The Red Vine Factor 👅

Hey ,

Change is hard and the thought of giving up something you love often makes us resist making it - even when the benefits of the change in question yield a high return on the investment.

That's why, when my client came to me brandished with a fist full of Red Vines candy and ready for a fight, I knew I was about to have a challenging, but necessary conversation about her favorite comfort food.

She had made great strides with her nutrition and exercise, and was enjoying the things she knew were important to her - time with friends, recreational sports, and doctor's visits that ended with "keep doing what you're doing" instead of a new prescription. But she was annoyed (and a little pissed off) that she couldn't go back to eating her favorite treats.

Whenever we are asked to limit something our brain deems a high-priority reward (that dopamine factor), it's completely natural to resist and ask, "Do I have to give up everything I love forever?"

There are two ways to meet this moment:

The old "Everything in Moderation" answer, which can definitely work for some people. Then again, those people rarely come to see me for coaching as they already have a moderation practice in place from the get-go. Their dopamine itch is not so itch-y, y'know?
The Resistance Reframe which is more effective, helps a person see their strengths, the value of their current practices, and was exactly what we did.

I reflected on the past months and the work that she had done to get to where she was. I noted the work that had happened, and the challenges she had navigated through. I pointed out the things that she was enjoying now and how they had made her feel - using her own words.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.." she said. "But I really miss my Red Vines."

Then, I said:

"What if we put all of those things you've achieved on one side of the room, and a package of Red Vines on the other, which would you choose?"

The choice was obvious: The candy.

KIDDING! It was not the candy. It was her quality of life. She hadn't seen it that way before. In her case, the candy directly impacted her health in a way that would restrict her ability to enjoy her quality of life. She couldn't have both in the way that she wanted to and the choice as to which was the most important became clear.

I reflected that it seemed to me that it wasn't that she couldn't have the things she liked anymore, but rather that she was choosing to prioritize the things that made her feel whole, connected to the people she loved, gave her less pain in her body and helped her feel happier. All the Red Vines in the world couldn't do that for her.

Now you might think this is a pretty simple story. That's because I wrote it that way - so you could easily see the outcome. But this relationship, the trust, the setbacks, and the progress developed over a period of six months. I don't know if this process would have been as meaningful for her during our first session. I may have been "just another healthy person" who didn't understand her life.

That's the beauty of an ongoing coaching relationship. We move past the simple answers, work through the resistance, and reframe the choice. And that consistency is exactly what I've built my upcoming Finally Ready Program around.

With this affordable, once-a-month coaching engagement, you'll receive the structure needed to move past resistance:

✔️ One Monthly Goal-Focused Coaching Call

✔️ One Monthly Self-Reflection Assessment to track real progress.

✔️ Text & Email Support for direct encouragement, urgent support, and those "I need a boost" moments—no more slipping back.

Space will be limited for this inaugural program. Secure your spot! Click the link below and receive a digital download of my JZ Self Care Planner and be the first to get access when the program opens this month!

Join The Waitlist

Living Well With You, Not At You,

Coach JZ (Jenna)