Day Nine

Appreciate Good Support...

Do you fell uncomforatable when you get noticed? If so, you may need to practice the art of accepting complicments and praise more graciously. It's easy to discount people's comments becuase of your own frustrations or opinions. But when you react to them in a negative way, it makes people think their support doesn't mean anything to you.

When someone offers you a genuine comment about your progress, try to respond warmly to the person who pays you the compliment. For example, "You can't imaine how much it means to hear you say that. Thank you!"

On the flip side, avoid hooking people with awkward questions that they can't answer honestly. Here are some examples:

• Does this make me look fat?
• Can you tell if I've lost any weight?
• Does my fat stomach bother you?

People hate these questions! They know you'll probably get upset with their answers or you'll even accuse them of not telling the truth. If you feel inscure or you struggle with your self-esteem, focus on dealing with these issues instead of punishing your support team.

1. Ask a friend or family member to compliment you on anything from your weight loss to your hair or your clothes.

2. Come up with a response that affirms the person who gave you the compliment. For example, "You really made my day by telling me that! Thank you so much!"

3. Record your favorite responses in your notebook.

Day Eight

Help me, please....

Do you ever wish you could get more support from people around you? If only the "helpers" in your life knew exactly what you wanted them to say! Unfortunately, they don't. In fact, sometimes they just make things worse.

Decide what you want. To get support you have to train them. Decide what type of support you truly need. Do you want words of encouragement? Silence? Help with meal choices? Instead of being hurt or angry, let them know how they can help you. Clarify exactly what you need and be specific in your requests.

1. In your journal, write a list of things that people are always welcome to say or do in regard to your weight-loss efforts.

2. Create another list of things you don't ever want people to say or do.

3. Read both lists to people, including your close co-workers, family, spouse, children, or friends.

Day Seven

I can do it!

To increase your success with this program, skyrocket your self-talk and create a strong belief that you can do this! Become your own cheerleader!

Think about why you are so convinced you can be successful. Invent several phrases that reinforce your determination to stay on your plan.

Here are a few ideas:

• I'm totally determined.
• I've done it before and I can do it again.
• I'm using a great weight-loss plan.
• I'm capable of accomplishing anything!
• Others have done it and so can I!

Inspire yourself with real-life stories of other's weight-loss. Practice saying "I can do it" over and over until you push them deep in your mind. You will succeed!

1. Tell yourself "I can do it" at least 10 times. Use this to cheerlead yourself through the entire day!

2. In your notebook, wirte "I can do it because..." and then add a few supportive phrases such as "I'm capable of doing anything".

3. Read your phrases often, using them to reinforce your goals and build your enthusiasm.

Day Six

Protect your program...

No one will ever care as much about your diet plan as you. So it's your job to prevent people or events from pulling you off track.

Anytime you feel pressured to eat something, you can sidestop the food pusher by hinting that you'll eat later. Respond with "Not just yet; I'm going to wait a little while". If asked again later...respond with "Thanks, but I'll still wait a little bit".

1. Watch for chances to respond to food invitations by using the line "Not just yet; I'm going to wait a little while".

2. Identify at least three high-risk times or events such as family gatherings or quiet weekends. In your notebook, write down how you'll protect your diet program during each of these.

3. Do at least one thing today that reinforces your determination to protect your program at all costs.

Day Five

Magic Notebook

For many people, recording personal thoughts or actions each day provides valuable insight. It also serves as an outlet for emotions and struggles around weight-loss efforts.

Just because you think about food doesn't mean you have to eat it. Whenever you crave a specific food, write it down in your notebook - this takes it "out of your head". Whenever a food thought crosses your mind, remind yourself that you don't have to act on it. Instead, write down the name or even a description of the food and then anticipate the pleasure of eating it sometime in the future.

Practice the skill of observing food cues, then letting them go. When you walk into a movie theater, notice the smell of popcorn, and then forget about it. If it helps, record these cues in your "magic notebook". Tell yourself, "That popcorn smells good, but I'm not going to eat any right now. I'll simply postpone it until another day".

1. Whenever you thing about a paticular food you want, write it down in your notebook.

2. Plan that you'll eat it another time. If you wish, add the amount you'll have and how often you'll fit it into your program.

3. Stretch the times further apart for eating this food. You may discover that after a while, certain foods don't seem as important to you as they once did.


I've listed my "Forbidden Foods". Please comment with your "Forbidden Foods"...I'd love to see what they are! These are foods that are not healthy...but you crave anyway!

Day Four

Boundaries, not diets...

If you're like most people, when you're on a diet, you try hard to follow it perfectly. If you slip up and eat a delicious (but forbidden) food, you figure you've blown it, so you might as well eat more. Soon you throw the entire diet out the window!

Instead of getting stuck on the word diet, learn to thing of it as setting boundaries. Boundaries should give you benefits, not punishment! They provide guidelines, not rules.

Picture your diet program as a road or path. As you walk on the road each day, your goal is to stay between the sides of the road.

1. In your notebook, draw a line down the middle of the page, creating two columns.

2. Labe one column "Narrow Road" for your diet plan. Lable the other "Wider Road" for your maintenance or alternative eating.

3. Under the titles, define your eating and exercise plans for each of these roads. Then decide on ways you can be flexible with them without losing sight of the healthy road you want to follow.

When you take a break from your program to work on maintenance (or just fall off the bandwagon a little), you widen the boundaries and allow more variety in your plan...but even on a really bad day, you never eliminate the road or get off it completely.

Day Three

Do it anyway!

You don't usually wait until your feel like going to work. You just go! In the same way, you don't have to feel like working on your weight-loss plan to stick with your program.

To improve your commitment, learn to focus on your actions, not just your feelings.

Make healthy choices no matter what, regardless of whether your feel like it or not! Remember that when your truly committed, you're do it anyway!

1. In your diet or exercise plan, identify a task you don't feel like doing, and then do it anyway!

2. Notice how it feels to accomplish a goal by taking a "no matter what" approach to it.

3. In your notebook (aka blog), make a list of actions you plan to stick with today, regardless of how you feel at the moment.

Day Two

Interested or Committed

Decide that you will always be committed to your weight-loss plan, not just interested.

In your notebook, describe how you will stick with your program, no matter what.

Do at least one thing today that demonstrates you are truly committed. For example, take a walk or eat your vegetable – no matter what.

Day One

I Used To Be That Way….

1. Make a list of any fears or negative behaviors that have hurt your weight-loss success in the past. Read each one our load, and then say, “I used to be that way, but now I’m different.”

2. Then write new endings for them by completing this sentence: “I used to _________________________(fill in your old behavior), but now I __________________________(write your new ending).”

3. Read these new outcomes often, and then live in a way that makes them true!

100 Days of Daily Motivations (minus weekends!)

I bought this book yesterday…it’s called 100 Days of Weight Loss – A Daily Motivator. It gives you a chapter a day to keep you motivated….the bonus? Chapters are only two pages and they include action steps…in fact…I’m going to post them (action steps) on my diet blog…check back for the next 100 weekdays for motivation!!!!

The book is subdivided in 10-day blocks as follows:

1. Set up for success
2. Put food in its place
3. Conscious eating
4. Listen to your body
5. Jump-start motivation
6. Emotional eating
7. Triggers and word play
8. Growing stronger
9. Long-term success
10. Put it into action