Article: Two strategies for change. Dr. Sklare

[Guest guest]

Time To Turn & Face The Change

by Dr. H. SklareeDiets Psychologist

The key to successful weight loss and healthy living lies firmly in your ability to create change. As the old saying so accurately states, “If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got!” Truer words cannot be spoken.

As a matter of fact, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is often referred to as the definition of insanity. If you want to lose weight and start living a healthier and more responsible life, you simply must inject change into your world. If you want a different result at the end of the day, you must make different decisions during the course of that day.

In the aftermath of those horrific events of September 11, the invitation for change presents itself. Change is definitely in the air. For it is in times of extreme emotion that change is offered its best opportunity.

I have received countless requests for advice on how to stay focused during these trying and changing times. As we all enter into this changed world together, we all have hopes, dreams, desires and expectations of better days. We want to look better, feel better and be better in every way. We want to make better decisions, be better friends, be better parents and better spouses. Simply put, we want to be better people, coexist in a peaceful world and live better lives.

There may never be a more perfect time to begin the healthy life that you have been chasing for so long. The time is ripe to rekindle your spirit and to reclaim your body. In order to enhance, encourage and facilitate that change, I have a couple of suggestions.

My two ideas both provide a mechanism that allows you to be proactive regarding change.

The first offering provides you with a formula designed to create change -- I call it the T.I.D.E. technique. It’s a formula for increasing awareness and enhancing change. Here’s the simple four-step procedure:

T – Think ItI – Imagine ItD – Declare ItE – Experience It

The first step: really think about what it is that you want to do. Begin by identifying clearly in your mind the new thought or behavior that you wish to incorporate into your life.

The second step: Imagery is a powerful agent for change. Take a few moments every day, find some quite time, close your eyes and actually imagine yourself performing this new healthy behavior or thinking this new healthy thought. This is what we call mental rehearsal.

The third step: at least once every day look into a mirror and declare this new behavior or thought as your own. Look yourself square in the eye and declare this new addition out loud.

The final step: in learning theory, this is called transfer. The TIDE can change if you take control and aggressively pursue your hopes and dreams. It’s all tied to the decisions that you make and the actions that you take.

While the T.I.D.E. technique is great for creating new thoughts and behaviors, the next suggestion is a technique for use when you find yourself in the thick of it. It is a distraction strategy that is intended to help when you find yourself in a situation where time is of the essence.

It is said that, if you can distract yourself for as little as five or 10 minutes, the craving for food will pass. Activities that divert your attention away from food are what I call distraction strategies. So I have an idea for a distraction strategy that will divert your attention and help you focus on healthier thinking. You'll need a pen and a piece of paper. I call this activity the "Health Jumble."

Let's say it's ice cream that's got your attention. Write the words "ice cream" on a piece of paper and then see how many other words you can create with those letters. For example there's: rice, race, car, aim, ream, mice, are, mare, ram, cram, I, care, for, me, etc.

You can make it easier by being even more specific like "Mayflower vanilla ice cream." This will provide you with more words and more possibilities. Then, after you've written as many words as possible, make a list of the healthy and positive words you made. Finally, see if you can create a healthy sentence or positive statement with some of these words.

For example, the last four words I wrote above form the sentence “I care for me.”

The idea is threefold: 1. This activity allows you to face and confront your temptation; 2. It provides you with a way to engage that temptation in a safe, healthy and positive way; and 3. By creating the words and developing the sentence, you actually manipulate and change that temptation.

Repetition gives birth to habit. These two activities are intended to interrupt that cycle. To be successful you simply must address more than just your body. You must also address your mind. The T.I.D.E. technique and The Health Jumble will provide you with the rehearsal, distraction, manipulation and power you need to jar you away from the powerful grasp of habit. These activities will help you change the way you think and the way you respond to temptation.

Dr. Sklare, director of the eDiets Emotional Support Center, shares his expertise on "emotional eating" with the eDiets community. Dr. Sklare is also the author of the eDiets Audio Companion Program -- the powerful and innovative new offline support program for your online eDiets program. With the current emphasis on Mind/Body medicine and natural healing, Dr. Sklare stands firmly on the leading edge!