Today many people are savvy and realize that living well and losing weight must be done in the context of progressive behavior change. This article will help” get your mind straight” on what it takes to achieve a lifestyle change. You can begin today to lose weight and be more healthful by following the 4 steps outlined in this article.
When I was a competitive runner, my friends and I would “carbohydrate load” the night before an important race.
A carbohydrate loading diet also called carbo-loading diet is a strategy to increase the amount of fuel stored in the muscles to improve athletic performance in sports where endurance needs to be optimal. It involves increasing the amount of carbohydrates one consumes several days before an athletic endurance event while simultaneously decreasing energy output.
My friends and I would implement a modified carbo-loading diet for most races, which consisted of eating – “loading up” on many foods that today are considered taboo for a healthy lifestyle. If we were racing under 15 miles, we would implement a simple night before the race carbo-loading dinner. The night before the race we would have dinner at my house since my mom, being Italian, knew how to naturally carbohydrate load! She would serve us Rigatoni with red sauce, white-hot, fresh-from-the-oven bread, and vanilla ice cream drenched in chocolate sauce. All the foods were obviously high in carbohydrates! As endurance athletes running upwards of 60 – 80 miles weekly, we burned these calories immediately. I would like to tell you that I only ate this way prior to a race, but the fact is that I grew up in a family that celebrated everything that could be celebrated with food, drink, and pasta-craving friends and family.
People often believe I am “naturally thin.” This assumption negates much of the hard effort that went into changing lifestyle habits created by growing up in an Italian pasta and white bread eating family. I do not care to imagine what I would feel like had I continued eating pasta and white bread every night! In defense of our family eating habits, I will say, thank goodness my mom always made an abundance of greens and salads for “dessert” instead of the ice cream I would have with my friends on the night prior to a big race!
Why I tell this Story
I tell this story because I believe it can help you. In my coaching practice, I have observed that some client’s eating practices of the past are detrimentally affecting who they are and how they feel about themselves today. The lifestyles and eating practices learned as children are still haunting many people today. Notably, yet troubling, researchers continue to confirm, that unless we take focused action in changing many of our adverse lifestyle habits, we may live long due to continuing supply of pharmaceuticals, but we will not live well. In talking with people in my coaching practice, quality of life trumps longevity.
Why Is It Important to Know Our History?
It is important to know our history of eating patterns because the awareness it brings is necessary for change to occur. For example, I have one gentleman that I coach who was brought up with nightly bedtime desserts. He is in his early 50’s. And when asked to estimate how many times he has not had dessert in his lifetime before bedtime, he held up three fingers! Did it ever occur to him that this family lifestyle habit would be a problem? Of course not! Until we chatted about it and he reflected on the seemingly normalcy of it, he did not realize that it was a lifestyle problem that contributed to his pre-diabetic condition. This sounds ridiculous, I realize. Certainly, anyone who reads knows that nightly desserts are off-limits as part of a healthy lifestyle. What is important to understand is that until we confront the behavior, and bring it to the forefront of our awareness, we will not make any lifestyle change.
How Can this Help You?
Did you ever just wonder: How did that person lose so much weight? He has been overweight ever since I have known him! Now he is slim and muscular looking. What did he do?
I see this all the time. Here is what is going on. People are getting realistic. They have stopped duping themselves and ceased using every diet potion out there. In short, they have found their motivation and are dealing with the root cause – behavior. If you are at this point in your life too, and you want to get started now, read below. This little seemingly simplistic 4-step plan is apt to be snubbed by those who feel they need more packaging, more bells and more whistles, but do not be fooled. It works!
1. Tell a spouse or friend who cares. Tell them what you want to change and why.
2. Ask them to hold you accountable each day in the beginning, and then less often as your success grows in changing the behavior.
3. Focus only on one behavior change Do not try to change multiple behaviors. Stick with one.
4. Reward yourself immediately after accomplishing the task. Aim to reward yourself less often as the behavior gets easier.
Upshot: Do not think you are too smart for this kind of training!
It is a little known fact in the world of science that top CEO’s are rewarding their managers with paper gold stars! These updated thinking business people are reading the brain literature and applying it aptly. Hokey? Perhaps. Effective? Yes! ( To get the names of CEOs who are doing this – go to Scientific American Mind!)
What This Looks Like In Real Life. Tom Is Our Man
1. Tom to wife – “I need to lose 16 pounds. I cannot play golf as well as I did and I feel more tired than usual. I could use your help. Will you agree to me getting rid of all the junk in the pantry and in the refrigerator so that I am not inclined to eat junk after dinner?”
Wife – “Yes. Happy to do so. I will even help you get rid of things that are hurting your health. I need to lose a few pounds myself anyways.”
2. Wife to Tom – “Did you finish day one of not eating junk after dinner?
Tom– “Yes. I had 3 strawberries and some yogurt instead.”
Wife – “Nice work. I am feeling like I should do the same. Let’s resolve to do this daily and celebrate by going to the movies at the end of the week!”
3. Tom to wife – “I want to stay really focused on this one change because I’ve already lost 3 pounds in just 7 days! I know that if I try to change too many things at once, I will lose focus and not do anything at all. I am already feeling like I want to move more and be active. I’ll plan on walking more but will stay focused on the night time change.”
4. Tom to wife after 5 weeks – “My yogurt night time routine is really easy to do now. I enjoy the treat and I do not crave the chips and ice cream that I used to have. I have lost 9 lbs in 5 weeks and it is easy now. Best part is that I have more energy and I feel like I want to get even healthier. My energy is great!”
5. Wife to Tom – I feel good too. I lost the 4 pounds, and all in my stomach! Let’s pick another change and see if we can get to the point where it seems easy. Just like the yogurt and berries seems easy. You know, I do not miss any of the junk at night, and I feel like I have the confidence to continue getting healthier! I cannot believe that all these years of trying to lose weight and this is all we had to do! We made things so complex. It really doesn’t have to be like that. I’m ready to feel even better.”
6. Tom – “Me too! Let’s celebrate and go on a long weekend vacation!”
For those of you that need a nudge or do not have the support of a spouse or understanding friend, see me for my one behavior change program that is focused on you! Effective and economical, it is a great way to see much success and weight loss in 5 simple weeks!
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but only for those who
dare. Call 904 501 6002
5 weeks of telling you what to do!