Perhaps you have already tried to change your diet or integrate other habits into your everyday life at one time or another? Changing your diet is usually a pretty big change in life. Especially if you're making the change to get healthy or to get rid of excess weight.

Whether it's a new way of eating and cooking or a new healthy habit, change is largely a matter of the mind. And that's exactly why I'd like to introduce you to Tony Robbins' "Three Pillars of (Long-Term) Success" concept today. Incidentally, you can use this concept not only for your dietary changes, but also for all habits that you would like to implement in your everyday life!

What is a dietary change?

Changing your diet is basically about actively questioning and changing established eating habits. This starts with the shopping and ends with the serving on your plate. You can probably already imagine that changing your diet is not easy. In the long term, however, it is very worthwhile as it will have a positive effect on your well-being and health.

Changing your diet successfully in the long term

You probably know this too: there are habits that you have been able to implement with ease and then there are habits that just don't want to stay habits. Why is that?

According to the American author and coach Tony Robbins, a long-term, lasting change or a habit that has been successfully implemented over the long term requires three pillars, all of which must be equally strong. You can think of it like a three-legged stool: If even one leg is shorter than the others, the chair wobbles.

So what do we need for a stable chair that lasts? The following three pillars:

• Clearly formulated goals
• Tools and the necessary knowledge to reach the desired goal
• The resolution of inner conflicts so that our conscious and subconscious minds can pull in the same direction.

For all those who prefer listening to reading, I am happy to recommend my popular Darmglück podcast. With lots of exciting health topics, tips and tricks for a healthy lifestyle in everyday life and a balanced diet. Now in episode 18 After just two days of changing my diet, I was sleeping again Listen in:

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1st pillar of changing your diet: Clearly formulated goals

It is not only extremely important that you know what you want to achieve, but even more so why. It is essential to be aware of what you want to achieve and by when. Your goal must be so clear that you can visualize it in your mind's eye.

Define your goal as precisely as possible so that when someone asks you about it, you can catapult it out in a short, concise sentence as if shot from a gun. For example: I want to lose 5 kilos by the end of the year.

Find your "why"

The "why" gives your goal strength. It gives you energy and lots of motivation. But don't be satisfied with the first answer that your Your head tells you when you ask yourself "why". Stay persistent and write down at least10 reasons why you want to achieve your goal.

Example 1: I want to lose weight.
Why do you want to change your diet? Because I want to lose weight. Why do you want to lose weight? Because I'll feel better in my own skin, I'll no longer be restricted and I'll finally be able to do all the things I can't do now.

Example 2: I want to get healthy.
Why do you want to change your diet? Because I want to get healthy. Why do you want to get healthy? So that I don't have any more pain. I don't want any more headaches, I don't want any more stomach aches, I want to finally be able to participate 110% in my life. I want my body to support me and not hold me back from living.

You see - if you had simply written down your goal "I want to lose weight", it would have little persuasive power. But if you ask yourself exactly what you want and go deeper, you will realize why you really want what you have set yourself as a goal. And that gives you strength, energy and motivation!

And believe me - you'll need it. Because this strength, this motivation makes the difference between sticking with it in a weak moment and giving up.

Changing your diet despite your inner bastard

If you ever find yourself in a situation where your plans are faltering, I have a great tactic for you; you can use it to specifically outsmart your inner bastard.

For most people, going to a restaurant or inviting friends over is problematic - especially if you're not yet completely comfortable with changing your diet. Imagine you're in a delicious little Italian restaurant with your friends. You know that they prepare the pizza in the typical way in a stone oven and that the dough is really light and fluffy. But you want to lose weight and have gone to the restaurant with the best of intentions. The waiter comes and brings you the menus.

This starts a dialog with your inner bastard, who tries to convince you to eat the pizza. In the end, you order it, even though you actually wanted a salad. Your mind has reminded you how good the pizza tasted. Does this situation sound familiar?

The way we think can make an incredible difference and we often manipulate ourselves without even realizing it. We then feel ashamed at home because we are so undisciplined and feel incredibly bad.

But don't worry, it doesn't have to be like that. The good thing is that we can adapt our thinking at any time and use it to support our goals instead of sabotaging them. After all, our brain only wants what is best for us.

You may know that pizza is not the best thing for you, but the problem lies in making your brain understand this. In the example above your brain is convinced that pizza is the better alternative and then keeps selling you the pizza until you order it anyway.

Your brain does this because it thinks that's what you want. Once you have shown your brain what you really want - and most importantly: WHY, it will support you. The discussion with your inner bastard is over immediately.

