The Psychology of Weight Loss: Part 4 - The Power of Praise!
Your success in sticking with an exercise and weight loss program may just come down to you asking for help - unless pride gets in your way. The key to longevity is surrounding yourself with people who will give you support followed up by accountability.
"A good team is one that has quality support, honest encouragement, and requires personal responsibility." From my e book The "A" Factor
Your Inner Circle
"You can tell a lot about a person by the friends they keep." This is a very true statement. Let me say this first. Many decisions in life have strings attached to them. Strings sometimes make it virtually impossible to accomplish any goal. However, it is important to be aware of who influences you the most. Usually there are two types of people around you:
Toxic, negative, pessimistic people Non-toxic, encouraging support people.
Negative, Pessimistic People: Toxic
You usually know these people. After being around them you feel physically and mentally drained. Toxic people are envious, cynical, and pessimistic by nature. If you try to get support and encouragement from this type of person, all you're going to get is frustrated. If possible, don't spend much time with them.
Positive, Optimistic People: Non-Toxic
On the other hand, if you are around those who are honest and encouraging, you become a reservoir of energy. Depending on how important change is to you, the choice of changing friends and certain relationships may be necessary. In other words, if you want to know about yourself, just look at the types of friends you have.
EnCOURAGEment
The most effective accountability systems I know are those that stress encouragement, accompanied by direct responsibility. Encouragement and support can come form different directions. In most cases, you're influenced by those with whom you most associate and those you most value in your life. The more you're positively reinforced, the more fulfilling the journey will be and the more memorable. It takes courage to take this step and if you make it, you should be applauded.
Responsibility
Even though you can't succeed alone, you still have to take some responsibility in your health and goals. Part of being responsible is sharing goals with close friends and support people. Take some pride in what you want to do. Take what you're doing seriously. If you don't have your health, what do you have?
"A good team is one that has quality support, honest encouragement, and requires personal responsibility." From my e book The "A" Factor
Your Inner Circle
"You can tell a lot about a person by the friends they keep." This is a very true statement. Let me say this first. Many decisions in life have strings attached to them. Strings sometimes make it virtually impossible to accomplish any goal. However, it is important to be aware of who influences you the most. Usually there are two types of people around you:
Toxic, negative, pessimistic people Non-toxic, encouraging support people.
Negative, Pessimistic People: Toxic
You usually know these people. After being around them you feel physically and mentally drained. Toxic people are envious, cynical, and pessimistic by nature. If you try to get support and encouragement from this type of person, all you're going to get is frustrated. If possible, don't spend much time with them.
Positive, Optimistic People: Non-Toxic
On the other hand, if you are around those who are honest and encouraging, you become a reservoir of energy. Depending on how important change is to you, the choice of changing friends and certain relationships may be necessary. In other words, if you want to know about yourself, just look at the types of friends you have.
EnCOURAGEment
The most effective accountability systems I know are those that stress encouragement, accompanied by direct responsibility. Encouragement and support can come form different directions. In most cases, you're influenced by those with whom you most associate and those you most value in your life. The more you're positively reinforced, the more fulfilling the journey will be and the more memorable. It takes courage to take this step and if you make it, you should be applauded.
Responsibility
Even though you can't succeed alone, you still have to take some responsibility in your health and goals. Part of being responsible is sharing goals with close friends and support people. Take some pride in what you want to do. Take what you're doing seriously. If you don't have your health, what do you have?
The Psychology of Weight Loss: Part 5 - Perspectives toward
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of it that works, but the basic principle of any good eating program, no matter how sugarcoated, centers around calories IN-- calories OUT.
The eating "only one type of food diets" will not be effective, and such a restricted diet defeats you mentally. Most diets are just too unrealistic for a person's lifestyle. Plus they don't supply enough basic nutritional needs for people to stay with them. Balance is the key! Attitude is the key to keeping balance!! Here are what I call the 5 P's of eating and the attitude one must take to keep food in check!
