Head over heels in love?

Head over heels in love? 

(Author’s note: if a body part is missing, feel free to take the shirt off my back)  

She was a sight for sore eyes.  They’d been separated for just six months, but when you’re head over heels in love, six months can feel like a lifetime.

When he left, to travel halfway around the world, she was heartbroken, and his heartfelt words: “Keep your chin up” fell on deaf ears.  To survive the separation, she purchased an expensive piece of art (freely admitting to a friend one day: “It cost me an arm and a leg”). 

Over the years, her penchant for buying expensive works was a bone of contention, after all – he worked his fingers to the bone to support them, and here she was, in the twinkling of an eye, drawing down the account.  He racked his brain to find a solution and tried his best to remind her: “You know, dear, we’re just getting by, by the skin of our teeth,” but she was unable to heed the warnings. 

Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to know that when two lovers are apart, all bets are off. 

As his departure date neared, she began to give him the cold shoulder, preparing herself as best she could. He, on the other hand, came down with a severe case of cold feet, often asking himself: “Am I making a mistake?”

But he left, and though down in the mouth for weeks, he managed. Early each morning he composed a love letter, reminding her that she remained close to his heart. He missed her dearly, and his colleagues were quick to notice. Noted one: “His head is always in the clouds.”

He kept telling himself: “It’s mind over matter,” often recalling his friend’s assurance that, once abroad, she would be “out of sight, out of mind.”

But, alas, for him, it was not so – in the evenings he would cry his eyes out, giving lip service to the notion that his emotions would wane. He thought to himself: “I’d give my eye teeth to be back home with her,” and he had half a mind to quit, but he knew that leaving now would jeopardize his ability to rub elbows with the big wigs. 

Throughout the separation, she maintained a stiff upper lip.  But, deep down, his decision to leave left a bad taste in her mouth.  Yes, his love, expressed in letters, was music to her ears, but she remained bitter, and it opened the door for a young, handsome gentleman caller to sweep her off her feet.

She tried her best to keep the young Casanova at arm’s length, but she was falling fast. She told a friend one day: “He makes my toes curl.”  In jaw-dropping speed, she was suddenly, inexplicably, in love.  And her friends understood – after all, he was easy on the eyes (a close friend once confided: “He even leaves me weak in the knees”).

Ten thousand miles away, her first love caught wind of the dalliance.  He vowed to fight tooth and nail to keep her, telling a colleague: “I can’t let her slip through my fingers.”  And when a friend quietly told him: “I think you’re going to lose her,” he shot back: “Bite your tongue,” adding quickly: “Over my dead body.”

Now back in the States, in his neck of the woods, he committed to put his best foot forward.  Tired of the endless ribbing that he was “all skin and bones” (his lack of stature, he once shared, was his Achilles heel), he hired a professional and promised himself: “This time, I won’t drag my feet.” What were the chances of winning her back?  A friend of hers told him: “Don’t hold your breath,” but he was digging his heels in, determined to bend over backwards not to lose her.

Each day he rose bright-eyed and bushy tailed, certain that they would soon be reunited.  With his nose to the grindstone, his dream was soon realized.  As they nestled on the lawn, overlooking the pastoral lake, she turned to him and said: “I want to be with you forever,” to which he responded: “From your lips to God’s ears.”

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Anyone out there feeling a little anxious?

Anyone out there feeling a little anxious?

Anxiety. The word itself can make you anxious.  But the feeling isn’t always such a bad thing – it has its place, both as a motivating force and a way to keep us safe. Pointed out Jeremy Dean, author of PsyBlog: “Anxiety tells us we’re in danger and we need to do something. It was our anxious ancestors who prepared better for winter and made plans to fight off neighboring tribes. The relaxed, laid-back guys never made it.”

But while a moderate dose of anxiety may prolong our life, stronger doses clearly are uncomfortable, if not altogether debilitating.  And the numbers are striking: anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the U.S. (one in five), and 11 million children (one in eight) – far more common than one might think.  What’s the good news?  Anxiety disorders are highly treatable.  The bad news? “. . . only about one-third of those suffering receive treatment,” according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. 

