First of all, what is self-sabotage? Destructive behaviour towards yourself that prevents you from reaching your goals.
Self-sabotage can either be active or passive, conscious or subconscious, but I prefer to use it to define destructive actions that are covert.
Otherwise...you can literally consider any bad action as self-sabotage, and that definition is a little broad for me.
So when I talk about self-sabotage, I'm referring to the kind of harmful behaviour you can't actually see - in the moment at least!
Examples:
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eating junk food not because you like it, but because deep down you don't feel deserving of a slim & healthy body
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dramatizing an acute injury and using it as a crutch so you have an excuse not to exercise
See what I mean? We might look back at past mistakes and think "ah, that was self-sabotage" but these beliefs circulate so subconsciously that it can be hard to spot them at the time.
More obvious examples might include:
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"I worked out today so I deserve this cake"
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"I've already lost so much weight, maybe I don't need to lose anymore" (even though in your "deliberate brain" you know you do need to lose more)
Make sense? There's a huge difference between KNOWING what to do for weight loss and actually doing it. Is self-sabotage the thing that stops you?
If you think it is, here's the first reality check I feel obliged to give you:
A plant-based diet, no matter how well-planned, is not going to completely fix any emotional eating habits, limiting beliefs or commitment issues.
A diet won't get to the root cause of your mental and emotional vulnerabilities, so you don't get to avoid self-sabotage just because you're plant-based.
A second home truth: self-sabotage is often related to one's self-esteem. When you have confidence in your abilities and your path, you don't self-sabotage as much (in theory).
The problem is, the more you sabotage, the less worthy of success you feel. It's a bad loop to be in!
So...the two main causes of self-sabotage are as follows:
1) not feeling worthy of success
2) feeling scared of success or failure
Pause right now and ask yourself: do either of these resonate with me?
If, at some level, you don't feel deserving of weight loss OR are scared at the prospect of doing it, those reservations will surface and manifest as bad habits at some point.
Like the person who only becomes a binge eater the moment they start learning how to eat healthily. That's how ironic self-sabotage can be!
Now, with a complication issue like self-sabotage, it's needless to say that you're not going to fix it with the wave of a magic wand...
...but here's an exercise I encourage you to do to begin unpacking these subconscious demons:
Self-Sabotage Weight Loss Exercise
1) List THREE why your life will be worse once you lose weight.
2) Underneath each reason, disprove each one. Poke holes. Play devil's advocate.
3) List THREE reasons why your life will be better once you lose weight.
4) What stops you from feeling deserving of weight loss?
5) How could you start feeling deserving of weight loss?
Give these questions a whirl and see what comes up. You might be surprised just how much your subconscious has been holding you back!
If you need more help overcoming the mental & emotional side of weight loss, find out more about my Vegan Slim & Sustain Coaching Program where I can help you finally breakthrough and sustain results for good.
Talk soon,
Ryan
The Ryan Adams Credo:
1) Eat more of the foods you were designed to eat.
2) Focus on consistency, not perfection.
3) Keep picking purpose over pleasure.
4) Remember it's a lifestyle, not a diet.
5) Motivation is overrated. Aim for discipline.
6) Retrain your brain for success.
7) Find ways to enjoy the journey.
8) Take action every day.
