Discovering Your True Why: The Key to Breaking Free from Unwanted Eating Habits

If you’re stuck in a constant cycle of dieting, restriction, bingeing, or emotional eating, there’s one important question that could spark real change in your life. It goes beyond what you think you want and helps you understand the deeper reason behind why you want to make a change.

Why do you want to create change?

 When I first ask this question, the answers often revolve around familiar themes: "I want to lose weight," "I want to be healthy," or "I want to lose weight to become healthier." But what I really want to understand is, "Why do you want to lose weight?"

When you peel away the layers of your motivations and delve deeper, you will be able to uncover your more profound and authentic why. The surface-level motivations may include wanting to fit into a certain dress size or to please societal expectations, but the true motivations that drive us to change usually go far beyond the number on the scales.

Discovering Your Real ‘Why’ :

• Is it about your health?

  If health is what you are seeking it is possible for many people to improve their wellbeing without shrinking their body. For the majority of people, healthful behaviours such as eating in a balanced way, improving sleep, reducing stress and gently moving your body will all help to create physiological change within the body without the need to shed pounds. 

  Contrary to popular belief, being in a smaller body doesn't automatically equate to better health. I have worked with many individuals in lower BMI ranges who profoundly struggle with their health. Conversely numerous people in larger bodies are physically fit and in good health with blood test markers such as normal cholesterol, blood pressure, and stable blood sugar. 

  The truth is health isn’t determined by size alone. Focusing on sustainable, healthful habits can have a much bigger impact on your overall well-being than simply trying to lose weight.

• Happiness?

  Many people ultimately seek change because they believe it will make them happier. They hope that by shedding pounds, they'll find contentment. But, just think back for a moment: have you ever been slimmer than you are now? Were you happier then? For some, the answer is no. It was never about the weight; it was about finding happiness.

• What Else Was Happening?

  If you think back to a time when you were in a smaller body, and you believed you were happier, what else was going on in your life then? Did you have a great job, loads of energy, or a thriving relationship? Often, it's these factors, not the weight itself, that contributed to you feeling good about yourself.

• Your authentic motivations?

  Consider what you genuinely want in life. Is it happiness, calmness and liberty around food, boundless energy, a sense of worthiness, freedom from judgment, or the mental space to pursue your passions? If so, that is your true ‘why’

• Re-evaluating Dieting

  Armed with this understanding, you might question whether dieting, control, and restriction align with what you truly want. Will they lead you to your authentic why, or are there more effective ways to achieve what you really want?

 If you are ready to begin your journey to a happy relationship with food but don’t know where to begin, download my free guide, Breaking the Cycle - Your First Steps to Healing Your Relationship with Food.

This valuable resource will help you:

✔️ Recognise true hunger versus emotional hunger

✔️ Learn the most effective eating patterns to regulate your appetite and enable stability

✔️ Discover the ideal snacks to curb your cravings and regain control