So what’s an anxious person to do?  Listen to some expert advice: 

Exercise

It’s on everyone’s list – exercise reduces anxiety, and research shows that as little as 20 minutes a day can make a difference. Said Dean: “The benefits of a little workout extend beyond the gym . . . into everyday life. One study has found that although simply resting reduces anxiety, it doesn’t help protect against stressful events (Smith, 2013). Exercise, though, seems to have a more lasting effect, helping to reduce anxiety when faced with stressful situations afterwards. Indeed, many think exercise should be prescribed for depression and anxiety instead of drugs.”

Meditation

The Mayo Clinic explains that “spending a few minutes in meditation can restore your calm and inner peace.” Said the Clinic: “Anyone can practice meditation. It's simple and inexpensive, and it doesn't require any special equipment. And you can practice meditation wherever you are — whether you're out for a walk, riding the bus, waiting at the doctor's office or even in the middle of a difficult business meeting.”

Noted PsyBlog’s Dean: “To pick just one of many recent studies, Zeidan et al. (2013) found that four 20-minute meditation classes were enough to reduce anxiety by up to 39%.”

Added the Mayo Clinic, “some research suggests that meditation may help such conditions as: allergies, anxiety disorders, asthma, binge eating, cancer, depression, fatigue, heart disease, high blood pressure, pain, sleep problems and substance abuse.” The Clinic goes on to cite six types of meditation: guided meditation, mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, Qi gong, Tai Chi and yoga.

Yoga

A Huffington Post article explained that “practicing yoga can not only be an effective stress reliever, but also a way to ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. By transferring focus and attention to the body and breath, yoga can help to temper anxiety while also releasing physical tension.” ViraYoga founder Elena Brower told the Huffington Post: "Yoga helps our entire system slow down. . . . Our bodies are programmed to heal naturally, and what stops that healing are all the stressors of daily life. Yoga dissolves those stressors for the time during practice and usually the effects last for hours after."

Think Differently

PsychCentral’s Margarita Tartakovsky encourages us to accept those anxious feelings, and quotes clinical  psychologist Marla W. Deibler who said: “Anxiety is just a feeling, like any other feeling”.  Tartakovsky goes on to list nine tips for reducing anxiety:

1.      Take a deep breath;

2.      Accept that you’re anxious;

3.      Realize that your brain is playing tricks on you;

4.      Question your thoughts;

5.      Use a calming visualization;

6.      Be an observer, without judgment;

7.      Use positive self-talk;

8.      Focus on right now; and

9.      Focus on meaningful activities.

Dean adds that “one of the best ways of reducing anxiety is to think about situations differently.  It’s not an exam; it’s a fun little quiz. It’s not a scary presentation; it’s a little chat with a few colleagues. It’s not a job interview; it’s a chance to meet some new people. Most situations can be re-framed in this way and studies show that people who do this naturally – as opposed to trying to suppress their anxiety – feel less anxious in stressful social situations (Llewellyn et al., 2013).”

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Will the 4th Industrial Revolution diminish what it means to be human?

Will the 4th Industrial Revolution diminish what it means to be human?

Historians insist that the 4th Industrial Revolution is upon us – an age of unprecedented promise and peril as we begin to “fuse the physical, digital and biological worlds,” in the words of Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.

What characterizes the 4th industrial revolution? Technological breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence (self-driving cards, drones, virtual assistants and software that translates or invests), robotics (smart machines, humans working side by side with robots), 3-D printing, nanotechnology (e.g., nano-bots that can one day be injected into your bloodstream to cure illnesses), biotechnology (designer babies, extending the lifespan, improving cognition, capabilities), materials science, energy storage and quantum computing.

The promise, of course, is that the 4th Industrial Revolution will raise global income levels and quality of life worldwide. But perils exist, led by fears of growing inequality and job loss (noted Larry Elliott, writing for The Guardian: “One estimate [maintains that] 47% of U.S. jobs are at risk from automation”). In that same article, Elliott quotes Schwab who compares Detroit with Silicon Valley.  In 2014, Schwab explained, the automakers and entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley generated the same revenue (roughly $25 billion), but Silicon Valley did it with 137,000 employees, just a tenth of Detroit’s 1.3 million.

Said Schwab, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this year: “[We’re seeing a] hollowing out of the middle” in the job market, whereby, worldwide, “the demand for highly skilled workers has increased while the demand for workers with less education and lower skills has decreased. The result is a job market with a strong demand at the high and low ends, but a hollowing out of the middle.”