Perspectives toward food
Ask yourself, "Why do I eat?" Most will say, "I eat because I have to." Well, think about it. Do you? If you eat just because you have to, then your choices will be more for taste. If you ate with the attitude that food was fuel, then how would you eat? You may be more likely to make a quality choice. Your attitude toward food is very important!
Pattern of eating
Do you drive the same way to work every day? Do you go to the same grocery store? Do you hang out with the same people most of the time? The same thing is true with your food.
Chances are you eat at the same time, gobble up the same food types and in most cases, you take in roughly the same amount of food on a weekly basis? Your body gets used to eating the same types and same amounts. As in exercise, it is really important to incorporate a variety of foods in our daily eating to keep it off guard, so to speak.
Pushing your buttons
Why do you think advertisements are so powerful? They spark something inside of you and immediately you find yourself on autopilot going to the refrigerator or the next fast food joint to get something you don't need. Recognize this so you can make better choices.
Portion Control
Being aware of how much you eat at one time is very important. Take spaghetti for example--fifteen years ago the doctors came out and endorsed pasta as a healthy food. While this is true, physicians didn't explain portion control. Even though pasta may be a good food type, an extra hundred or two calories a few times a week adds up. Learn to push the plate away.
Pre-Planning
This may sound like common sense, but with our busy lifestyles, pre-planning meals in advance is far from simple. However, pre-planning is essential.
For most of us all we can do to just keep up with the day's activities, much less cook in advance. It really boils down to time management. If you have good choices in the refrigerator, you will be more likely to eat that food. When healthy foods are unavailable, you will go out of your way to the pantry, pizza parlor, or fast food restaurant for immediate gratification.
In a nut shell:
Eating right has a lot to do with how you look at food, how much you eat and what you eat. Recognize if you have eating patterns. The patterns may be lifestyle, emotional, physically related or all the above. Pre-planning meals and shopping ahead solves a lot of the poor decision making. Learn to push yourself away from the table. YOU WILL EAT TOMORROW!
From the suggestion box:
If you have excessive eating habits, they may be emotionally related. Figure out your bad habits and counteract them.
Pre-plan the week, if possible. You'll make better choices if you have better choices from which to choose.
Food journal twice a month with times, types and amounts of food eaten.
Snacking throughout the day helps overeating.
Eat until comfortable - you will eat tomorrow.
Eat with your opposite hand.
Sit while you are eating.
Proper - Planning - Prevents - Poor - Performance!
The eating "only one type of food diets" will not be effective, and such a restricted diet defeats you mentally. Most diets are just too unrealistic for a person's lifestyle. Plus they don't supply enough basic nutritional needs for people to stay with them. Balance is the key! Attitude is the key to keeping balance!! Here are what I call the 5 P's of eating and the attitude one must take to keep food in check!
Perspectives toward food
Ask yourself, "Why do I eat?" Most will say, "I eat because I have to." Well, think about it. Do you? If you eat just because you have to, then your choices will be more for taste. If you ate with the attitude that food was fuel, then how would you eat? You may be more likely to make a quality choice. Your attitude toward food is very important!
Pattern of eating
Do you drive the same way to work every day? Do you go to the same grocery store? Do you hang out with the same people most of the time? The same thing is true with your food.
Chances are you eat at the same time, gobble up the same food types and in most cases, you take in roughly the same amount of food on a weekly basis? Your body gets used to eating the same types and same amounts. As in exercise, it is really important to incorporate a variety of foods in our daily eating to keep it off guard, so to speak.
Pushing your buttons
Why do you think advertisements are so powerful? They spark something inside of you and immediately you find yourself on autopilot going to the refrigerator or the next fast food joint to get something you don't need. Recognize this so you can make better choices.
Portion Control
Being aware of how much you eat at one time is very important. Take spaghetti for example--fifteen years ago the doctors came out and endorsed pasta as a healthy food. While this is true, physicians didn't explain portion control. Even though pasta may be a good food type, an extra hundred or two calories a few times a week adds up. Learn to push the plate away.