Pillar 2 of changing your diet: the right tools and the right know-how

With the first pillar, you know what you want and why you want it. But do you also know how to achieve it? Start looking for the best tools, the best concept, the best step-by-step plan and the best coach.

You can either learn the know-how yourself or find someone who can teach you everything you need to know to be successful. The important thing is that you actually apply your know-how - and at your own pace. Some people need to radically change everything from one day to the next, while others need to make changes bit by bit.

Even a coach can only show you the way - you have to do it yourself. But with a good coach, you can reach your goal faster and with fewer detours and stumbling blocks, as you can benefit from their wealth of knowledge and experience.

Ask yourself and listen to your gut feeling: What makes the most sense for you? And would I prefer it to be gradual or radical? Do I need and want support along the way or should I try it alone for now?

Pillar 3 of changing your diet: Getting inner conflicts out of the way

Once the first two pillars are in place and you know your "what", your "why" and your "how", there is only one thing left standing in your way: Inner conflicts. These can really influence your actions and it can happen that although you keep the first two pillars big and strong, you sabotage yourself.

Then somewhere deep inside you, in your subconscious, you have a conviction that torpedoes your goal. For example, if you want to lose weight but you're much more afraid of failing and looking like a failure, then you won't even take the risk of trying to lose weight (seriously). Your head may want to lose weight, but that doesn't necessarily apply to your subconscious.

The same applies if your subconscious is convinced that your excess weight is a protective armor. As long as your subconscious does not believe that it is not safe for you without the excess weight, it will want to protect you by not losing weight. How can I tell that I might have such an inner conflict?

Signs of inner conflict

• You can only follow through with your dietary changes over a relatively short period of time - e.g. two to four weeks.
• You make too many exceptions that you are really annoyed about afterwards because it would have been relatively easy to avoid them.
• If you are easily distracted from your goal or easily dissuaded from making the right decision.

The 3 pillars as the basis for a successful Change of diet

You can feel it too: when pillars 1 - 3 are in harmony and thus form a solid, stable foundation, you will be drawn towards your goal. You no longer need a lot of willpower; you seem to be pursuing your goal of your own accord. You have decided on this goal and therefore there is nothing more to discuss.

If this is not the case and you still have to muster a lot of willpower and motivationeven after several weeks, you should check the first two pillars again.

Reflect:

1. Is your goal, your "why" not clear enough?
2. Have you not yet found the right tool?

If these two are correct, it may well be that you have an inner conviction that is making it difficult for you to successfully pursue your goal. You can search for your inner conflict with a lot of mindfulness and patience. Once you have identified your inner conviction (e.g. it is not safe for me to lose weight), you can rephrase this sentence into a positive affirmation (it is safe for me to lose weight. I am strong and independent.).

It is important that you then internalize this new, positive affirmation over a longer period of time so that your old conviction can be overwritten and re-stored in your subconscious. A coach can help you to find and resolve this inner conflict.

What else helps with changing your diet

1. Create a support network: friends and colleagues can help you achieve your goal and break with your routines. Finding people who also want to change their diet can also give you an extra motivational boost.
2. Compare the current situation with the target situation:What, how much and when do I eat? When do which complaints occur?
3. Record your successes: Write an honest food diary. When do you feel good and which foods are good for you?
4. Keep at it: It's best not to constantly step on the scales and don't make your successes dependent on a number. If you fall back into old patterns of behavior, that's no reason to throw all your plans overboard. Don't blame yourself and don't be too hard on yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day either.
5. You're not on a diet: Healthy eating habits are the goal, but you shouldn't forbid yourself too much. Everything is allowed, but in moderation. Eating fruit and vegetables every day is of course important. Vitamins can help you if you don't get the amount you need from your diet.

Changing your diet: recipe ideas from us for you

Mandelade muesli for breakfast

Bean dip with vegetable sticks for a quick, healthy lunch

Cauliflower rice with dukkah for dinner

Conclusion: How to make a successful dietary

change
Three pillars are needed for a successful long-term dietary change:

1. Define crystal-clear goals - your WHAT and your WHY
2. You need the best tools, aids and know-how - or a coach who can give you all of this - your HOW.
3. And your conscious mind must be in harmony with your subconscious - if you have an inner conflict, it can really torpedo you in achieving your goal. Both should pull together - then nothing will stand in the way of achieving your goal.

Of course, this all applies to changing your diet - but also to any other goal or project that you would like to achieve. Incidentally, there are also special methods for children to change their diet.

About the author

After countless failed diets and health problems, Romina Scalco found the solution for herself with low carb. Since 2013, the blogger and author has been writing on her low carb blog about eating according to your gut feeling, what losing weight has to do with happiness, how you can be happier and how you can implement healthy habits into your everyday life.