Weight Loss Depends On Understanding Your Habits and How To Deal With Them

Habits are like computer programs—pieces of code you’ve programmed into your subconscious.

And because they’re just programs, they can be deleted.

You need to learn how they get into your mind and how to remove them.

Habits are just self-installed programs that sit in your subconscious, directing the mind and body to follow the directives contained in them. When I say self-installed, this could be consciously or unconsciously. But they are all self-created.

Not all habits are bad. We have many valuable habits that help us operate successfully in our lives. For example, when we learn to drive, we set up a routine so we can put all the actions we need into it. We don’t have to keep thinking about them, so we can lessen our brain resources that can be used for other things.

But then we have self-destructive habits that cause issues like obesity and the inability to lose weight. Why would we do that to ourselves? Why would we make ourselves sick by developing diseases from bad diets?

It’s simply a habit formed by continuously eating foods that weren’t beneficial. Sugary or fat-filled foods can cause addictions the same way drugs do. It was because we ate food based on emotions rather than good nutrition. We lost control because of the false we accepted regarding food and eating.

How are habits formed?

Without getting technical, habits are simply formed by your repetitive actions over time.

Of course, habits about food are not as simple as habits like smoking or chewing your nails. Food has a direct connection to survival. We eat to survive. And survival is such a powerful force that can make people do extraordinary or crazy things.

So you can see now why people eat foods they know are harmful to the body. They’ll keep eating them until they develop diseases or worse. Sometimes people suddenly switch to eating healthy, reverse their condition, and lose weight. Possibly because the mind recognized it had to change to survive.

It all sounds a bit dramatic, but we’re just trying to understand what we’re dealing with here.

Looking deeper into how we self-sabotage

Self-sabotage is simply a destructive habit or program that makes choices and acts for you. We believe it’s our thinking, but it’s not. It’s more like a state of non-thinking—automatic preprogrammed actions.

Have you ever craved something, eaten it, and then woken up and wondered why you ate such a thing when you weren’t really hungry?

It’s like driving a car and suddenly realizing you weren’t aware of your route. A strange feeling, right?

This self-sabotage mindset forces you to go against your goals and values. It’s your mind keeping you stuck in your old patterns. Usually, you end up having to somehow “justify” your actions. This makes your behavior and habits more stuck and more solid.

The way it goes is that something that happens in your day-to-day life triggers the habit. You probably are even aware of it unless you practice self-reflection. I’ll review this in my upcoming book and give you practical steps to locate their triggers. Join my list to find out when it’s released.

When the subconscious is triggered, it creates cravings or desires depending on the program’s content. The conscious mind becomes less aware because it’s not needed. The subconscious has control now. This is that lack of awareness feeling you get after you realize what just happened. You perform the action, and then the subconscious program turns off and gives control back to the conscious mind.

Can you see how this gives us a way to change this situation? Good for you if you can.

So what can we do to stop these habits?

Self-sabotage isn’t the habit. It’s that state of being that’s caused by your habits. These habits are what have created the situation you find yourself in now. That’s why it’s a great idea to take some time to label your habits.

Once you notice one of your habits, label it. Give it a description that seems right to you; when you do that, it makes them more real and easier to deal with. Say you have a habit of eating snacks right after a meal. You could label it the habit that makes me snack after I eat. Something like that. Give it a personality. Try it, and see how it stops the habit from being so automatic.

You have to decide you’re going to stop them. Make a firm decision that you don’t want them to continue ruling your life. Take back control. It can be done if you’re willing to put in some work. It’s not difficult, but it takes consistent action.

How about we look deeper into the idea of labeling destructive habits? We want to find out how to bring them into the light so you can see them.

The only way to win is to identify your patterns and behavior responsible for adversely affecting your health and making it difficult to lose weight.

Begin by starting a journal. Write down everything. Write the details of all the foods you eat in a day. Write down thoughts and feelings that come up. Everything!

This will help you get to know yourself deeper. It’s what you need. Write about your snacking and your overeating. Write about any cravings that came up. See if you can spot their triggers. You may not see them at first, but they will eventually show themselves if you’re consistent. Write about any insecurities you have about your body. Don’t hold back. The more you understand yourself, the more power you’ll have to change these habits.

It’s important to note the emotions connected with your behaviors and patterns. What were the feelings you experienced just before the self-sabotage? What about during and after it?

Consider these feelings. Is it something you want to continue in your life every day?

Decide on what new choices or positive actions you can create in your life. How will they make you feel? How will they improve your life? Your relationship with yourself? Do this every day, and you’ll see change. It might not be dramatic initially, but any change is awesome, right?

If you put more effort into practicing, the easier it’ll get, and the better you’ll become.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to make drastic changes all at once. That will end up triggering you and possibly making things worse. Taking smaller steps to help you stay calm and stress-free is better. We know what stress can do, right?

Following these ideas and put yourself on the path to stopping your self-sabotaging behaviors. Those habits that prevent you from losing weight. Decide to transform your life. That’s the first step. Focus on what you can do today that you can stick to right now to stop or lessen one action of self-sabotage.

Get on the right track toward a better, healthier weight, one step at a time.