Pre-Planning
This may sound like common sense, but with our busy lifestyles, pre-planning meals in advance is far from simple. However, pre-planning is essential.
For most of us all we can do to just keep up with the day's activities, much less cook in advance. It really boils down to time management. If you have good choices in the refrigerator, you will be more likely to eat that food. When healthy foods are unavailable, you will go out of your way to the pantry, pizza parlor, or fast food restaurant for immediate gratification.
In a nut shell:
Eating right has a lot to do with how you look at food, how much you eat and what you eat. Recognize if you have eating patterns. The patterns may be lifestyle, emotional, physically related or all the above. Pre-planning meals and shopping ahead solves a lot of the poor decision making. Learn to push yourself away from the table. YOU WILL EAT TOMORROW!
From the suggestion box:
If you have excessive eating habits, they may be emotionally related. Figure out your bad habits and counteract them.
Pre-plan the week, if possible. You'll make better choices if you have better choices from which to choose.
Food journal twice a month with times, types and amounts of food eaten.
Snacking throughout the day helps overeating.
Eat until comfortable - you will eat tomorrow.
Eat with your opposite hand.
Sit while you are eating.
Proper - Planning - Prevents - Poor - Performance!
The Psychology of Weight Loss: Part 6 - It's not about Numbe
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!
The health clubs are always racking their brains trying to figure out why they have such a hard time keeping members coming back. Most owners would argue that cash flow and profit margins are the most important reason to retain membership. Yes, but what drives customers to these health clubs?
These owners have lost touch with what matters most, the customer! Give the customer more than they expect and they will continue to do business with you. Selling a product or service is about people more so than numbers on a spreadsheet.
SINK HOLES VS. POTHOLES
I want you to think of this principle in your workout. You know it is very easy to get burdened down with all the details of an exercise and diet program. While guidelines are necessary, at times focusing too much on the numbers can and will set you up for failure.
You may start to think all this counting calories, reps, and keeping track of heart rates are too much to accomplish. Unexpectedly, you start to lose sight of your goals and it becomes more of a job than a hobby or stress release. You may even quit exercising. This can be an immediate sinkhole for you.
It would be unrealistic to think you are not going to have some tough days. It's hard getting in shape. It takes determination and discipline. More importantly, it takes looking over those down days to the end goal. Do not get too worked up about hitting all the numbers on the charts all the time.
The bigger challenge lies in the follow through. In order to follow through, you have to have a certain amount of PERSONAL FITNESS ACCOUNTABLITY!
IT'S BEING SOLD OUT! The only way you will follow through on an exercise program is to be sold out. The military calls them "lifers." These are people who are committed to something for the long haul. Are you a lifer? Could you be a lifer?
A lifer has a sold out mindset. He or she realizes that there will be potholes to go through; there may even be a sinkhole up ahead, but they get through it or they go around the situation. It may take support from others, but it gets done. You may not be a lifer today, but you could be if you don't make changes now! Why do you think New Year's Resolutions don't work? Waiting to start a good exercise program begs the question, "Are you serious enough about it to begin now instead of putting it off till a certain time?" Now is the time to start. BEING SOLD OUT IS AN ATTITUDE OF THE HEART! IT'S THE BIG PICTURE Each of you is different. You will put into exercise a certain amount of effort and everyone will get something different from it. You cannot just package good intentions and say, "If you do this or if you buy that, you will receive this in return." It just doesn't work that way.
But, I will guarantee you this: committing to exercise and eating right will bring you nothing but positive and fulfilling rewards, both physically and emotionally. It could very well save your life some day. It saved mine!
A PROMISE THAT CAN NOT BE BROKEN.
I have bad days. I have good days. I have days I had wish I had never started exercising. I want fried foods some days. I eat fried foods sometimes. I want to take a vacation from it all. I take a vacation from it all. Yet, at the end of the day, some small voice inside reminds me of that decision I made many years ago. I can't turn back even when I want to. I made a commitment to myself years ago:
Never be afraid to ask for help and realize every day to focus on the big picture.
