Choice Of Words May Help Dieters Resist Temptation, Study Suggests

Researchers at the University of Houston and Boston College recently published findings that will interest dieters:  How you respond to an offer of food can determine how likely you are to succumb to temptation. 

The study—published online in the Journal of Consumer Research and summarized by Yahoo News on March 22—suggests that when offered a slice of pie, responding with the words “I don’t” increases the likelihood of sticking to one’s diet, rather than saying “I can’t.”

Study co-authors Vanessa Patrick and Henrik Hagtvedt assigned 30 women to one of three groups and followed them for 10 days.  Each group received a single strategy for refusing foods:  “I don’t,” “I can’t” or “Just say no.”  The study revealed the “I don’t” strategy boosted people’s feelings of autonomy, control and self-awareness.  It also created a positive change in their long-term behavior, such as renewed dedication to weight loss.  According to the authors, their findings suggest “a strategy that is simple, straightforward and easy to implement.  And most importantly…it works.”

“These findings make a lot of sense,” say boomer generation health experts Dian Griesel, Ph.D., and Tom Griesel, authors of the new books TurboCharged: Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules in the Dust (April 2011, BSH) and The TurboCharged Mind (January 2012, BSH).  “The study reveals an interesting but often overlooked human characteristic:  We do not like to be told what we can’t do, even when we are telling ourselves.”

In The TurboCharged Mind, the Griesels write that “you are what you believe subconsciously, and what you believe subconsciously can determine whether you will be successful or unsuccessful, happy or unhappy, healthy or sick.”

“Statements such as ‘I am,’ ‘I will’ and ‘I can,’ when paired with the desired response, might be even more effective, because they are positive statements of control and direction—doing something as opposed to not doing something,” note Dian and Tom. “People should keep the study results in mind when creating affirmations or when engaging in effective goal setting or ‘positive’ self-talk.”

TurboCharged® is a groundbreaking 8-Step program that defies common weight-loss theories. It successfully delivers body-defining rapid fat loss, accelerates metabolism, and improves health and odds of longevity without gimmicks, supplements or special equipment. The TurboCharged Mind is an excellent companion book to the author’s acclaimed rapid fat loss book, TurboCharged, or perfect as a standalone read. A series of supporting TurboCharged™ hypnosis downloads are available for sale via the book’s website, which offers ideal guided meditations to support and direct self-hypnosis sessions for faster fat loss, greater health, reduced stress, and to quit smoking. For more information, log on to http://www.turbocharged.us.com.