Automaticity

Last summer I started new habits, the main one being planning what I would eat ahead of time, (healthy meals, as defined by me and my body), and then just stick to the plan.

Because I stuck to the plan, I didn’t have to make spur of the moment decisions about food. Once I had done this long enough, my brain stopped hounding me to make choices about food, because there were no choices to make. There was just: eat what I planned, and that’s it. Simple. It’s called automaticity, and it kicked in about 3 months after I started the habits. Automaticity: The ability to do things without occupying the mind with the low-level details required. It is outlined in the book, Bright Line Eating, and although I have a few modifications, (for example, I use Stevia sweetener, and when it comes to quantities, I plan, but don’t use a food scale, and as a grain free Celiac, the no flour rule was easy for me), it really quieted all the food thoughts I’d been plagued with my whole life. All the “should I, shouldn’t I, will I, won’t I” were just gone. When I stopped thinking so much about food, my brain stopped offering me thoughts about food.

One draw back is the requirement that you go long enough sticking to your plan to get that automaticity to kick in, which will make food choices so easy, because there are no choices, only planning ahead. For me, it took almost 3 months. I was highly motivated at the time, with lots of upheaval in my life, the loss of a beloved pet and the plan to get a new puppy.  So, at the time I wanted something with which I could count on and anchor myself. My newly adopted food planning was it. And when automaticity finally kicked in, suddenly it felt easy. Yes, I was dieting and it was easy!

9 months later and 30 pounds less I feel calmer about food. Sure, I get the odd thought about indulging in a treat, but part of my brain knows and says to me, “But you don’t make those choices anymore, so I doubt you’re going to now.” My brain is finally working for me, instead of what felt like against me. So, it is pretty easy to just dismiss the thought about eating something I didn’t plan and move on. I also have to the freedom to plan to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I just don’t make sudden exceptions, or else my brain, (as it has in the past), will ask if I want to make an exception the next time a similar situation arises. No exceptions, just eat what I planned, means my brain no longer hounds me.

Since then, the only other draw back I have faced is that when it is suddenly suggested we go to a restaurant, (although due to Covid-19, that hasn’t happened since March), I haven’t adapted well. But there is a solution to that. I just need to have a standing plan ahead of time for what I eat in restaurants, no choices to make.  So that when a last minute opportunity to eat out comes up, I have the plan I decided on ahead of time to fall back on. No exceptions. If I keep it simple like that, I prevent my brain from waking up to thoughts of all the choices about food to make. That wouldn’t be a problem for some people, but once I wake my brain up to offering me lots of choices, it takes a while to quiet it back down again. Eating in a healthy way that has stabilized my weight is only easy when my brain is quiet about food.