Losing It With Liz
I've always been a word nerd. I love learning about untranslatable foreign words orwords that make you sound smarter, and every month at Reader's Digest, where I'm the Editor-in-Chief, I take pleasure in filling out our classic Word Power challenge. So I was naturally fascinated by this new research on how small language tweaks may boost your willpower, shore up self esteem, and help stamp out stress (and the emotional eating that tends to go with it). Use these tips to teach yourself a health-boosting vocabulary.
1. “I Don’t”
Saying this instead of “I can’t” may make all the difference when you’re trying to give up an unhealthy habit, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. Authors found that people who were instructed to say “I don’t” in the face of temptation (“I don’t eat ice cream for dessert”) had more autonomy, self-control, and positive behavior changes compared to people who said “I can’t” (as in “I can’t eat ice cream for dessert”). Try it next time a late-night craving strikes and be amazed at the power of your will-power.
2. “Some”
“Nothing’s going right! Everything is out of control!” Sound familiar? When you get stressed, it’s easy to slip into an all-or-nothing mentality about your food and spiral into a serious sesson of stress eating. But before you engage in emotional eating, try this simple solution: Use the word some. In other words, “Some things are going right, some things aren’t.” Suddenly the glass is looking half-full.
3. “Thank you.”
Only one-third of people accept a compliment smoothly, found Binghamton University research reported by Psychology Today. Does this scenario sound familiar? She says: “You look so great!” You say: “Thanks—but I still have 15 pounds to go,” or, "Thanks—I wish it weren’t so snug, though." We tend to qualify and clarify, often demeaning ourselves in the process. A better way to respond: Look the person in the eye and simply say, “Thank you.” By doing so, you'll take the compliment for what it's truly worth: positive reinforcement of all that you've accomplished so far, instead of a negative reminder that you're yet to reach your ultimate goal.
4. "I promise..."
Write one down in a notebook, or recite it in front of the mirror in the morning, suggests Chris Powell, host of the hit show Extreme Weight Loss. "On the show, we start each day with the promise to move for five minutes. It doesn't matter what you do; start with marching in place while watching TV," said Powell. "It's not about the exercise, it's about the promise. If you can keep that, you can accomplish whatever comes your way. Your love for yourself and confidence grows, and the more that blossoms, the more promises you keep. This cycle lifts you into an upward spiral." Whether you vow to sneak more veggies into your diet, cut out soda for day, or try that Zumba class, valuing your word is an important step in any weight loss journey.
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