Impact on Humanity, Our Inner Lives

Schwab raises other concerns, chief among them the 4th Industrial Revolution’s impact on humanity – that is, what it means to be human. Schwab also worries about the impact this revolution might have on our inner lives. He explained: “I am a great enthusiast and early adopter of technology, but sometimes I wonder whether the inexorable integration of technology in our lives could diminish some of our quintessential human capacities, such as compassion and cooperation. Our relationship with our smartphones is a case in point. Constant connection may deprive us of one of life’s most important assets: the time to pause, reflect, and engage in meaningful conversation.”

Elliott raises an additional concern, wondering whether governments – as presently constituted – can meet the challenges ahead. Said Elliott: “Faced with the challenge of disruptive new technology, the current political framework is no longer fit for purpose and its shortcomings are likely to lead to a backlash that could turn very nasty.”

Amid these concerns, Schwab maintains that “in the end, it all comes down to people and values. We need to shape a future that works for all of us by putting people first and empowering them. In its most pessimistic, dehumanized form, the 4th Industrial Revolution may indeed have the potential to ‘robotize’ humanity and thus to deprive us of our heart and soul. But as a complement to the best parts of human nature—creativity, empathy, stewardship—it can also lift humanity into a new collective and moral consciousness based on a shared sense of destiny. It is incumbent on us all to make sure the latter prevails.”

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Just once, I’d like to hear a politician say . . .

Just once, I’d like to hear a politician say . . .

“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” – Benjamin Franklin

I keep waiting for that moment. I keep waiting for a candidate to walk on stage and openly explain – without hesitation, with no hint of trepidation – that they’ve changed their mind.  Our candidate might then explain why, based on new data, fresh analysis and advice from the world’s leading experts that they’ve now arrived at a more strategic solution, a more educated approach.  How sensible.  How realistic.  How rare.

Throughout society, we rely on research and analysis to improve performance and yield better outcomes. We learn, we adapt, we grow, we evolve. So why are our politicians so afraid to change their mind? We’re encouraged, these days, to become lifelong learners, capable of learning new skills and adapting our path. The goal? To live a better life, to make more educated decisions. Shouldn’t this apply to the political realm?

Yet there, on stage, politicians are reluctant to shift their stance. Often asked by members of the media: “But back in 1996, didn’t you once say that you were in favor of that amendment?” Perhaps so. Perhaps, back in 1996, based on available information, a vote in favor of the amendment was appropriate. But now, 20 years later, armed with a wealth of new data and experience, a new position evolves, easily justified, easily defended.

But it just doesn’t happen. 

In the real world, of course, we’re constantly changing our stance, our opinion, our approach based on the latest information, fresh analysis and life experience. Supplements offer a fine example.  Years ago, we may have openly criticized their contribution, but, for many, scientific research and personal experience has reshaped our opinion, allowing us to embrace their benefits.

Is consistency overrated?

The central issue, of course, is the matter of consistency. Might it be overrated? Consistency certainly is essential when we talk about human safety (e.g., airline crews). And it’s highly desirable when we talk about services (e.g., police officers, electricians, dry cleaners). But when it comes to personal opinions and policy decisions, consistency often binds us. In the cogitative world of thoughts, feelings and beliefs, we often fall into the trap of believing that consistency, above all, must be preserved. And that trap is ever-present on the campaign trail, where candidates ardently defend former positions (e.g., on immigration, taxation and foreign engagements, to name a few).

So once, just once, I’d like to hear a candidate explain precisely why their position has changed.  It might go something like this:

“My fellow citizens. I’m calling this press conference to explain that I’ve changed my position on two critical areas of concern – national security and education.  The changes that I am about to announce are a direct result of intense and studied analysis of the facts. Over the last year, I’ve talked at length with a broad cross-section of Americans, seeking input and fresh ideas from leaders in business and academia, from both conservative and liberal think tanks.  They have studied, in depth, our country’s performance over the last 30 years. And their conclusions and recommendations are based on this critical analysis. 

“So, yes, the position and opinions that I am about to express are different from what they were 10 years ago, and even, in some ways, one year ago. I consider it my duty, my honor, my pledge as a candidate, to seek out the best solutions possible, to move our country forward. We must constantly be open to new ideas, to find better ways to defend our borders, educate our children, navigate foreign trade, and embrace foreign cultures. If we cling to the past, we may ignore the latest findings and miss opportunities to advance. With this in mind, here are the steps that I am now recommending.”

