There comes a time in almost everyone's keto journey. Where we feel this need, like, we need to rein it in a little bit. Or restrict a little further. Or get back on track. Or be more strict with ourselves. And it typically happens. If we've been overindulging or having more higher carb meals. Or we're not seeing the results we want. Fast enough. Or maybe after the holidays or a vacation and we're feeling. Bloated or like we've ruined all our progress. And we feel this need. To just take it one step further to either get ourselves back on track to propel us forward to lose weight faster. It could also be just after a time where it feels like you've been floundering long enough and you've been flip-flopping on and off keto for a long enough. And it's time to finally get your shit together. Does that sound familiar? I know I've said that before on my keto journey, so I totally get it. And we all know how this typically shows up. We feel like I should start tracking my macros again. Cause that'll be the thing. Or I'll count total carbs instead of net carbs or I'll cut out all keto process treats. Or I'll do carnivore. And in those moments, it can feel totally justified. It can feel totally justified when you start spinning the stories in your head, start making the negotiations with yourself. That this is the time I'm just going to try harder. I'm just going to track my macros and I'll count total carbs this time, because that'll be even lower carbs and that'll help get me back on track and I'll start losing weight faster. I'll lose all the bloat. These are the stories we start to spin. So it's so easy for that to feel justified in the moment. But is it actually serving you? Or is that just a fear based behavior? Are we setting ourselves up for success? Or by restricting further and being more harsh with ourselves, and being more strict with ourselves. Are we really just creating future friction points? Are we just subconsciously building a wall that we are going to run into down the road. Are we creating more rules for ourselves? Aside from the rules that keto inherently already And in creating these rules. Are we just setting ourselves up to feel more guilty if we screw up or worried or have regrets for no real reason. Because now we're just putting more pressure on ourselves. We're putting more pressure on ourselves to do it more, perfectly to follow more rules, to be more strict with ourselves. And please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that. There isn't a time or place for these things. But it's more the intention behind these decisions. Is this a conscious choice you're making, because that is truly how you feel your best. Or is this an unconscious choice because you feel like you just need to do some damage control We start to approach our decisions and the actions that we take from such a grippy desperate place. Our energy that we're pouring into this, is coming from a place where we just want to get through the process as fast as possible. We just want to get back on track as fast as possible. We want to start feeling better. We want to see the number going down on the scale and it's all coming from a place deep inside that counteracts the reason you're doing keto in the first place. Which is to be healthier. We tell ourselves. That well, maybe if I just did this one thing differently, or if I cut out all the process foods, or if I cut out all the vegetables and just did carnivore. We tell ourselves that those are the things that are going to get us the results that we We are looking to the external things. So that we feel control over the situation. Instead of going internal and really addressing what's causing you to go off plan in the first place. What's causing you to turn your back on keto and reach for those foods in the first place. And instead of addressing that we are so conditioned to just start fixing things externally, we start setting ourselves up for things that aren't even sustainable. We're setting a pendulum in motion. And the more we restrict, the more that we take certain foods away, the more that we really hold on with that grippy energy. The more likely that pendulum's going to fall and swing the other way. And it is more likely to trigger us to overeat or to binge eat or to spiral into a high carb binge. When we get to restrictive within our keto lifestyles. We are just setting ourselves up for something that isn't sustainable. When we are in that grip, because we just want to lose weight faster or just feel better already, or I just want to prove to myself that I can do it this time, like I did last time. When we set up more black and white rules, more all, or nothing rules for ourselves. We create an internal anxiety around how we're even going to stay within these boundaries. We disregard the beautiful opportunity we have to build trust with ourselves because we're defaulting to just creating more rules. If you have ever felt this way before, where you just are so desperate to be back on track with your healthy habits or to see the number go down on the scale or to see results faster. Please know that you are not alone. It is totally normal for this to be our first instinctual reaction because we have been conditioned by society through diet culture, through all the diets we've tried in our past. We assume the only way we're ever going to achieve our goals. It's to take more things away. But is that going to actually be sustainable for you in the longterm? And not actually thinking about the fact that whatever strict rules we're imposing on ourselves. I have an expiration You will run up against that wall. It won't be sustainable for the long-term because now you've taken away so many things. From your diet from your lifestyle. You'll be in situations where you are. Out being social with family and friends. And. Like we said earlier. That pendulum that you've held. So tightly. Is going to drop. And it is going to swing in the other direction. So, what do we do instead? It is so important when those thoughts pop That feel desperate and grippy and it feels like. You know, you know, innately when you are getting more restrictive for the wrong reasons. You know, there's a difference between just getting back on track with keto, following your usual habits, because you just want to feel But you know that other side of it as well, when. You feel like you need to slash more things and subtract more things because you just want to get results faster, you know, innately in your gut when you're doing that. So. The first step is to really just take a step back when that grip happens. And explore what rules you're placing around food. What are you doing it for? What are your intentions behind it and why? What do you hope to gain from this? How's it going to be meaningful for you? Why is it important to Just take a