What is the secret to eating healthy? I see some succeed, but many fail. So how do you do it? You may get many different ideas when asking your friends; like trading out one type of food for another? Or by just not eating all fast food and junk? Skipping all wheat or dairy? Then there is the group that wants to count calories or apply confusing food values to food types (this still confuses me).
The main idea I try to develop in my clients is that it all starts with a choice!
Choice = Success
Yes, a simple choice can go a long way towards success. Research even proves it. A study was done to see if choices could be influenced by the way a person worded his/her choice. Could behavior be enhanced or impeded by a simple choice of words to resist temptation?
In the study a group of people were divided into two groups of equal number. One group was asked that each time they were faced with a temptation, they would say to themselves out loud “I can’t do (naming whatever the temptation is). Such as, when tempted with a soda to say, “I can’t drink that soda.” The other group was asked to say “I don’t do (naming whatever the temptation is). Such as, when tempted with a soda to say, “I don’t drink soda.”
When each person left the room after the lecture, they handed in their answer sheet about the talk. At this time they were offered a complimentary treat. They could choose between a candy bar or a health bar. After each person made their choice it was marked on their answer sheet by the researcher.
The people who said to themselves ” I can’t eat the chocolate candy bar” chose to still take the chocolate candy bar 61% of the time. While, the people who said to themselves, “I don’t eat chocolate candy bars” chose to take the chocolate candy bar 36% of the time. A simple change in word use greatly improved the out come towards what was desired.
Don’t, Wins Over Can’t
Simple words would not seem to make that much of a difference, but words do convey choices.
We often use Can’t when we are on a diet. “I can’t eat that, it is not allowed.” Behind the scenes we are thinking, “I really can’t wait till I am off this diet so I can eat what I want.” Another way to look at it is, Can’t is a negative choice, it is not really what we want. This shows in our choices and why diets always fail.
Things change completely when we use Don’t. We use the word Don’t when we are making lifestyle changes. This is a positive choice; it is what we want forever. A firm choice is made that we will not go back on. This is not a temporary change, but a permanent change.
Wow, did you get that? This is a secret that is very powerful when used in our lives. We see this all the time in certain groups. Vegetarians for example say flat out they don’t eat meat. End of subject! They will fight you over their beliefs.
Don’t = Belief
When you reason out your choices and apply Don’t to the changes you want to keep forever, they now become your beliefs. You and I both know that talking a person out of their beliefs can be hard.
What would happen if you made a change based on Don’t? Maybe it would become a belief and a lifestyle change overtime…
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