Cathy's blog

Habits hey?

They're a blessing & a curse. They make life easy - but are soooo difficult to change.

 

A couple of years ago, I discovered that some foods make my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) way worse.

Like sugar. And wheat. And grains in general.

 

So I had very little choice but to cut them out of my diet (as much as possible).

It was hard. 

 

As a bread-for-breakfast eating Belgian (and lunch, and sometimes dinner), I was seriously a bit lost.

Food shopping was difficult: all my quick go-to meals were no longer an option.

Eating out was a challenge: how do you say no that that gorgeous smelling, better-than-at-home-bread? Seriously?

And what grain-free quick snack do you grab at the airport?

 

But I'm never one for staying stuck. I was going to master this!

 

So I bought myself a whole stack of cooking books. And I started experimenting. 

And I discovered so many new foods & surprising combinations. 

Of course, there were tough moments. When I just wanted easy food. Accessible food. Comfort food.

To go back to being the easy-going I'll eat anything gal. 

 

But there comes a magical turning point.

 

Last week I decided to indulge in a lovely white wheat sandwich with chocolate spread.

The favorite food of my childhood. 

And it was a disappointment.

 

It wasn't nearly as good as I remembered. It was way too sweet, sticky.

 

The good news? My new way of eating has finally become a habit! Yay! 

 

I have a new way of shopping, eating, thinking, tasting. 

 

And yes, I still occasionally enjoy that heavenly smelling, deliciously tasting pre-dinner bread in our favorite restaurant.

But now it's a conscious choice, not an automatic habit.

 

And the same is true for any new skill or habit.

It doesn't happen overnight.

The old ones are tenacious.

The new ones are uncomfortable, and don't have an immediate effect.

Some situations cannot be solved (I still have flare-ups of my IBS, no matter how healthy I eat).

But at some point, you'll look at yourself and think: where did that clever question or considerate feedback come from?

And all of a sudden, it won't be nearly as difficult anymore.

 

You got this!