Communication is a bridge to building relationships. Good communication skills improve your relationships, and in turn, can enhance other aspects of your life, including your efforts to manage your weight.
Communication is a two-way process involving speaking and listening skills. Combining good speaking skills with good listening skills will enable you to communicate more effectively, and can reduce the discomfort or stress you may experience when dealing with others.
The first step to effective communication is identifying how thoughts and feelings can affect communication and distort messages. To minimize the amount of distortion between you and your listener, check what you intend to say before you speak and then use assertive communication methods to send a direct, open and honest message. As you speak, periodically evaluate your listener’s feedback to be sure that your message is understood. If this feedback suggests that your message was misunderstood, modify your message until the feedback you receive tells you that the listener understood your message the way you intended.
Sometimes, your listener will not be ready to communicate, no matter how well you deliver your message. If this happens, politely ask to end the discussion and continue it when both of you have had time to think. If progress isn’t possible and the issue at hand is critical, you may need to seek professional intervention from a mediator or counselor to facilitate communication.
When you are listening, make a sincere effort to understand what the other person is communicating. Techniques such as clarifying, restating and highlighting, reflecting feelings and summarizing, can enhance your ability to listen.
Good communication skills require practice, patience and perseverance, but communication is the most important part of any relationship. Being an effective communicator can also boost your self-esteem, enhance your coping skills, and help you maintain control of your life, factors that are all essential for successful weight management.
*from the OPTIFAST Lifestyle Education Series™ ‘Communication’
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The secret to long term weight management lies in making important lifestyle changes that become everyday habits. Here are a few examples of techniques that have been proven effective for our OPTIFAST Program patients.
Lifestyle Process Change
To lose weight and successfully manage it, it’s vital to overcome old behaviors that now get in your way. This takes understanding and insight. It also takes courage and true commitment.
Tip 1: Remember that a goal is what you hope to achieve, but commitment is following through on what you say you will do.
Tip 2: Identify the key negative words and thoughts that fuel your overeating.
Tip 3: When deciding on actions that affect your weight, stop using the language of shame, and start thinking in terms of choice and consequences.
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Physical activity is essential to successful weight management, and there are a wide variety of ways to help you achieve your exercise goals for long term weight management. Here are some tips. Check back for more!
Balanced Fitness
The way to get the most out of your exercise is to vary your activities to include the three major components: aerobic or cardiovascular exercise; flexibility, or stretching; and muscle strength and endurance.
Tip 1: You can build specific muscles through targeted exercises, but don’t waste your time trying to achieve spot reduction of fat; it’s not possible.
Tip 2: To achieve muscle balance, you should stretch the muscles that are stronger and strengthen the ones that are weaker.
Tip 3: The best way to achieve overall fitness is through a combination of aerobic activity, stretching and strength training.
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