Anyone?

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Hunger – More Mental than Physical?

Hunger – More Mental than Physical?

Forget the diets. Stop counting calories. Don’t fret over willpower. That’s not the issue.

When it comes to managing our weight, it’s all about your hunger mood.  That’s the striking claim by Michael Graziano, neuroscientist and Princeton professor who insists that weight regulation is a matter of psychology, not physiology. 

Graziano first points to the obvious: diets don’t work, and when they do, their success is short lived. In a piece published at aeon.co, Graziano argues: “The obesity epidemic is not an issue of calories or willpower. I began to suspect that our problem with obesity is a problem of poisoning the normal regulatory system. We possess a system that’s intricate and beautifully calibrated. It evolved over millions of years to be good at its job. It should work in the background without any conscious effort, but for more than two-thirds of us it doesn’t. What are we doing to ourselves to screw up the hunger and satiety system?”

Yes, Graziano acknowledges, if you take in fewer calories you will lose weight, but that’s not the point. The point is that we’re trying to “outsmart an effective, 50,000-year-old subconscious process,” and it’s not working. Remember the diets urging us to cut out the fat?  Says Graziano: “Cutting out the fat has led to a disaster. As numerous studies have now established, fat reduces hunger. Take it away and the hunger mood soars.”

Remember the diets telling us to count our calories?  Graziano explains: “Let’s say you decide to cut back on calories. You eat less for a day. The result? It’s like picking up a stick and poking a tiger. Your hunger mood rises and for the next five days you’re eating bigger meals and more snacks, perhaps only vaguely realizing it. People tend to judge how much they’ve eaten partly by how full they feel afterward. But since that feeling of fullness is partly psychological, if your hunger mood is up, you might eat more than usual, feel less full than usual, and so mistakenly think that you’ve cut back. You might feel like you’re making progress. After all, you’re constantly vigilant. Sure, now and then you slip up, but you get yourself right back on track again. You feel good about yourself until you get on a scale and notice that your weight isn’t responding. It might go down one day and then blip up the next two days. Dancing under the surface of consciousness, your hunger mood is warping your perceptions and choices.”

Graziano’s bottom line: “Take in fewer calories and you’ll lose weight. But explicitly try to reduce calories, and you’ll do the exact opposite.”

What’s the solution?  Graziano says that we have to start paying attention to our hunger mood, becoming acutely aware of when our hunger mood is up (e.g., we arrive early at the deli counter) and when it’s down (we get caught up in our work).

Others urge us to learn the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger (or what some call “head hunger”). According to articles at the huffingtonpost.com and shapeness.se:

·         Emotional hunger comes on suddenly, abruptly, and feels urgent. Physical hunger builds gradually, and can be postponed.

·         Emotional eating causes specific cravings. Physical hunger can be satisfied with any type of food.

·         Emotional hunger is mental, fantasizing about foods, and leads us to eat more than we normally would (often we end up feeling uncomfortably full). With physical hunger, once we’re full, we can stop eating.

·         Emotional hunger is hard to satisfy, making it hard to stop. Physical hunger is satisfied, feeling full.

·         Finally, emotional hunger often leaves us feeling guilty. Not so with physical hunger.

What makes us so hungry? 

Ian Lang, writing for www.askmen.com, notes that “throughout [Graziano’s] observations, he found three reasons people get uncontrollably hungry: A diet that's sky-high in carbs, which have been shown to encourage hunger, a diet low in fat and a maniacal obsession with counting calories.” Urges Graziano: Put yourself in position where your “automatic system can operate correctly. Don’t put a plastic bag over your head. Likewise, don’t eat the super-high death-carb, low-fat diet. Don’t micromanage your brainstem by counting every calorie. You might be surprised at how well your health self-regulates.”

And this poignant tip from thinfastmd.com: when you get hungry, “stop and think about why you’re ready to eat. Are you bored, or anxious or upset? Negative and complacent emotions can lure us towards food as a comfort.” In addition, “Pay attention to the time. Determine when the last time you ate was, and whether or not it is time to eat again.” Finally, and this is something we all know: “Drink lots of water. Sometimes, you may feel hungry if you are slightly dehydrated. Try drinking a glass of water and determine how you feel afterwards.”

