Dear Subscriber,
How’re you doing?
Hopefully you’re still on
track to keep your resolutions …
even despite a possible slight
indulgence on Valentine’s Day.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s around
this time that most people give
up.
They let life’s stresses take over
and start finding excuses as to why
they can’t keep moving towards their
goals.
I don’t want that to happen to you
(and if it already has, what are you
waiting for!? Get back on track. It’s not
too late!)
That’s why today I want to share a quick
tip that can help you stick with a healthy
eating plan. It goes to show that sometimes a
small shift in your thinking can translate into
BIG results.
Enjoy!
Yours For Health,
Shane Shiels
Shashido Enterprises
Adelaide’s Premier Health & Fitness Expert
Can You Use Temptation to Propel You to
Fitness Success?
Here’s something I thought you might find
interesting…
Temptation, when it comes to sticking with
your diet, may not be a bad thing.
In fact, it can even help you!
Before I share the details of the study I
found with you, let me just say that I’ve
always believed that success at staying lean
and healthy (or success at anything in life,
for that matter) requires the right mental attitude.
As famed motivational speaker Zig Ziglar
says, “Your attitude determines your altitude.”
Without the right mindset, it becomes too
easy to falter.
On to the study…
A research paper published in the Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, studied
two groups of people – those who were successful
at achieving their long-term goals and those
who weren’t.
It turns out there is a small shift in perception
that the group who actually ACHIEVES their
goals does in their minds, that the other group
doesn’t.
What is it?
When faced with temptation, the group that
stuck with their goals saw it as a BIG reminder
for them to stay the course. It reminded them
of their goal and helped them stay on track.
The people who were unsuccessful at achieving
their long-term goals saw the temptation as a
huge obstacle to overcome. [1]
Pretty awesome right?
Such a small shift in perception of the same
temptation can cause a radically different outcome.
In some cases, it can even mean the difference
between failure and success.
But this doesn’t quite tell us HOW those successful
people make that connection.
Another research paper, published in the October
2011 issue of Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin set out to test the idea of an “implementation
intention.”
Simply put, it involves making a specific plan to
help satisfy a goal.
For this study, the researchers recruited women to
participate in a healthy eating habits investigation.
They surveyed them, asking them whether or
not they were interested in dieting, whether or
not they were successful at dieting, and to name
an unhealthy snack food that they found very tempting.
The researchers then took half of the women and
asked them to form an “implementation intention.”
In this case, it was to stick to their diet, even if
they encountered their tempting food.
The other half of the women who participated
were not asked to form an implementation intention.
Seven days after that, the researchers asked
the women how well they did in resisting their temptation.
Of course, the group that reported they were not
successful at dieting, AND did NOT form an implementation
intention, did not do well at following their diet and gave in
to the foods they found alluring.
And as expected, the group that did report being
successful at dieting, had more success at staying
the course.
But here’s where it gets interesting:
The women who reported they were normally
unsuccessful at dieting, but DID do the implementation
intention, improved their ability to resist temptation and
succeed with their diet. [2]
Bottom line: You CAN use temptation to help
you stay on track.
You just need to decide beforehand that’s what
you’re going to do.
So everytime you see that temptation, it will be a
glaring reminder of the fitness goals you’ve set for
yourself.
Also, as part of your implementation intention,
decide on an action you’ll take if you are faced
with temptation.
For example, if you are going to be in a social situation
where there will be cake, know in advance that you will
drink a glass of water instead.
Having this all thought-out beforehand will
exponentially increase your chances of success!
One more thing – if you need a little extra help
in sticking with your fitness goals, I highly
suggest you take advantage of your FREE Fitness
Consultation (an $87 value).
During this consult, you’ll receive detailed
information on how to get fit and trim that’s
tailored to YOUR body.
There’s no obligation and it’s totally and
completely free.
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