Control Your Space

Are you trying to lose weight, eat more healthfully or stop smoking?

Have you tried to change but not been able to do so? Do you chalk it up to lack of willpower?

Here are some great tips I discovered recently from ideafit.

When we try to change a fitness and health behaviour, most of us get caught in “the willpower trap”—the fundamental belief that our personal motivation is everything.

When we fail, we decide we need to try harder, which often results in depression rather than change. That is why more than 98% of us fail to change our behaviour (Patterson et al. 2011).

Luckily, the research shows that willpower has very little to do with whether we can kick our lifelong bad habits.

You can change. You just need more than willpower.

Here are a few quick strategies to lose weight, eat healthily and live a healthier life no matter how busy you are.

CONTROL YOUR SPACE

You can change your environment in ways that make good behaviour easier and bad behaviour harder.

Researchers found that people eat an average of 92% of whatever they put on their plate, regardless of how big the plate is (Van Ittersum & Wansink 2013).

Swap your 12-inch plates for 9-inch plates, and the 3-inch reduction will help you consume 33% fewer calories.

To help with your environment:

Build fences. Create rules that cut you off from the bad behaviour. (I pack my lunch because I know I will go for the fried rice and curry sauces in the cafe outside our studio or I will get a muffin if I do not have a piece of fruit with me).

Manage distance. Bring good things close and move temptations far away. (We have healthy food placed around our kitchen and 99% of the time we don't have any junk food in the house or I will eat it).

Use tools. Recruit computers, smartphones, and other devices to help you change. (I am not a fan of these but I know they work for many people so choose which ones that are most helpful to you)

Use cues. Post visible tools to record your progress. (Use measurements, graphs, dresses, trousers, photos or whatever it takes).

Behavior is driven by two powerful factors: motivation (is it worth it?) and ability (can I do it?). 

Make things as effortless as possible.

You do not need complexity and more decisions on top of your already busy schedule.