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And Now the Good News (Part 2) - Do Man's Best Days Lie Ahead?

And Now the Good News (part 2)

Part 1 addressed the compelling issue of world hunger, and the significant strides being made worldwide. Today, in Part 2, we explore an equally dynamic topic: Is humankind progressing?  Today’s column provides excerpts from a recent debate held among four of the world’s brightest minds.

Is humankind progressing?  Do man’s best days lie ahead?

A one-hour news feed from CNN might convince you otherwise.  It’s the downside of a 24/7 news cycle – we endure a thousand impressions of the latest crime, tragedy or killing – be it human or weather-related – and, honestly, it can’t help but cloud our perspective. 

Yet a quick look back, to nearly any time in history, assures us that every generation experiences its own unique set of worries and fears.  Why would this time in history be any different?

That was the issue explored this past fall at the Munk Debates*, a series of semi-annual debates vetting issues of substance (prior topics included: The West vs. Russia, Gender in the 21^st Century, North American Economy, Religion, Healthcare, Climate Change and Humanitarian Intervention). 

Four authors took the debate floor – on the pro side, Harvard Professor Steven Pinker and House of Lords member Matt Ridley built a compelling case that man’s best days do indeed lie ahead. Opposing them, journalist Malcolm Gladwell and public philosopher Alain de Botton made their claim that today’s threats (e.g., nuclear proliferation, climate change, et al) are indeed of a different order.

Clear from debate reviews was that Pinker – armed with facts and figures – carried the day. Pinker opens with two memorable lines: “Journalists report plane crashes, not planes that take off,” then adds: “As long as bad things haven’t vanished from the earth altogether, there will always be enough of them to fill the news.”  His compelling arguments rested on 10 elements that revealed, with little hyperbole, that humankind is indeed progressing.  Following are Pinker’s 10 points, drawn from the transcript of the Munk Debates:

1.      Life itself: “A century and a half ago, the human lifespan was 30 years. Today is it 70 and it shows no signs of leveling off.”

2.      Health: “Two of the greatest sources of misery in human existence [smallpox and cattle plague] have been eradicated forever. The same will soon be true for polio and guinea worm and we are currently decimating hookworm, malaria, filariasis, measles, rubella and yaws.”

3.      Prosperity: “Two centuries ago eighty-five percent of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty. Today, that’s down to ten percent and, according to the UN, by 2030, it could be zero.”

4.      Peace: “Globally, the annual death rate from wars has been in bumpy decline, from 300 per 100,000 during World War II, to 22 in the 1950s, 9 in the ‘70s, 5 in the ‘80s, 1.5 in the ‘90s and 0.2 in the ‘00s. Even the horrific civil war in Syria has only budged the numbers back up to where they were in 2000.”

5.      Safety: “Global rates of violent crime are falling in many places precipitously. The world’s leading criminologists have calculated that, within thirty years, we can cut the global rate of homicide in half.”

6.      Freedom: “More than sixty percent of the world’s population now lives in open societies, the highest percentage ever.”

7.      Knowledge: “In 1820, seventeen percent of people had a basic education. Today, eighty-two percent do and the percentage is rapidly heading to a hundred.”

8.      Human Rights: “Ongoing global campaigns have targeted child labor, capital punishment, human trafficking, violence against women, female genital mutilation, and the criminalization of homosexuality. Each has made measurable inroads and, if history is a guide, these barbaric customs will go the way of human sacrifice, cannibalism, infanticide, chattel slavery, heretic burning, torture executions, public hangings, debt bondage, dueling, harems, eunuchs, freak shows, foot binding, laughing at the insane, and the designated goon in hockey.”

9.      Gender Equity: “Global data show that woman are getting better educated, marrying later, earning more, and in more positions of power and influence.”

10.   Intelligence: “In every country, IQ has been rising by three points a decade.”

* The 90-minute debates began in 2008 and are a charitable initiative of the Aurea Foundation co-founders Peter and Melanie Munk.  Last month’s debate, on humankind, was held at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, in front of an audience of 3,000. TV viewers also looked on.

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Resolutions: What’s the trick to keeping ’em?

Resolutions: What’s the trick to keeping ’em?

