This is a double-double with cheese.

I really enjoy my diet. That’s probably not a surprise (I mean, I write about diet and exercise for a living for a reason). But I can teach you to love your diet too. Don’t believe me? Let’s find out.

I’m going to ask you to make a little mental switch in how you think about your diet. It’s simple, and it shouldn’t take long for this simple difference to have a big effect on your happiness.

I want you to change the way you think about your diet. Specifically, I want you to focus on the positive, and not the negative. It sounds like some new-agey pseudoscience, I won’t deny that. But I’ve seen it make a huge difference for people many times over.

Instead of thinking about what you shouldn’t eat – focus on what you should eat. 

It’s that simple. Let’s look at an example of how this works:

I was at In-N-Out Burger yesterday, my favorite location for a little dietary fringe eating. I was with someone who ordered nothing but a double-double (that’s a cheeseburger with two patties for you non-californians).

She ate 2/3 of her burger, then proclaimed she wouldn’t finish because she was full.

I believe she stopped eating because she cares about her weight, and thinks that eating fewer calories will improve her body composition (that’s a common myth). If she were thinking a little differently – thinking positively – she could have enjoyed her meal to a similar extent, but with better results.

If she were thinking positively, she would have stopped eating the burger a little sooner, then eaten the rest of the patties and cheese. If she were focused on getting more positive nutrients, she would have made sure to eat the “good parts” of the burger, even if it meant eating a little less of the “bad part” (the bun).

With that small change, she would have gotten more healthy protein and fat, and eaten less hyperpalatable, nutritionally-devoid bun. She feels about the same about the meal, but gets a better result. This is a tiny example, but when we take this a little further…

Small Change in Thought, Big Change in Abs

Probiotic foods are fantastically healthy. Bone marrow, liver, and eggs are fundamental to health. Fruits and vegetables are necessary as well. Getting more protein ensures you’ll have more muscle and less fat.

If you focus on eating positive foods, you’ll eat all that stuff. Then you won’t be hungry enough to eat much garbage.

See the power here? You feel positive about fueling your body correctly, and you don’t have to fight cravings for garbage because you’re already full.

So from now on, instead of focusing on what you shouldn’t eat, focus on what you should eat. Think about positive foods instead of negative ones. Instead of thinking “I love bread, I don’t want to give it up!”, think “I want to eat more eggs, because that will improve my mood, energy levels, and body composition.”

Focus on what you’re getting, not what you’re missing.

It’s empowering to know that you’re eating things that improve your health and fitness. The junk food will fall out naturally.

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