7 Motivational Tips for Building a Great Body

Behavioral Approaches to Weight Control and Fitness Management

Here are seven behaviors to adopt when you’re trying to introduce and build lifelong habits for health and fitness. Examples of each are provided. While some of these items may seem impractical for you, they are examples of the types of behavior modification you may wish to consider. Think of some of your own as well.

1. Plan to Achieve Your Goals

• Consider health and fitness a lifelong project. Approach it in a similar way to buying a house, car, overseas trip or other major project: Make it a necessity.
• Plan, plan, plan. Use diaries, logs or journals to record activities, nominate goals and track progress.
• Include photographs, notes to yourself, motivational quotes, and poetry -- anything to keep you focused.
• Don't over-reach. Set goals that you consider achievable. If you aim too high, disappointment can discourage you. Two pounds a week of fat loss might be an achievable goal for many people. Five pounds may not.

2. Control Overeating Patterns

• Store food out of sight.
• Don’t save leftovers.
• Minimize ready-to-eat foods.
• Don’t accept food offered by others.
• Don’t leave serving dishes on the table.
• Use smaller plate sizes.
• Shop with a list. That way you won't impulsively buy unhealthy food.

3. Manage Eating Behavior

• Chew thoroughly before swallowing.
• Eat slowly. Put your fork down after each mouthful.
• Don’t watch television while eating or snacking.
• Establish set meal and snack times and stick to them.
• Place magnets or stickers on your refrigerator with motivational messages to prevent you from opening that fridge door.

4. Reward Progress and Achievement

• Ask for help and encouragement from family and friends. Praise and reward from people that are close to you can be a powerful psychological stimulus for success.
• Plan rewards for reaching specific behavior and goals such as going to a movie or buying a new outfit.
• Be careful with food rewards. Healthy foods such as a favorite fruit or low-calorie yogurt may be fine, but don't create a pattern of eating forbidden foods for reward or comfort.
• Set achievable goals, but make them tough enough that they challenge you and create a sense of achievement on completion.

5. Start Self-monitoring

• Start a diary or log.
• Include food eaten, meals taken, places and people at the meal.
• Record exercise you do and how you felt you performed.
• Summarize daily feelings about effort and progress.
• Use the diary to identify problem areas.
• Set achievable goals.
• Learn nutritional and energy values of foods.

6. Increase Physical Activity and Exercise

• Be aware of non-exercise activity and how to increase it.
• Move more: Use stairs, do more housework, sit less, tend to your garden.
• Use a pedometer to record how much you walk. Aim for 10,000 steps each day.
• Start with a beginner's exercise program so that you don't get discouraged. If you are new to weight training or any exercise, get clearance from your doctor. The nature of your exercise program will depend on your fitness and existing health conditions.
• Set achievable goals.
• Learn energy equivalents of exercise sessions.
• Keep a diary or log.

7. Use Mind and Psychological Tools

• Avoid setting goals that may be beyond your capabilities.
• Dwell on achievements, not on missed goals.
• Counter negative thoughts with rational and positive thoughts and statements.
• Use the food and exercise diary or personal journal to issue positive reinforcement, record achievements and adjust goals.

Summing Up

_Sources:

Cockburn J. Adoption of evidence into practice: can change be sustainable?. MJA Vol 180, S67, 15 March 2004.

Zimmerman GL, Olsen CG, Bosworth MF. A 'stages of change' approach to helping patients change behavior. Am Fam Physician. 2000 Mar 1;61(5):1409-16.

AJ Stunkard, HC Berthold. What is behavior therapy? A very short description of behavioral weight control. Am J Clin Nutr l985;4l:821-823.

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