If you’ve ever yo-yo’d on a diet or tried to start an exercise program, but couldn’t stick to it, this one is for you.
The following single bit of information has been a “game changer” for many who used to struggle.
Ever heard of “The Boiling Frog Phenomenon”?
It’s a psychological phenomenon that dates back to research conducted at Johns Hopkins University way back in 1882.
Here’s how it works.
Imagine you want to cook a frog …(I know not a great thought, 
)
If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will jump out. But if you place a frog into a pot of lukewarm water and slowly turn up the heat, it will stay happily inside the pot and before the frog realizes what is happening … you have frog soup.
The human nervous system works much the same way.
If you try to introduce a radical change in your life, your system fights back – much like the frog jumping out of the pot of boiling water.
To create lasting change you simply have to slowly turn up the heat. Over time, these tiny changes are almost imperceptible to your nervous system, but over time they add up to HUGE transformations.
This is similar to the Japanese concept of “kaizen” whereby one makes small constant improvements that eventually add up and make a radical difference.
So maybe you are asking yourself, “How does this work on the body?”
Let’s say you want to lose 10 pounds. I know I tell you all the time to forget pounds and think more about losing inches…this is just an example.
Knowing the Boiling Frog technique, you know that making a sudden, dramatic change in your diet and exercise habits won’t likely stick. It’s too much of a shock to the system. That’s why people quit DIETS. Shocks to their system.
A smarter way to go is make a more gradual change like this:
Week 1 – Stop drinking canned sodas. Instead drink water.That’s it! Don’t do anything else. Just that one change.
Then …
Week 2 – Continue drinking water instead of sodas and Take long brisk walks every other day and wear a pedometer.
Week 3 – Drink water, take long brisk walks, wear your pedometer daily, write down your steps each day and begin keeping a journal your food each day.
And so on …
At the end of a year you’ll have a whole new set of habits and you’ll be a totally different person.
And you know what? It will stick!
For more information and the full list go to www.totalwellnesstv.com and get on the mailing list for a copy of 10 Free Tips to change your Health Now!
10. May 2010 at 9:29 pm
Love this post Beverly! It’s all about making small changes that make a HUGE and lasting change! Keep up the fantastic content!
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11. May 2010 at 3:57 pm
Thanks Eleni. Change is usually good.
11. May 2010 at 7:53 am
Hey Beverly,
I can tell you have never gone frog gigging. Nothing like frog legs on the grill.
But, I can tell you have lots of great tips for shifting habits to create more wellness in your life. And you are a great example of that.
When change happens a little at a time, we increase our odds of success.
Thanks much!
Terry
.-= Terry Petrovick´s last blog ..Why I Joined Numis Network and You Should Too… =-.
11. May 2010 at 3:56 pm
No I have never gone frog gigging and I can promise you I never will. I am glad you liked the example though.
Thanks for introducing me to Numis too.
11. May 2010 at 3:10 pm
Beverly,
You got my attention with your title!
This is a great analogy to consider when changing your diet or exercise habits. Gradual changes are accepted better which may result in more permanent changes as you take one step at a time.
Terry’s right, frog legs are yummy!
Thanks for sharing these great tips to empower us in moving forward towards our health goals,
Val
.-= Val Wilcox´s last blog ..Along The Path of Self Discovery… =-.
11. May 2010 at 3:55 pm
I ate frog legs once because I was told it was chicken.It was good but I don’t think I would do it again. I am glad you liked the post.
26. May 2010 at 12:12 am
Hi Beverly ~ Thanks for your video on Video Marketing. Loads of great info, very “digestible.” My Flipcam has been misbehaving lately, but I’ll get it back on track…
.-= Rosina Wilson´s last blog ..Earn Work-At-Home Income Using the Power of the Internet! =-.
26. May 2010 at 3:21 am
You are welcome.Be watching for more information soon.Thanks for commenting.
1. November 2010 at 8:00 pm
Hi Beverly
Just what I needed right now. I usually am really good on the exercise department but for some reason this year I am struggling and just can’t get back into it. I have been going at it all wrong – putting the frog in the boiling water every few months. I am now going to do a little bit each week and build up and see if that doesn’t get me back into it.
Belinda
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1. November 2010 at 8:15 pm
I am happy you got something out of this post.I am a firm believer in being proactive when it comes to your health.
2. November 2010 at 12:49 am
Beverly,
I love that boiling frog phenomenon and I like the way you have used that as a metaphor for creating small changes in your life. The dietary changes you suggest are so small and so easy to incorporate that if someone follows your suggestions, the weight will just naturally be gone. It works for accomplishing difficult and overwhelming tasks as well – on small task at a time.
Erica
Dr. Erica Goodstone recently posted..Relationship Success – The Noble Eightfold Matrix
1. February 2011 at 4:15 am
Great way to change your lifestyle habits and not just go on a diet gung-ho on day one. With our ‘immediate gratification’ society, when we don’t see the result we want right away, we tend to stop trying. Making small changes over time might just be the answer for many people. Thanks for sharing this story Beverly.
Wendy
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17. March 2011 at 7:24 pm
You are very intelligent, Beverly. This is great advice that I will use. Thanks so much for this FABULOUS post. So Amazing I don’t know what to say. You make it sound so simple and really if you do it this way, I bet it is a lot simpler than going cold turkey on things. THANKS SO MUCH BEV!
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11. May 2011 at 12:45 am
Out of all the years health has entered my life as one of my passions, this is the first time I heard about this phenomenon. So, I’m glad you blogged about it here!
I love analogy-type stories and I totally appreciate this phenomenon.
It definitely is a game changer. Soo many people want to do ‘this and that’ with transforming their bodies yet they fail so many times and do the same failed attempts over and over again like a vicious cycle. It gets really disturbing to watch because these same people have some sort of notion that they can transform their bodies literally overnight – with one jog session down the street and eating a salad for dinner – like it’s magic.
It just does not make sense…it’s all too funny…yet disturbing like I mentioned.
This is a topic definitely worth sharing. Thanks again Beverly!
-Jaclyn Castro
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11. May 2011 at 1:51 am
I am glad you liked this Jaclyn.Thanks for commenting!