Up until very recently, I used to make these Amazing Low Carb Bread Rolls every week. For someone who stopped eating wheat over a decade ago, and generally eats low-carb most of the time, a suitable bread is something hard to come by, and greatly missed. Certain foods pine for a vehicle, like avocados and nut butters. When I discovered that a decent facsimile of bread could be made from almond flour and psyllium husk powder, I went all-in. I would make a double batch almost weekly, slice them in half and freeze them, always having “toast” at the ready.
But now after several years of having this bread as a go-to thing to fill me up, I realized that I had become dependent on it – not in an addictive sort of way, but in a lazy sort of way. This bread with nut butter was my default breakfast. It was easy and available, requiring little effort or creativity to feed myself in the morning.
To walk away from my go-to breakfast, I started by acknowledging that I wanted to feel differently during the day; I wanted more energy and mental clarity. Since I already avoid sugar and flour (two of the biggest culprits for up-and-down energy and brain fog), the next focus is my mitochondria. Mitochondria are the energy machines in our bodies, and if they’re not humming along, then all sorts of things can function poorly. Do my mitochondria want to start the day with nut butter on alt-toast?
I knew that if I wanted to feel differently, I needed to do some things differently.
So, I decided to shake things up and get out of the default breakfast routine, which led to the question: What if I had something else for breakfast, what might it be?
The question came from curiosity rather than a mandate to change. Let’s give something else a try, and see how I feel.
It’s been over a week without those amazing bread rolls, and it feels like things are shifting. Even though I sometimes want one out of habit, by saying “not this, not today” other possibilities have opened up. New causes and new results. Sometimes even benign habits can keep us stuck in unproductive patterns—just because they prevent other possibilities from coming in.
Now I can confidently say, I used to eat those low carb bread rolls for breakfast. I’ve outgrown them. They served their purpose, and I no longer rely on them.
What have you outgrown?
Conjuring up feelings of being “done” with a habit or situation is a very strong motivator for creating change. It creates a solid boundary to push off from, like a swimmer doing laps, turning and pushing off from the wall. Maybe you’ve felt this push-off in other areas:
I’m done with this job.
I’m done with these people.
I’m done with this (bad) movie.
I’ve had enough…
These statements mean you are ripe for change!
Reflect for a moment, if you will, on some the things you’ve let go of and grown out of over the years, whether physically, emotionally, or even karmically.
Physically, you’ve grown out of clothes, but you’ve likely outgrown them emotionally too. Your size, style or attachment has evolved to a point where you can just let the thing go. I’m done with that T-shirt.
Emotionally, you’ve grown out of or away from people, situations, entertainment and music preferences. Sometimes this is gradual, just feeling less pull towards them or need to connect, and sometimes it is more abrupt, as in being just done with that.
Karmically, we grow out of things all the time, often without noticing. I used to love _____. Something that occupied our attention, passion or time just ended up fading away, though often replaced with some new shiny object.
When you observe yourself saying something that starts with “I’m done with…” that is the time to seize the moment to imagine different actions and different results. In fact, if you’re not “done” with a particular habit or result, then change is going to be a challenge as you will find resistance all along the way.
As the saying goes, “you need to be sick and tired of being sick and tired” to make a change.
Are there behaviors, habits or results that you’re sick and tired of? Tired of being yanked around by the need for sweets to feel satiated, happy, or rewarded? Then maybe it’s time to be done with them. Not necessarily done forever, but done making your happiness conditional on getting the treat.
Want to see results in 8 weeks? Let’s take action together!
There’s still time to join the 8-week Summer Countdown program. It is a great, affordable way to give coaching a go: It is driven by your desires for change (better sleep, better stress management, better eating habits, better exercise routine, etc.), and a plan is custom built around your needs and lifestyle demands.
Here’s to moving on!