It’s been 22 years since I’ve made a New Year’s resolution. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. For more than two decades I’ve answered the question with a simple: “Why yes, I’ve resolved not to make any New Year’s resolutions!” Needless to say, I’ve been quite successful these last 22 years (ha ha).

For some reason, this year is different. I’ve penned more than half a dozen and now face the daunting challenge of achieving them. Where to turn? To the science, of course, in search of sage advice about how to avoid the mind traps that typically derail long-term commitments.

But before we share our 4-point tip sheet, let’s take a moment to touch on temporal landmarks, marketplace trends, and some unique resolutions that I wish I’d had on my list.

·       Temporal landmarks – Akin to the term physical landmarks, temporal landmarks represent specific days that allow us to create a “fresh start” (e.g., “I’ll start that on my birthday, or after the holiday, or next Monday, next week or next month”). Temporal landmarks, according to an article at www.theconversation.com, represent a “demarcation between a past self, who has perhaps failed to meet goals, and the present self, who has goal pursuit at their fingertips.”

·       By the numbers – an estimated 40% of us make New Year’s resolutions each year, and the areas targeted are much what you’d expect – nearly half fall into one of three standard categories: losing weight, improving our financial outlook and finding a new job. Success rates?  Not as bad as you might think. While it’s true that a third of us don’t last a month, an impressive 50% make it for six months.

·       Unique resolutions – In recent days, I’ve come across some provocative ones. For instance: “Learn something you never learned as a child” or “learn a decent party trick.” And then there’s “validate people in my life more” and “worry less.” I like that last one (and am open to any and all recommendations on how to accomplish it!). But my favorite resolution came from columnist Joel Klein, who earlier this month tweeted: “How about this for a new year's res: let's educate our kids before we graduate them, not vice-versa.” (Klein was reacting to a recent New York Times editorial titled “The Counterfeit High School Diploma”). 

OK, now on to the tips.

1.     Watch your language!  No surprise here, word choice matters. My personal tip is to avoid using the word “every” (as in: “try a new food each week,” or “go for a walk every day,” or “take a friend to lunch once a month”). Don’t get me wrong. I like the ideas, but chances are that the words “every” or “daily” will tend to bind us and lead to a spiral of negative thinking that slows our progress. So go ahead, if you’ve already made some resolutions that might be overly demanding, feel free to revise them. In a similar vein, experts encourage us to avoid being negative (for example, instead of setting a goal to lose 20 lbs., try to re-frame the goal in terms of improving your health).

2.     Harness the skills, and know why you’re doing it! Two elements worth noting: 1. It’s critical to know why you’re making the resolution (see Langer’s quote below); and 2. It takes skill to accomplish our goals. Said Dr. John Norcross, a professor of psychology at the University of Scranton, as quoted in an article at http://www.dailymail.co.uk: “'Largely people are unprepared for change . . . A fair number just clink the champagne glasses and confuse a resolution with a wish. . . . They certainly want to be inspired and motivated at the beginning, but when that gives out within the week, they need to be able to [rely on their] skills.”

As for knowing why, Harvard professor Dr. Ellen Langer was quoted as saying: “When you make a resolution to do something other than what deeply feels comfortable for you, it’s unlikely that you’re going to do it. If somebody is anxious and they eat to make themselves feel good, making a resolution not to over-consume is likely going to fail. Better for the person to recognize their relationship between stress and eating – and deal with the stress.” Added Langer: “If you don’t know what leads to the behavior in the first place, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll break [your resolution] in the second place.”

3.     Questions, not statement.  There’s a body of thought (though it’s hard to know how valid it is) that if you frame your resolutions as questions, you’ll have more luck fulfilling them. Here’s one example from professor Eric Spangenberg, University of California, Irvine: Instead of simply saying “I will exercise more,” try asking yourself “Will I exercise more?” and then answer (with enthusiasm, of course), “YES!” (I’ve tried it, quite interesting!)

4.     Find a friend. The stats are compelling – committing to a goal with a friend leads to far greater success. Explained an article published at theconversation.com: “One research study found signing up for a weight-loss program with friends and having that social support reinforced over time resulted in an increase from 75% to 95% in course completion. It even resulted in an increase from 24% to 66% in weight-loss maintenance, compared to signing up alone and receiving treatment not focused on social support.”

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