“Some healthy foods are so expensive, I can’t even afford them.”
- Shifts:
  - Team up with neighbors. Pool your resources to buy shared groceries
  - Pick foods that will last (frozen fruits and veggies)

SKILLS and KNOWLEDGE:

“I wouldn’t know where to start making a healthful meal. How do I even cook vegetables?“
- Shifts:
  - Watch food prep videos online
  - Find a neighborhood cooking class
  - Ask friends or family for a quick lesson

CRAVINGS/EMOTIONAL EATING:

“I laaaaahv fries” [Oprah voice]! They make me feel warm inside, especially after a stressful day. I want to cut back, and eat more veggies instead, but I don’t know how I could possibly fight my fry cravings.”
- Shifts:
  - Build barriers against fries- don’t go to your favorite fry spot
  - Don’t buy fries
  - Find a more healthful fry substitute

What are your barriers to “healthy” eating? What’s keeping you from making the changes you’d like to? What can you do beat those barriers? First, be honest with yourself about what’s possible and sustainable for you. Next, be creative- there’s no one way to trick yourself into your glow-up [while we’re being honest, that’s exactly the goal].

Next, try this exercise with other wellness habits like staying hydrated and getting enough rest. Check all 6 below:

Finally, reach out. Find a community of folks who are working to change their eating just like you. Actively participate. Get the daily support you need to stay motivated, learn a few new tips and teach some people your own while you’re at it. If you’re reading this, you’re already off to a good start. Join our Healing Membership here for daily support.

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