The End of Diet Thinking -- Three Tips to Coach Yourself Thin

30 Day Mediterranean Lifestyle Challenge

Image from trainsmartcoaching.com

When we think of dieting, most of us think of being disciplined and postponing joy, and most of us aren't particularly good at either. This kind of "all or nothing" thinking generally leads to disappointment and ultimately a loss of motivation. I think this has been one of the flaws in the weight-loss challenges we've held in the past. They just haven't provided a good foundation for making a sustainable lifestyle change. This is one of the reasons we're taking a new approach this time. 

Together we are going to adopt a healthy Mediterranean lifestyle for 30 days. At the end of the 30 days, we'll assess how we feel. If this works as it should, we'll have enjoyed wonderful meals with family and friends. We'll feel happy and satisfied. We'll have more energy and be proud of how we're influencing our loved ones. We'll want to continue our healthy lifestyle. 

The title for this post came from an Underground Wellness podcast that I listened to about the "coaching voice." The host interviewed the authors of Coach Yourself Thin: Five Steps to Retrain Your Mind, Reclaim Your Power and Lose the Weight for Good. They had a few recommendations that I think are worth considering as we embark on this challenge. 

1. Assess Your Readiness -- Think about the barriers you will encounter during this challenge and develop strategies for overcoming them. It probably won't hurt to write them down -- when ____ happens, I will do _____. I've heard a number of people mention a long commute derails their good intentions. If that's among the challenges you face, take a look at these tips and come up with a plan for dealing with it now.  
2. Be Positive -- I touched on the importance of this when I recapped Tony Robbins presentation at Live Well. Be Well. Research has shown that experiencing positive emotions in a 3 to 1 ratio with negative emotions leads people to enhance their relationships, improve their health, relieve depression and broaden their minds.  Take a look at this tool to track your positivity ratio.
3. Build Your Resilience -- If diet is synonymous with discipline, resilience is synonymous with flexibility. Let's face it, we're all going to face challenges that we haven't anticipated. If we want to lead a healthy lifestyle, the key is to not let those events lead us off that path. Take a look at 10 Ways to Build Resilience from the American Psychological Association.  

Cyndi Fales shared a post on how you can use our 30 Day Challenge to Drop Those Extra Pounds. If weight loss is among your goals, use the next nine days to put yourself in the right frame of mind for success.