“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”- Henry Ford

You have probably heard this famous quote about mindset before, but have you ever considered how your own mindset might be influencing the pursuit of your nutrition goals? 

The rules of energy balance may seem simple on paper (with all “name brand” diets driven by hard and fast regulations operating under the same umbrella): calories in vs. calories out. Follow the guidelines, achieve results. 

However, without a foundational belief that we are capable of overcoming and learning from the challenges that are bound to arise in the process and are deserving of the outcomes we seek, we are bound to struggle with any real, sustainable change. A growth mindset is the key to unlocking our potential to reach any and all of our goals.

What are signs that someone possesses a growth mindset?

• They embrace difficulties and failures, recognizing them as educational opportunities.

• They feel confident that their abilities and habits can improve with effort.

• They view change as an ongoing journey rather than a set destination.

These attributes all make it more likely that we will stick with positive behaviors even when hurdles arise -- a crucial piece of the puzzle when it comes to creating sustainable change and embracing taking a different approach to our nutrition than we may have taken in the past (e.g. chronic dieting, extreme restriction, pursuing quick fixes, being either "off" or "on" the wagon).

In contrast, the signs that someone is of a fixed mindset are:

• They avoid challenges, lacking confidence in their abilities to do hard things.

• They believe that difficulties and failures are proof that they are incapable of change.

• They have a narrow view of what change looks like.

These are the attributes that count us out before we even get started, keep us perpetually tethered to mainstream nutrition information (or rather, misinformation), and closed off to a different, more effective way of approaching our nutrition goals, thus ensuring stagnancy.

examples of these dual mindsets in action:

Scale weight movement:

• Someone with weight loss goals who recognizes slow movement on the scale as merely one metric of progress among many and trusts the process of their deficit (growth mindset) vs. someone who has scale tunnel vision and feels like a failure when that number doesn't move according to their expectations and goes into "screw it mode” (fixed mindset).

Higher calorie intake days:

• Someone who sees a higher calorie day of eating on a holiday as just one day amongst many doesn't dwell, and gets back to more goal-aligned habits the next day (growth mindset) vs. someone who feels defeated the moment they eat something they deem "unhealthy" and immediately spirals back into old eating patterns (fixed mindset).

Training performance:

• Someone who wants to dial in their nutrition to support strength goals and is open to continually tweaking intake, meal timing, etc. in an effort to support muscle growth (growth mindset)  vs. someone who gets frustrated after not seeing immediate results in strength and/or muscle growth and stops prioritizing nutrition because they decide it must be out of their control (fixed mindset).

Which mindset is going to nurture growth and lead to positive changes? We sure hope the answer is clear!

If you have ever asked yourself the question, “I know what to do with my nutrition, but why can’t I seem to do it?”, the answer likely lies in how your mindset is erring. And while the field of health-related behavior change goes far beyond what can be encompassed in a single blog post, we hope this conversation can act as a catalyst for more closely considering the power inherent in self-belief.

Sensing a desire to address your mindset to more effectively reach your nutrition goals? Let us help in that pursuit! 

We are committed coaches who work with committed clients and love nothing more than helping our clients find a sustainable approach to nutrition that allows them to work towards their goals without white-knuckling their way through yo-yo diets. Learn more about our KLN team here!