This is something that I've been working on since I started crossfit, and I think that it is perhaps one of the most important keys to successfully changing your lifestyle long term.
Food, to me, used to be the enemy. Every calorie consumed was something else to feel guilty about, and anything with fat (read: anything tasty) not only made me feel like I'd commited some sort of crime, but I also felt angry at myself for not resisting it.
Success requires not only a change in what you eat, but also a change in how you think about eating. Food is not the enemy, and neither is fat (stay tuned for a more thorough review of fatty foods, there are lots of good resources out there). The mantra that I employed to rewire my brain is as follows:
1. Food is fuel
2. Pick good fuel
It seems obvious, but I think in the midst of obsessing over food and dieting, we often forget that the whole point of eating is to fuel your body (and your brain!) so it can do stuff. Furthermore it does stuff better with good fuel (that Ferrari needs high test!). I found that thinking about food in this way every time I eat not only helps me to make better choices daily, but also relieves that guilty feeling that used to come with eating.
We could quibble forever about the details of what exactly constitutes "good fuel"; research is constantly evolving what we believe to be true about how our bodies use food as fuel. The best we can do is to arm ourselves with knowledge (if you're curious, look it up, and read at least one article arguing each side), and pay attention to our bodies. If it makes you feel better, gives you more energy, or improves your life in any way, it's probably good fuel.
The last piece of my mantra contributes more to mental well-being than to physical health, but is also a key to my success:
3. Enjoy your fuel.
It's really important to me that my fuel be tasty. If it's not, then how can I expect any changes to be sustainable? There's no point in depriving yourself to look better if it just makes you miserable. Increasing my happiness is just as important to me as improving my fitness. And frankly, sometimes this means eating a piece of chocolate. Sometimes, the cocoa makes me happier than resisting it, and if I know I've made good choices the rest of the week, I'm not about to punish myself for it. Besides, what are we doing all this working out for if we don't get to enjoy life a little! :)
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