Posted on: Wednesday, June 29, 2005

SHAPE UP
You can talk away pounds

By Charles Stuart Platkin

Feeling confident that you can change a behavior is one of the single biggest predictors that you will be able to do it. It's called "self-efficacy" — the belief in your ability to "organize and execute" whatever behavior you would like to change.

This is especially important if you want to lose weight permanently. In fact, several recent studies, including one in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, have found that as self-efficacy improved, individuals lost more weight.

How do you increase your self-efficacy so you can lose weight? Follow these tips:

• Talk to yourself. We are the pilots of our lives, and what we tell ourselves about our ability or inability to reach a goal matters. Examples of negative commentary: "I can't lose weight — it's in my genes," or "I'll never be able to get out there and exercise three times a week."

Do you really want to be the one convincing yourself you won't succeed? "Give yourself an internal pep talk," says Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor at Harvard University School of Business and author of "Confidence" (Crown Business, 2004). Start by creating affirmations: strong, positive statements asserting that something desirable about yourself is in fact true. Use your words to help you succeed by "talking to yourself about yourself" in a positive light. Try making yourself aware of your own thoughts, replacing negative ones with positive ones.

"When practiced and repeated over time, affirmations can alter your mental climate and empower you to make changes in your life," says Jacinda B. Roach, a consultant in Madison, Miss.

• No regrets. Just because you've failed in the past doesn't mean you're finished. "Trying many different diet plans and failing leads to a lack of confidence," says Roach. But more than 90 percent of "successful losers" previously failed in their efforts to lose weight. Many reported having lost and regained weight — up to nearly 270 pounds — several times before they finally perfected permanent weight loss.

• Draw from success. Examine other instances when you overcame adversity. Think of a situation when you triumphed over difficulties to achieve something great or something that at one point seemed impossible. Then give yourself credit — and draw the connection: "If I could overcome that, I can certainly lose weight and start exercising."

• Make it small. Kanter suggests "setting small goals (such as making better breakfast choices) so you see some success quickly and promote feelings of confidence." That way, you will recognize your abilities right away, boosting your belief in your ability to reach long-term goals.

• Prepare for setbacks. Part of maintaining your self-confidence is preparing for and dealing with setbacks along the way. Think in advance about what problems you might encounter and have a plan ready to overcome them.

• Model mania. Self-efficacy is about more than your personal successes and failures — people around you have an effect as well. Role models give us the confidence that our goals are possible, however challenging they may seem.

A study by Rena R. Wing, professor of psychiatry at Brown University, found that friends who followed a weight-loss program together lost more weight and were more likely to keep it off.

• Accountability. Taking responsibility for your actions is one way to feel empowered. "Measure how well you're doing, and face the situation honestly if you're not on track," says Kanter. By holding yourself accountable, you force yourself to remember that you are the only one in control of the situation.

• Educate. Educating yourself not only increases your understanding of the goals and obstacles before you, it also teaches you how to take command. Take healthy cooking classes or hire a qualified personal trainer.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate.