Aligning Behavior with Beliefs for Successful, Healthy Transformation
We’re a smart bunch of cookies here! We have SO much health information already in our noggins, and a gazillion times more at our disposal anytime we need it. If our health isn’t where we’d like it to be, it’s certainly not due to a shortage of information or health tips!
The cover of every magazine in the check-out aisle claims to hold the solutions and secrets within regarding weight loss, fitness and wrinkle-free living! Bookstores are lined with nutrition, fitness and health books. Every news report features some new ‘health’ breakthrough or update. Your friends and family have tips and suggestions and things they’ve tried that have worked wonders.
So, why aren’t we as healthy as we’d like? Or, why aren’t we getting those results that the celebrities on the magazine covers are getting?
Quite often, it’s because our Behavior (actions, choices) are not aligned with our Belief System. This makes behavior “modification” next to impossible.
Our beliefs determine our actions, time and time again. Trying to change our behavior without addressing our beliefs is like swimming upstream. For example, if your belief is, “I love sweets!” yet you’re trying to accomplish the behavioral change of “I’ll never have sweets because they’re not healthy!”, you can pretty much kiss that behavioral modification good-bye!
When a belief is strongly embedded in us, we need to choose actions that are in alignment with it in order to achieve success. Otherwise, just leave that behavior alone for now and work on something else that you’re more willing and eager to modify.
The same is not only true when trying to “give something up” that is toxic or deficient, but also when you’re trying to get yourself to add a new positive behavior that you’re not necessarily crazy about.
For example, if your belief (or inner dialogue) is “I hate running!”, yet you’re trying to create the behavior and action of, “I’m going to go for a run 3 times each week”, forget it! You either won’t do it or it won’t last for very long.
To truly change behavior, you need to address your belief system. One of the most successful ways to do this is to consider the pros and cons of your choices… the pleasure and pain… the benefits and cost… however you’d like to say it!
Essentially, to make a wise choice, your beliefs should be based on accurate information. You’ve got to know the consequences of your choices – the REAL consequences of your choices in order to fully develop your beliefs. Not just the consequences you’re willing to look at!
For example, the negative consequences of eating sweets are NOT just a few extra calories, some possible weight gain and maybe a sugar buzz. Once you look closely at the effects of the sugar, the refined flour, and so on, you see that a toxic and deficient choice like this initiates the physiological stress response, which is at the core of every chronic illness we suffer from.
Wow! That’s a tad more significant than worrying how we might look in a bathing suit!
Perhaps if you understood the myriad of physiological and emotional side effects eating sweets (or other toxic and deficient foods) caused, your belief system would evolve and make it much easier for you to choose to reduce or eliminate sweets.
If you focused on how great you felt when you chose to avoid sweets (or have less), or when you chose something like fresh fruit instead, that might be enough to shift your beliefs about eating sweets.
Until you truly understand the cost of your toxic or deficient behavior and the benefits of your pure and sufficient behavior, you won’t really change your belief system for the better. And until you change your belief system to one that supports healthy choices, it’s SO challenging to make those healthy decisions consistently.
It’s not your fault! You just didn’t know that health begins between your ears, with how you think!
My recommendation for successful implementation of this information is actually twofold:
1) Stop trying to give up (toxic and deficient) things that you currently enjoy.
You’re doomed for failure if you continue on this route. You don’t deserve that… you certainly don’t deserve the guilt that comes along with it. Guilt doesn’t serve you at all.
Instead of giving up things that you attach some form of pleasure to, try adding simple (pure and sufficient) things to your day. In the case of the sweets, for example, if your “sweet tooth” time is normally in the mid afternoon, then try having your favorite fruit at that time first. If you still really want the sweet after it… go for it. At least you added more health to that event.
Or, if you want sweets after dinner, go move your body first (or during). Go for a quick walk around the block or do some stretching or go get some fresh air… just add some health. It’s better than parking it on the sofa and inhaling a bag of cookies!
2) Stop trying to make yourself do (pure and sufficient) things that you really don’t enjoy.
Until you change the way you see this behavior and feel more strongly about its benefits, pros, positives and pleasure, you probably won’t stick with it very long… then you’ll just feel bad about that. That’s not fair to you.
Instead, find the ‘good’ things that you actually like, and stick with them.
For example, I see people beat themselves up all the time (figuratively!) about their exercise and diets. They compare themselves to a fit friend or a trainer or a celebrity and say things like, “I can’t do *that* form of exercise!”, whether it’s running, or Pilates, or weight training, or some intense work out or sport. So what! Just find something that YOU like to do, and DO it!
Or they’ll tell me, “But, I love pizza! I can’t give it up!” So, don’t! Eat some fresh veggies with it or a big salad. It’s automatically a healthier meal now. Or, make the pizza yourself using fresh (possibly even organic) ingredients. Why would you ever give up something you’ve attached so much pleasure to?! You wouldn’t!
If you really want to start a new (pure and sufficient) behavior, then familiarize yourself with all the positives you’ll gain from this new action and all the negatives you’ll no longer experience once you begin.
When you’re ready – when your beliefs shift – your behavior will change much more easily.
Align your behavior with your beliefs. If they’re not aligned now, and you really don’t feel like aligning them, then let it go! Focus on something else instead. It’s better than the guilt and loss of self-esteem that results from this type of incongruent thinking.
If you feel like making a change for the better, do your homework. Make sure you clearly understand the cost/benefit analysis of the choices you’re making. Then, get ready for massive success and empowerment!
(I give credit to Dr. James Chestnut, B.Ed., M.Sc., D.C., C.C.W.P. for teaching the concept of how toxicity & deficiency, purity & sufficiency relate to our beliefs and behaviors.)
About the author
Dr. Colleen Trombley ("Dr Mom Online") is a leading expert in Natural Health & Wellness. Discover why the healthiest, busiest women turn to Dr. Mom for practical tips regarding healthy lifestyle, nutrition, fitness & exercise, diet & weight loss, raising healthy kids, effective stress management, and more. Request your FREE special report revealing Dr. Mom's personal formula for success, "The Wellness Formula" at healthy livingTags: behavior modification, belief system, diet, exercise, healthy choices, Nutrition, Weight Loss
