The Brain is a Terrible Thing to Waste

One of the major reasons that diets fail and that the dieting industry doesn't have it right, is because of the psychological side of things. I'm not talking about deep seated emotional issues which most people struggling with their weight do not have. No, I'm talking about something we all share-the way our brains naturally think.

The brain resists us when we try to make it do something that is inconsistent with the way it normally thinks. Think of the brain like a child. If you want to teach something new to a child, what is the most effective way to do it? I don't think you would say that threatening the child, abusively punishing her, or chastising her would work very well. It also doesn't work to give the child such large and awesome tasks that he will feel overwhelmed. Add inducing guilt and you have the perfect formula for the child to fail. Instead, if you treat the child with compassion, patience, praise, and help them to focus on one small step at a time, you will have a child who is motivated, relaxed, and enthusiastic. This child will succeed. It's the same with ourselves when we embark on changes to lose or manage our weight.

The more flexible, positive, praising, and patient we are with ourselves the more successful we will be. So don't waste your brain with methods that will lead to failure, use it in ways that it can succeed.