Grabbing that muffin on the way to work may be as, routine to you now as brushing your teeth in the morning. Unconscious habits like these are difficult to break and can be detrimental to your weight loss efforts, especially if they have gone unchecked for a number of years!
Because actions do have consequences, taking positive action will almost always result in a positive outcome. In simple terms, a habit is just an action taken over and over again until it becomes subconscious. While these ‘learned habits‘ can be difficult to break, it is possible to do so with the right methods.
The ABC Method
The idea behind this method is to prevent the problem before it arises, or as the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure!” ABC is an abbreviation for antecedent (the cause), behavior (B), and consequence (C).
Most consequences in weight loss, as in the rest of life, have a cause that therefore creates a certain kind of behavior. By simply removing the root cause of a problem, you also remove the consequence
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The reality is that sometimes it can be a huge task to try cutting all of the unhealthy foods out of one’s life in one shot, so instead, try taking it step by step. If you usually have four takeout meals a week, try cutting that number by one every single week until you aren’t having any takeouts at all! As you succeed with this approach, you will slowly gain more confidence in yourself until you are able really to make a big impact on your weight loss routine.
Keeping a bag of crisps in the kitchen (the Antecedent) will lead you to eat that bag of crisps (the Behavior) and therefore will, over time lead to a gain in unwanted weight (the consequence).
The Gradual Method.
This method involves moving your attention to something else, as soon as your cravings start, and reminding yourself that the cravings will only last for up 15 minutes. When the cravings begin, try something different, such as listening to music or calling a friend to listen to music. Then try some physical activity instead such as going for a walk around the block, if you really want to speed up your weight loss efforts!
This method requires you to be upfront with your negative behaviors. Just think of how unnecessary the extra calories will be if you feel that you are craving that bag of crisps. You can think about the end result of eating that bag of crisps, and how it will negatively impact on your weight loss efforts!
Destroying old habits can be a bit of a difficult task at first especially if they have been embedded in for a while, but keep at it! If you don’t give up, eventually your new habits will form and will become second nature to you. Because they will keep you going when times get tough, just remember to celebrate all your small victories!
The Confrontational Method.
The Distraction Method.
Till next time!
If you really want to speed up your weight loss efforts then try some physical activity instead such as going for a walk around the block!
While these ‘learned habits’ can be difficult to break, it is possible to break them with the right methods.
You can think about the end result of eating that bag of crisps, and how it will negatively impact on your weight loss efforts!
Destroying old habits can be a bit of a difficult task at first especially if they have been embedded in for a while, but keep at it!
As you succeed with this approach you will slowly gain more confidence in yourself until you are able really to make a big impact on your weight loss routine.
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