Excerpt
from The Dieter's Paradox: Why Dieting Makes Us Fat
by Alexander Chernev
Stay the Course
Our weight-loss efforts are often derailed by our focus on
short-term results and lack of commitment to a particular course
of action. Even when we are devoted to the idea of dieting, we
seem to have trouble staying loyal to the chosen dieting plan.
The following strategies can help curb this consistency bias:
Control mindless habits. Mindless eating has become
ingrained in our lifestyle. Too often we eat out of habit,
grabbing things just because they're out there in plain sight,
waiting to be eaten. To get a grip on these subconscious
impulses, make indulgences less frequent, less prominent, and
less convenient. Avoid temptations by banishing them from
your daily routine.
Think long term. Our myopic focus on immediate results
makes us seek drastic solutions, downplaying the effect of
incremental changes. We fail to visualize the long-term impact
of our short-term actions and refuse to believe that skipping a
400- calorie muffin every morning could reduce our annual
calorie intake by as much as 150,000 calories (equal to the
recommended calorie intake for 60 full days). Over the long
run, small changes produce big results.
Set actionable goals. Having the vague goal of
"dieting" without a defined action plan can hardly help one lose
weight. To be actionable, goals need be specific: they must
pinpoint the desired outcomes and set a time frame for achieving
these outcomes. Writing down goals makes them easier to share,
which further strengthens our commitment and makes us more
accountable for reaching them. Set actionable goals and
fortify your commitment by writing down and sharing these
goals.
Manage variety. Variety can both facilitate and
hamper weight-management efforts. Abundant variety makes us
eager to try all the different options available and in many
cases leads to overconsumption. Not enough variety can lead to
boredom and increased consumption because lack of novelty blunts
satisfaction and delays satiation. Introduce variety into
your menu while controlling total consumption.
Think carrots, not sticks. Diets based only on
inhibition are short-lived: they produce short-term results and
are often followed by a rebound. (This is why many crash diets
create repeat customers!) The goal is not to conquer the
indulgent urges but to pacify them with sensible rewards. Focus on what to achieve, not just what to avoid.
Think beyond consumption episodes. Thinking about food
in terms of consumption episodes makes us vulnerable to the
"what-the-hell" effect. Once we break our diet, we consider the
entire meal or event "spoiled" and consequently overindulge in
the very behavior we've been trying to avoid. Break away
from the "what-the-hell" mentality.
Copyright © 2011 Alexander Chernev, author of The Dieter's Paradox: Why Dieting Makes Us Fat
Author Bio
Alexander Chernev, author of The Dieter's Paradox:
Why Dieting Makes Us Fat, is a psychologist who is
studying how people make choices. He holds two doctoral degrees:
a Ph.D. in Psychology from Sofia University and a second Ph.D.
in Business Administration from Duke University. He is a
marketing professor at Northwestern University, where he teaches
behavioral decision theory, marketing management and strategy,
and consumer research.
Dr. Chernev has won numerous awards for his teaching and research, including the Early Career Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association for his contribution to consumer psychology. His research has been published in leading psychology journals, and a recent survey ranked him as the most prolific scholar in the top marketing journals in the past 20 years. He has been widely quoted in the business and popular press, including Scientific American, Business Week, Forbes, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Harper's Magazine.
He is not on a diet but often adds a healthy option to his
meals.
For more information please visit http://www.dietersparadox.com/, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter