Obesity Discussion Forums

[AmandaUrban]

I am new to this forum, so let me introduce myself:

I am Amanda Urban, a soon-to-be graduate in Psychology. What I am hoping to find on this forum is feedback in a method on weight loss and changing your life in general, which I am currently developing based on the scientific knowledge that currently exists on the topic.

The 'method' as I'll call it for the time being will be self-help, but I also think I should include a way for people to talk to each other about their experiences. It's going to feature a lot of things you can actually DO, like exercises, little tests, etc. I think this is better than just writing a book - the hardest part is starting. All this will be based on research about behavior change, health behavior, dieting behavior. I know about these things and I also know that a lot of this scientific information makes it to the 'outside world', that is, the people who reallly need it, only slowly. I'd like to change that.

The focus will be on what most diets and self-help books wrongly assume: that the environment will adapt itself to the plans of the dieter. The people around you, unexpected circumstances, and even the physical objects in your house can make change a nearly impossible thing. I want to teach people how to change their environment in clever ways, so that it will make changing easy and even natural.

Another important point I want to make in the method is that you need to set the right goals, and how to make the steps towards these goals part of your daily routine, so that these things come naturally, rather than having to be 'forced' into your life. Willpower will get you on the way, but it quickly runs out, and at this point it becomes important to put good habits in place. Habits cost far less energy than willpower.

I would really like to hear what people who are dieting want from such a method, and I hope to find some people who are interested and who are kind enough to provide me with their opinion of what type of method they would like to see, and what is wrong with existing methods.

I'll post this information on a separate thread, so that those who want to can comment.

I'm very excited about this, and very curious about what you people think of my plans and the method.

Have a nice day :-)


Amanda Urban