Achieving Lasting Changes in Healthy Eating and Regular Exercise [Podcast Series]

• [:55] Dr. Bantham introduces her guest, Dr. Michelle Segar

  • Dr. Michelle Segar is a University of Michigan Sustainable Behavior Change Scientist and a Health Coach.  

  • Dr. Segar is also the author of the forthcoming The Joy Choice. 

• [1:19] Sustainable behavior change

  • “And The Joy Choice really is asking a different question. Instead of looking forward, It's getting us to stop dead in our tracks when a conflict arises to our exercise or healthy eating plans.  When things go awry.  Because they always do, for the most part. And so The Joy Choice is, aims at helping people understand what's truly getting in their way at those challenging decision points, and most importantly, how they can rethink it so they have a more positive frame and an easy strategy and decision tool they can implement.”

• [3:07] Immediate benefits of being physically active

  • “But also what the science really at this point I think I can say unequivocally shows for the vast majority of people that when we help people understand the immediate benefits, whether it's mood or energy level, you know, whatever it is. That converts exercise, it transforms it from something they should do into something that is relevant and compelling to help them today.”

• [7:30] A flexible approach to exercise

  • “And The Joy Choice is the perfect imperfect option that lets us do something instead of nothing. So we've got to get past the all or nothing dragon that's been getting in people's way. And I do want to say that the idea that people should become flexible is also a new message that, well, it's one I've been also talking about for decades. But the research is also starting to mount to show that flexible response and flexible thinking is much more adaptive for healthy eating, for regular exercise, including for weight loss maintenance.”

• [8:50] Habit formation

  • “So if you're a habiter and COVID really threw a wrench in your ability to do it that way that's worked for you, you have to embrace and integrate a new way. And that is one of flexibility, which the science suggests is much more likely to lead to sustainability across the board.” 

• [15:03] Movement as a gift

  • “We're teaching our kids, instilling values and beliefs that they can bring with them through their lifetime. Which is really important, not just getting them to be active in a sport, which doesn't necessarily translate at all to lifelong physical activity.  But teaching them how to think about physical activity in a way that helps them really get and internalize, wow, movement isn't something I'm supposed to do. It's actually this gift and joy that I want to do and I want to make a part of my life.”

• [17:17] Making consistent choices

  • “POP, which is the decision making tool I created to help people make the consistent choices—not perfect choices—but consistent, resilient choices that help them stay the path of sustainable change, is that when we think about things in a certain way, and when we practice them, we learn how to do it.”

• [23:30] Expanding choice

  • “I think they should have gone in the other direction and said, we only can measure above 10 minutes. And that doesn't mean that anything isn't better than nothing. But so, but now we got there, we got there finally, and the sky is the limit. And that should be the new message.”

• [25:09] Health coaching as research

  • “So, the coaching I do with people—just like you know that you do with the people that you work and the patients you work with—it is as important as any research we could do. And they both are essential to intertwine together to give us the whole picture.”

• [26:19] Health & fitness sector at a crossroads

  • “The evidence I've seen during COVID was that the industry was seriously reexamining their assumptions, their beliefs and their practices. And my hope is is that after, as we're moving out of this extreme COVID phase and reality that the industry stays as committed as they have been to doing the hard work of sustainable behavior change.”

• [30:43] Reaching the 80%

  • “Anyone who's trying to sell any product or service with that frame and mindset knows it's never about you, ever, ever, ever. It is always about your target consumer—their needs, their wants, their insecurities, and solutions that will help them solve those pain points and needs.  So that is where the industry is going to have to go if they want to actually succeed at attracting and retaining the other 80%.”