What about you? Are you going to sell out to being miserable, achy, low energy, and suffer from low self-esteem? Or are you going to make a meaningful decision to get in better health? Let's do it together.
In a nut shell:
While guidelines are needed, try not to get bogged down with the details. Make a decision to make exercise and eating right a priority in your life, even if it is not up to your expectations. Exercise and better eating will give back a very fulfilling life. But you have to keep your eye on the ball. Speed bumps and potholes will always be there in season. The process of avoiding them can be a lot more fun than you can imagine.
The health clubs are always racking their brains trying to figure out why they have such a hard time keeping members coming back. Most owners would argue that cash flow and profit margins are the most important reason to retain membership. Yes, but what drives customers to these health clubs?
These owners have lost touch with what matters most, the customer! Give the customer more than they expect and they will continue to do business with you. Selling a product or service is about people more so than numbers on a spreadsheet.
SINK HOLES VS. POTHOLES
I want you to think of this principle in your workout. You know it is very easy to get burdened down with all the details of an exercise and diet program. While guidelines are necessary, at times focusing too much on the numbers can and will set you up for failure.
You may start to think all this counting calories, reps, and keeping track of heart rates are too much to accomplish. Unexpectedly, you start to lose sight of your goals and it becomes more of a job than a hobby or stress release. You may even quit exercising. This can be an immediate sinkhole for you.
It would be unrealistic to think you are not going to have some tough days. It's hard getting in shape. It takes determination and discipline. More importantly, it takes looking over those down days to the end goal. Do not get too worked up about hitting all the numbers on the charts all the time.
The bigger challenge lies in the follow through. In order to follow through, you have to have a certain amount of PERSONAL FITNESS ACCOUNTABLITY!
IT'S BEING SOLD OUT! The only way you will follow through on an exercise program is to be sold out. The military calls them "lifers." These are people who are committed to something for the long haul. Are you a lifer? Could you be a lifer?
A lifer has a sold out mindset. He or she realizes that there will be potholes to go through; there may even be a sinkhole up ahead, but they get through it or they go around the situation. It may take support from others, but it gets done. You may not be a lifer today, but you could be if you don't make changes now! Why do you think New Year's Resolutions don't work? Waiting to start a good exercise program begs the question, "Are you serious enough about it to begin now instead of putting it off till a certain time?" Now is the time to start. BEING SOLD OUT IS AN ATTITUDE OF THE HEART! IT'S THE BIG PICTURE Each of you is different. You will put into exercise a certain amount of effort and everyone will get something different from it. You cannot just package good intentions and say, "If you do this or if you buy that, you will receive this in return." It just doesn't work that way.
But, I will guarantee you this: committing to exercise and eating right will bring you nothing but positive and fulfilling rewards, both physically and emotionally. It could very well save your life some day. It saved mine!
A PROMISE THAT CAN NOT BE BROKEN.
I have bad days. I have good days. I have days I had wish I had never started exercising. I want fried foods some days. I eat fried foods sometimes. I want to take a vacation from it all. I take a vacation from it all. Yet, at the end of the day, some small voice inside reminds me of that decision I made many years ago. I can't turn back even when I want to. I made a commitment to myself years ago:
Never be afraid to ask for help and realize every day to focus on the big picture.
What about you? Are you going to sell out to being miserable, achy, low energy, and suffer from low self-esteem? Or are you going to make a meaningful decision to get in better health? Let's do it together.
In a nut shell:
While guidelines are needed, try not to get bogged down with the details. Make a decision to make exercise and eating right a priority in your life, even if it is not up to your expectations. Exercise and better eating will give back a very fulfilling life. But you have to keep your eye on the ball. Speed bumps and potholes will always be there in season. The process of avoiding them can be a lot more fun than you can imagine.
