5 Common Obstacles To Creating Healthy Eating Habits & How to Overcome Them
Challenges, set backs and obstacles are a part of life. They happen every day, sometimes multiple times a day, but when it comes to forming new healthy habits, they can be a source of anxiety and stress for many of us.
The reality is, these challenges, set backs and obstacles are a normal part of the journey. As I’ve mentioned before, willpower isn’t endless, life gets busy and sometimes we just don’t feel like doing something and that’s totally ok. It happens to all of us. Myself included.
Embarking on a journey to cultivate healthier more mindful eating habits (or any other habit for that matter) isn’t going to be easy. Any new habit takes time and practice. How you handle those challenges, set back and obstacles however, can make all the difference in how your journey unfolds.
Guilt, shame, blame and the start and stop - all or nothing mentality will only prevent you from moving forward with and staying committed to your journey and fulfilling your promises to yourself.
Challenges, set backs and obstacles are normal and happen to everyone; no one is immune to them.
So let’s have a look at some of the most common challenges, set-backs and obstacles that may come up when adopting healthier eating and lifestyle habits and how you can deal with them.
What are the common obstacles to creating healthy eating habits?
Feeling overwhelmed
While it can feel tempting to make monumental changes right from the beginning, it’s important to pace yourself for longevity. While motivation may be what gets you started, it won’t be what keeps you going and the changes may feel overwhelming and difficult to maintain once that motivation runs out.
Starting small is the best antidote to feeling overwhelmed. Lasting behaviour and habit change is about taking small and steady steps, consistently and for the long term, not about making giant leaps in the short term.
Too busy
Being too busy is an excuse and it isn’t. As a mom and entrepreneur I know all too well how busy life can get at times. It can legitimately feel impossible to do one more thing. But I challenge you to ask yourself, "what's more important than taking care of my health and wellbeing?" The truth is, nothing is more important (not even your children). Hear me out here.
If you can't show up for yourself fully, you'll never be able to show up for others the way they need you most because "you can't pour from an empty cup". If being too busy is keeping you from committing to your healthy habits, then it’s time to do three things:
Take inventory and reprioritize the things in your life to make time for your health and wellbeing; there’s always room for spring cleaning and reorganizing.
Reevaluate your approach. Do you have a clear vision of what you want and why you want it? What are your motivators? Are you looking externally for them or are you digging deep down? Is what you are doing truly aligned with your instrinsic motivators (aka your why)? If you’re not sure how to do this, read this article, where I share my tips and provide a worksheet for articulating a wellness vision and identifying your intrinsic motivators.
Do you have the tools, resources and support system in place to make the changes you need? If so, why aren’t you using them? If not, identify and seek out the kind of support and tools you need. Many wellness coaches offer free discovery calls or initial consultations that can help you get clear about the kind of support you need. If you’re in doubt, take advantage of my free 45 minute consultation session to chat about your goals and get the clarity you need to move toward your wellness vision with ease.
Resistance from others
This is one of the most difficult obstacles to face because you don't have control over someone else's resistance.
What you can do is involve them without imposing your decisions on them. Explain why this is important to you, and ask them to support you by respecting your needs and desires. In return, respect their boundaries.
You do you and allow them to do them. Your commitment and dedication to yourself might just inspire them to articulate their own wellness vision and go after it. Their path may not look like yours, but that’s the beauty of it all.
Lack of motivation/willpower
The cold hard truth is, you are not always going to be motivated. Willpower is going to fail you, sooner rather than later. They are not bottomless.
Humans are creatures of habit and we are built to resist change. We get tired, we get bored, we get lethargic. It’s normal and it’s ok.
Having a vision, goals that you feel connected to, a good plan, routines, a suppport system and self compassion are extremely important and way more powerful than motivation and willpower.
Give yourself some wiggle room, take a break if you have to, be kind and gentle with yourself and reach out for encouragement if you need it. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.
Negative thinking
Negative thinking can creep up and get the best of us at times. Our inner dialogue has a loud voice that can be downright nasty if we let it. You’re never going to be able to stop negative thinking. No one is positive 100% of the time. The best way to deal with negative thoughts from my personal experience is to have a dialogue with your inner voice.
Change the narrative from "I can't do this" to "I will do this". You embarked on this journey for a reason. Remember your wellness vision, remember your motivators, focus on what is working and the progress you've made. Bring positive attention to the moment and shed the need for perfection.
How to overcome obstacles, challenges and set-backs when forming healthy eating habits
Resilience is essential to lasting behaviour change as it allows you to tap into your strengths, support system, tools and resources to overcome a difficult situation or hurdle, rather than giving up or defering to a later date.
When you find yourself struggling, whatever the reason may be, here are some strategies to help you move forward.
Investigate & Get Curious
Why am I struggling with this?
How do I feel when I stick with it?
How do I feel when I don't?
Is this really something I want? Does this truly align with my vision
If yes, then Course Correct
What can I do differently to be more consistent with this?
What kind of support do I need to overcome the challenges I'm having?
If no, then reevaluate
Where should I be focusing my energy instead?
Take Action
Once you've investigated the reasons behind why you are struggling and come up with some possible ways to overcome the obstacles and challenges you're facing, take action. Try again, and adjust as needed until you find something that fits.
Remember, change is a process that takes trial and correction. Focus on taking small and steady steps and celebrate progress over perfection. It will carry you farther than you’ve ever gone before.