step back and truly explore. What's happening in your body in your mind before you start adding rules. To your food and subtracting more things. We've really want to be creating behaviors and eating patterns that you can actually keep up with. If you want these results to last. Not just a temporary quick fix. Not just something that's going to set the pendulum in motion. And when we put so many rules on what we're eating and when we restrict so much. Just in the name of chasing. A smaller number on the scale. We miss out on the beautiful opportunities. To practice the skills we need. To truly make a keto lifestyle sustainable. You're forcing yourself to use so much energy and effort and self-control and willpower. Without factoring in. Ease. And joy. And long-term success. We are putting so much pressure on ourselves to just get there faster. That we miss out on all of the chances that we have to build self-trust. To reflect on where we're at. To practice new skills that when we're in chaotic moments or that when we're Circumstances that feel beyond our control. That we can trust ourselves to make the right decisions and make good choices for ourselves. Because that's what we inherently want to do. Not because we've placed some rule around We really need to focus on honoring our body and listening to our body. Because there are times where. Maybe you're trying carnival because you just, you want to get rid of the bloat fast. So you're just going to do carnivore for a few weeks. But your body's craving vegetables. And now you've made yourself wrong. For wanting a vegetable. How wild is that? We've really need to honor our body and listen to it. And instead of getting more restrictive, Why not be more thoughtful. Around what we're choosing. Why not show yourself compassion in those moments. And get really curious with yourself. Get curious around why you're making these choices in the first place. Because. If you are just getting back on track with your usual keto routine, that's usually because you're coming from a place where you just want to feel better. This is just how you operate. And you just want to get back to there. But there's this other side, the side that feels like you really need to control everything in order to get results and that desperate energy, and just really get curious around where you're coming from when you are getting more strict with yourself. What does it feel like? What are you hoping to get from it? Why is that important to Because there's not, it's not to say that you'll have bad intentions behind why you feel the need to restrict more, but you really have to do that gut check with yourself to make sure. Is this because I truly believe this is going to serve me. Is this because I feel like this is something I can actually maintain longterm. Or. Is this just my conditioned response to when I feel like I've ruined my progress or when I feel like I've gained a bit of weight back or when I feel like I'm bloated or when I feel just completely out of control around food. Because that's often the biggest trigger when it comes to adding more restrictions around our food. We feel like we have no self control around it. So, what do we do? Let's place more rules around it. But is that actually serving you? Or are we now gripping the end of the pendulum with both hands? And creating more friction points in our future. Because we know we're going to run up against that wall at some point. It's not if it's going to happen. It is when. And we know it's going to happen. Because it's happened before. This isn't the first time. That you felt this urge to be more strict with yourself. So we know it's going to happen. And we know that restricting further doesn't work. But yet we do it anyway. We tell ourselves, well, I'll just try harder this time. But did you do that last time? And in addition to that, Have you just gone back to your usual keto eating habits. And done it consistently for an extended period of time. Have you given what you're currently doing? Enough time to even work. Or are you so deep in the grip? Of wanting the results and rushing the process. That you are ping ponging onto the next thing. Restricting further week after week. Because you don't feel like you're seeing results fast enough. As I said before, we are conditioned to believe that the first thing we need to do is to just restrict it all, to put more rules on ourselves. Instead of just going back to your usual routines, and allowing them to take hold again. And giving them time to work. Instead of assuming that we need to just be the most restrictive as possible in order to get back on track, to see the progress, to de bloat, to do whatever it is, we're expecting this to do for us. Knowing that we can't sustain it anyway. What I would love to offer as a shift in perspective, is that next time you're feeling this pull or this urge to be more strict with yourself or to get more restrictive in your lifestyle. Instead of subtracting more things. I would love to offer you the idea of adding more. Instead of what can I take away? To lose weight faster to see more results to get myself back on track. What can you add? Drinking more water or adding more protein. Or adding more low carb vegetables to create more volume on your plate. So you feel full longer. Or. You could add. More joy. In your life. More time for pleasure, more time for things that light you up and make you you so that you don't have to rely on food to do that for you. Or I'd love to see you add more ways to manage stress in your life, whether it's meditation or movement or getting outside and going for a walk or sipping. A cup of tea and reading a book. Finding ways to manage your stress so that in those disempowered moments where everything feels chaotic around you, you're not reaching for food in those moments to bring you a sense of control or comfort. Maybe you could be adding more sleep. More quality sleep. Creating a nighttime routine that allows you to relax. What could you be adding to your regular keto lifestyle? Instead of getting more strict with yourself, getting more restrictive. And subtracting more things. I hope you found this helpful and that it offered a new perspective. Next time that urge to be more strict with yourself arises. That you can meet yourself with some compassion and get curious around what the real intentions are behind that feeling. And to just be totally honest with yourself. And know that that's okay. And that instead of subtracting more things from your keto lifestyle, Perhaps we can reframe that into adding more things to benefit your overall healthy lifestyle. I would love to hear what you'd be adding to your lifestyle. You can find me on Instagram@theketosuccesscoach I hope you found this helpful. Please let me know, reach out any time. And we'll see in the next one