A new Yahoo Group mailing list called Positive Weight Control got off to a roaring start this summer. Traditionally, the focus of a diet is what you can't have, what you're giving up, what you're forcing yourself to do that you really don't want to do. The members of the Positive Weight Control list decided they would rather focus on the good things they were adding to their lives and what they were getting in return. The first step was to positively state goals, both short- and long-term. Many people chose to use TAGteach techniques to mark each of the positive steps they took. One key aspect was to focus on the behavior, not the outcome. A person who makes great choices but isn't rewarded with lower numbers on the scale can get frustrated because the emphasis is on the wrong thing: the outcome. Whether the desired outcome happens quickly or slowly, it will happen eventually if a person consistently chooses the behaviors associated with a healthy lifestyle.
