Alright. So You have decided that you want to live a plant based lifestyle. Knowing where to start can be very difficult, not to mention how having the nerve to change your life can both empower you and rattle you to your core. I have been there. So have many of my closest friends. You are in great company. In this post I will walk you through the 3 key steps to transitioning to a plant based lifestyle. I am not going to go in depth into my own personal story in the name of keeping this post all about the information YOU are seeking. However if you feel that knowing more about my journey would help you, I have a Get to Know Me section here on The Purple Potato.
Step #1 - The WHY
Your Why is so critical. It is what you will fall back on when things get challenging. It will remind you of well...WHY you are out of your comfort zone and why you must keep pushing forward. It's like a sticky note your past self leaves for your future self to find when things get tough. Sounds great right? But how do you find yours?
I have read MANY articles and even a couple books on how to find it. But none of those things were what finally helped me find my very own reasons. There is a simple formula I developed to find my Why. You will need a pen and paper or a notepad on your phone. Or you can just read it and let it sit in your amazing brain until you are ready to use it.
"I don't want __________ = "I want _________"
Example;
"I don't want to have a heart attack" = "I want to have a long healthy life"
See what I did there? It can be tough to think in the realm of what you WANT when you are feeling stuck. So we will take the easier route and think of what we DON'T WANT first. Then we will translate that into something that we want. Here is another example....
"I am tired of seeing how much fat I have on my body in the mirror every morning"
This translates to....
"I want to see my body lean, fit, and glowing at a cellular level every morning in the mirror"
Feel free to write this out in the comment section. I would absolutely LOVE connecting with you. Once you have completed this formula, congratulations! You will have found one of your, most likely many, Whys. I personally have a list of about 24 Whys now.
Step #2 - Surround yourself with Educational and Positive Resources
When changing something in your life, it can be challenging to take old habits out of the driver's seat. We need to empower our Whys that we discovered above in order to compassionately negotiate a new direction for ourselves, with ourselves. We do this by slowly making them a priority. A simple and excellent place to start is our social media feeds. Are there pages that you follow that don't back up their claims with real science? Your new goals are worth enforcing with legitimate studies, and intelligent experts. Get rid of those pages and add in a few of the the following...
Are you following pages that post foods that are no longer going to be serving your goals? Unfollow them. Those aren't things that you want shoved in your face constantly while trying to facilitate change. Instead follow pages that show you how to make amazing food that you enjoy that is compliant and supportive of your goals. Add a few of the following...
Potato Wisdom (Jeannine also has adorable fur babies)
The final portion to this step is books and studies. All of the people above are well read. They have put in countless hours educating themselves and they continue to seek out knowledge and opportunities for growth. You should give yourself the same treatment. You are worthy of being educated.
My List of Must Read Books
Reading studies can be overwhelming if you don't have the training/experience to do so. But that doesn't mean that you should rely blindly upon hired opinion articles or articles written by those who have never set foot in even a basic human biology class. This is where nutritionfacts.org comes in. Dr Greger and his team spend their time reading study after study and present them in short video segments. The links to the studies discussed are noted for each video so that if you so desire you can go read them for yourself.
Now if that isn't empowering, I don't know what is. If you have never read a study, I definitely recommend using that website as an introduction of sorts to what real scientific data looks like, before the opinion articles are discussed in every news article published from sea to shining sea.
As you put your energy into the above points of focus, you will begin to notice a subconscious shift. Your old habits will step aside as your Why gains support. When you want something to be a focal point in your environment, you make space for it. You wouldn't surround a priceless painting with bags of empty fast food garbage. You would declutter the area, and make space for this new and important piece in your home.
Step #3 - Make a Sustainable Plan and Stick To It
How you move into your future matters. I have all the respect in the world for people who can do something cold turkey. But I have only seen one person stop something cold turkey successfully long term. Everyone else eventually relapsed at least once. The reason was simple. They missed steps 1 and 2. That one person who succeeded in an overnight change with apparent perfection, albeit quickly, did establish their WHY and they found ways to empower it.
Slow change is long term change. It teaches us to be curious and compassionate towards ourselves as we explore a new direction and learn through new experiences. That type of mindset is linked to reaching your goals and being happier while you do it.
I recommend starting with just one meal. Transition breakfast first. Then after a month or two, transition your lunch, then your dinner, then your snacks and desserts. If you are following some or all of the people I mentioned above you won't want for recipe ideas or community support. Menu planning is a very helpful skill to work on. Check out my post on what I always have on hand for quick and easy plant based meals by clicking the image below.
Now, finally. None of these steps will do you any good unless you actually do them. I would like to introduce you to a priceless tool by the name of Implementation Intentions. You will want to take a moment after viewing below, to write down your own. Here is an example...
Implementation intentions are a simple yet powerful way to remember that
If X occurs, then Y will happen
"IF I am hungry passed 7pm, THEN I will enjoy an apple or some berries"
"IF I am leaving my home, THEN I have packed a compliant snack and some water"
These quick phrases will come to your mind when you find yourself in the situations they pertain to. The format can help you plan for tough situations too.
"IF I am offered food that contains animal products in it, THEN I will say no thank you."
"IF I go to a family party, THEN I will be bringing delicious compliant food."
There you go!
Now you know the 3 steps to transitioning your lifestyle into a plant based one. These steps can be applied to any change that you want to bring into your life, they are sturdy and versatile. I wish you absolutely nothing but the best on your journey. I would enjoy connecting with you so please come on over to my Instagram. I look forward to hearing from you.
Comments