Understanding what parts of the diet club system work well means if you choose to go, you can maximise your chances of success.
If you choose not to attend one, you may like to take all of the benefits without the inconvenience of turning up each week (if that isn't really your kind of thing).
Diet clubs meet each week or every fortnight
helping people lose weight. While attending they usually enjoy a slow
steady weight loss.
Some have complicated food rules to follow, special meals you can buy and supplements to waste your money on.
However, they all work by getting you to eat fewer calories and force you to keep going and paying your money by doing some other things that work. Many are run by quite skilled sales people who make their money out of getting you to turn up.
Key reasons diet clubs can work:
Public commitment
By attending you make a public commitment. By paying five or ten pounds every week or fortnight this makes you put your money where your mouth is, or put money into something to encourage you to eat less cake. A public commitment to your goal has been shown to make you more likely to succeed. You could of course do this to family / friends / work colleagues. Either in person or on social media. It works just as well.
Focussed attention on a single task (weight loss)
They get you to keep track of what you eat. This is crucial. It uses a psychological trick of the Hawthorne principle. This is the brain thing that works when you write stuff down. paying it more attention. This raises conscious thought and you can gear your life towards it. If you write down what you eat, this step alone will cause you to lose weight. Amazing but true. Try it...
Financial commitment (weekly fee)
This may be motivated and fuelled by guilt but shows a tangible commitment. You could instead send me your money (which you'd be more than welcome to do!) but I think what would work better is to set up a piggy bank, either real, or electronic (easy with online banking) and each week deposit five or ten dollars, pounds, euros or yen. When you reach certain targets you are allowed to withdraw and spend it on a prize. Maybe a new pair of running shoes or a pair or (more) skinny jeans.
You might even find the reward works better to simply build up holiday spending money each Summer. You might after an excellent week put an extra twenty into the pot to pay yourself for doing so well. It is your money and you can play no end of mind tricks to reward yourself.
It's all about finding what works best for you. There is medical evidence that reward systems work in both children and adults and still more evidence that when the people choose their own rewards and reward structure, that they do better. Behaviour modification happens faster and is more effective.
Support group (others going through the same journey)
The group feeling of belonging to a diet club helps you feel good about what you are doing and encourages you to keep attending. I think for some of us, the money, time and effort could be better spent elsewhere as misleading unscientific information seems common at diet clubs.
Perhaps joining a local walking group, running club or aquarobics class could bring you the same or better benefits.
Many local gyms aren't full of Lycra clad models, but ordinary folk like you and I. Go and have a look around, you may be pleasantly surprised.
You can also get all of the gym benefits in home workouts such as Insanity or running or swimming, but many of us thrive better when there are others doing it too.
More another day...
Read More:
♦ 7 Homemade Detox Drinks for... ♦ 16 Simple Tweaks To Help You Lose Weight
If you choose not to attend one, you may like to take all of the benefits without the inconvenience of turning up each week (if that isn't really your kind of thing).
Diet clubs meet each week or every fortnight
helping people lose weight. While attending they usually enjoy a slow
steady weight loss.Some have complicated food rules to follow, special meals you can buy and supplements to waste your money on.
However, they all work by getting you to eat fewer calories and force you to keep going and paying your money by doing some other things that work. Many are run by quite skilled sales people who make their money out of getting you to turn up.
Key reasons diet clubs can work:
- Make a public commitment.
- Focussed attention on a single task (weight loss).
- Financial commitment (weekly fee).
- Support group (others going through the same journey).
Public commitment
By attending you make a public commitment. By paying five or ten pounds every week or fortnight this makes you put your money where your mouth is, or put money into something to encourage you to eat less cake. A public commitment to your goal has been shown to make you more likely to succeed. You could of course do this to family / friends / work colleagues. Either in person or on social media. It works just as well.
Focussed attention on a single task (weight loss)
They get you to keep track of what you eat. This is crucial. It uses a psychological trick of the Hawthorne principle. This is the brain thing that works when you write stuff down. paying it more attention. This raises conscious thought and you can gear your life towards it. If you write down what you eat, this step alone will cause you to lose weight. Amazing but true. Try it...
Financial commitment (weekly fee)This may be motivated and fuelled by guilt but shows a tangible commitment. You could instead send me your money (which you'd be more than welcome to do!) but I think what would work better is to set up a piggy bank, either real, or electronic (easy with online banking) and each week deposit five or ten dollars, pounds, euros or yen. When you reach certain targets you are allowed to withdraw and spend it on a prize. Maybe a new pair of running shoes or a pair or (more) skinny jeans.
You might even find the reward works better to simply build up holiday spending money each Summer. You might after an excellent week put an extra twenty into the pot to pay yourself for doing so well. It is your money and you can play no end of mind tricks to reward yourself.
It's all about finding what works best for you. There is medical evidence that reward systems work in both children and adults and still more evidence that when the people choose their own rewards and reward structure, that they do better. Behaviour modification happens faster and is more effective.
Support group (others going through the same journey)
The group feeling of belonging to a diet club helps you feel good about what you are doing and encourages you to keep attending. I think for some of us, the money, time and effort could be better spent elsewhere as misleading unscientific information seems common at diet clubs.
Perhaps joining a local walking group, running club or aquarobics class could bring you the same or better benefits.
Many local gyms aren't full of Lycra clad models, but ordinary folk like you and I. Go and have a look around, you may be pleasantly surprised.
You can also get all of the gym benefits in home workouts such as Insanity or running or swimming, but many of us thrive better when there are others doing it too.
More another day...
Read More:
♦ 7 Homemade Detox Drinks for... ♦ 16 Simple Tweaks To Help You Lose Weight