Page 53 - The Power to Change Anything

42 INFLUENCER

A good starting point for Henry would be to search for
experts who have already learned which actions are best for
helping people lose weight and keep it off. He’d reject plans
that focus on outcomes—that is, burn more calories than you
eat—and he’d demand behaviors: vital behaviors.
If Henry did poke around, he’d discover that the National
Weight Control Registry has identified vital behaviors for
weight loss, using a method that compares the best to the rest.
This institution tracks people who lose at least 30 pounds and
keep it off for a minimum of six years. Their data reveal three
vital behaviors. Successful people exercise on home equip-
ment, eat breakfast, and weigh themselves daily.
These vital behaviors would give Henry a good start, but
only a start. From there he’d need to ascertain which strategies
work best for him given his unique circumstances. He could
learn this by conducting his own version of a positive deviance
study. That is, he would compare himself to himself by asking
what makes a good weight day a “good weight day.”
For example, as Henry considers times in his life when he’s
maintained a healthy diet, he realizes that lunchtime puts him
in harm’s way. When he goes out to a restaurant, if he thinks
in advance about what he should order, he orders healthy food.
If he doesn’t, he splurges and eats all the wrong things.
Shopping time is equally dangerous. He realizes that when he
buys fatty foods, he eats fatty foods. It’s far easier for him to resist
buying unhealthy items than it is to resist eating them once
they’re in his home.
When Henry does indulge, he tends to feel depressed and
to reason that since he’s blown his plan, he might as well enjoy
it. His one-time indulgence then expands to a week-long binge,
and he packs on another five pounds. As he thinks about his
vulnerabilities, Henry realizes that he needs to create a recov-
ery plan when he does fall off the wagon or he’ll continue to
fall farther than if he had caught himself early. Next time he
deviates, he’ll reset his goals to accommodate his latest indul-