But Deep-Rooted Habits Endure

Michelle joined my 10- week beginning running class and lost 30 pounds. This beautiful, outgoing and newly slim woman was very happy with the result. Guess what happened? At the next running class were Michelle’s friends and associates who wanted to replicate her success. These people weren’t aspiring runners. They joined class to lose weight.

Here’s what I overheard while running with my first running-for-weight-loss-class. “Last year I lost 30 pounds with the South Beach Diet.” “I joined Weight Watchers two years ago, and lost 20.” “I gained 65 pounds with my first baby, and lost all but the last 10.” Each person had a success story that required tremendous self-control, but in the end didn’t stick. I was amazed at their determination and persistence. With all their intent and effort, why had they not found long-term success?

I found the answer in a study cited by Chip and Dan Heath in their book “Switch.” College students participating in the study were asked not to eat anything for three hours. The hungry students then met in a room filled with the amazing aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Along with the plate of cookies, there was also a plate of a few dozen radishes. Half of the students in the study were instructed to eat two or three cookies, a few chocolates and then complete a survey. The other half were asked to eat at least two radishes, but no cookies and complete the same survey. Students were then given a puzzle to attempt to complete, unaware that it was unsolvable. The group that ate the cookies labored for 19 minutes trying to solve the puzzle, while the group that ate the radishes worked only for eight minutes, less than half the time.

Willpower is an exhaustible resource, the study concluded, as did some other studies mentioned in the book. The radish-eating participants, who had been denied the cookies, had less determination to keep trying to solve the puzzle. This is the same feeling that beginning runners experience. The first minute or even the first half-mile may be easy, but then a person starts to run out of juice, that essential inner-resolve needed to finish the course. It’s tiring to monitor our eating, our behavior and our words. This is exactly why restrictive diets or over-exuberant new fitness programs don’t last long-term.

The good news is that habits aren’t tiring. They aren’t exhaustible resources. When something is habitual, it’s often done on autopilot like brushing your teeth before bed or making coffee in the morning. We could do it – and sometimes do – with our eyes closed. Here are some steps to help you form a good habit.
Focus on the positive. When was the last time that you successfully lost weight, for example? What strengths did you bring to the effort?
What exactly are you trying to do? Don’t get lost in the big picture, i.e. lose 50 pounds. If eating at restaurants has been causing you to pack on excess weight, packing your lunch every day could be a habit worth developing.

Why do you want to lose weight? Keep a clear destination in mind. “I want my jeans to fit well,” you might say. Or “I want to run three miles without stopping.”
Michele saw a clear path to who she wanted to be. She took a 10 week running program and allowed running to become a habit. She’s happy with her new fitness level, and you can be, too. The difference between who you are, and who you would like to be, is simply a matter of habit.