Episode 67. Simplify. Play. Choose Joy. How does THAT sound to you, friends?

In today's episode, I got to sit down with Dr. Michelle Segar, someone whose work I deeply admire, and this only was amplified after our conversation. It was a reminder to me that even people who have tons of research publications and two books have self-doubt, but that people doing the courageous work of questioning the status quo are essential to improving the way we do things, and help people.

What to Expect in this Interview

In this interview, we cover:

What prompted Dr. Segar to get into doing this work (she takes us back to a story from a pivotal moment among a group of women in 1994)When and why she first started applying Self-Determination Theory to understanding eating and exercise habitsWhat made her write her bestselling book No Sweat AND her brand new book out this week called The Joy ChoiceWhat we need to understand about the existing research on habit change and why it might not always apply to eating behaviorWhat is a "habiter" versus an "unhabiter", and how to know which one you areHow to use her science-based decision support strategy - simplify, play, and choose joy - to help us quiet the mental noise and clear the decks for effective decision making through joy, ease, and flexibility.” What it means to make the "perfect, imperfect choice" and how it can help you (make sure you check out the example about how this applies to Kara's habit of skipping lunch)

Who is Dr. Michelle Segar?

Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, MS bestselling author of No Sweat and sustainable behavior change scientist, directs the University of Michigan’s Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center. She has spent the last 25 years conducting health coaching and research and translating it into sustainable behavior change messages and programming for professionals and organizations seeking to accelerate and sustain positive change. Her comprehensive, research-based approach to creating sustainable behavior change has made her a sought-after speaker, sustainable-behavior-change trainer, and consultant.  Michelle is passionate about helping professionals and organizations learn how to integrate the latest scientific findings into clinic-based counseling and tele-coaching protocols and digital health products and practices.

"How can we be failing at something when we've been set up to fail?"-Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, MS

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Do you ever worry that you are wasting your life?

I definitely did. In fact, I wrote that in my journal many years ago when I was in the middle of the diet-binge roller coaster ride.

I woke up every day thinking about food, my body, and what I would eat that day to "be healthy"The notebooks I had filled with calories and points could fill up a spare bedroomSocial events and vacations immediately prompted the thought "they will notice I gained weight" or "I need to lose weight by then"Deep down I knew I wasn't living life the way I wanted to, but I didn't know how to pull myself out of it.

If this is you, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to feel empowered in your body and proud of your choices on a consistent basis. I promise you, it isn't too late.

Dieting steals our motivation. It makes us ineffective. It keeps us spinning our wheels in a system that was never built to work.

If you are ready take the first step to motivating yourself with what matters to you, download my free Cultivate Powerful Motivation guide (which is quite beautifully designed if I do say so myself), and walk through the 3 simple steps to cultivate motivation that works for YOU in 15 minutes or less. You will get a simple formula to write ONE SENTENCE you can use to motivate yourself...