“If you want a smart, science-based, and joyful approach to sustainable behavior change, start here."
―Tom Rath, NYT bestselling author of Eat Move Sleep and StrengthsFinder 2.0
"The Joy Choice...reveals easy and fun ways to stay consistent with our health goals, while still tending to the meaningful people and demands in our lives."
―Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., NYT bestselling co-author of The Whole-Brain Child and author of The Bottom Line for Baby
"If you’re frustrated with your progress in exercising and eating right, this book is for you. Michelle Segar shifts the focus...toward a new approach to our choices that is full of humanity, imperfection, and, yes, joy.”
―Daniel H. Pink, NYT bestselling author of The Power of Regret and Drive
It's time for a new story of behavior change—this time, with a happy ending. Welcome to the Joy Choice!
What if you could easily and joyfully resolve the in-the-moment conflicts that often derail your eating and exercise goals? Much of what we’ve been taught about creating change in eating and exercise is simplistic, outdated, and for many, misguided. Sustainable-behavior-change researcher and lifestyle coach Michelle Segar has devoted decades to the study of how to achieve lasting changes in eating and exercise and other self-care behaviors. Segar explains the surprising reasons why our eating and exercise plans so often crash when they come up against real life. She calls these conflicts “choice points,” and shows that they are the real place of power for achieving lasting changes in eating and exercise.
The Joy Choice offers a fresh, brain-based solution that turns the old behavior-change paradigm on its head. This groundbreaking book liberates you from the self-defeating obligations and rigid requirements of past diet and workout regimens and reveals what emerging research suggests really drives the consistent choices that power sustainable change. Designed from cutting-edge decision science and real-world experience coaching clients, you’ll discover the easy, flexible, and three-step joy-infused decision tool that works with the chaos of daily life, guiding you to finally achieve and maintain your eating and exercise goals once and for all—and enjoy doing it!
| Introduction: It's Not Your Fault |
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1 Is the Power of Habits all It's Cracked Up to Be for Healthy Eating and Exercise? |
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9 | (16) |
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2 Changing Behavior Amid the Chaos and Stress of Our Crazy-Busy Lives |
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25 | (8) |
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3 Why We Don't "Just Do It" |
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33 | (8) |
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4 Decision Disruptoh #1: Temptation |
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41 | (10) |
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5 Decision Disruptor #2: Rebellion |
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51 | (12) |
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6 Decision Disruptor #3: Accommodation |
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63 | (10) |
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7 Decision Disruptor #4: Perfection |
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73 | (10) |
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8 The Joy Choice: The Perfect Imperfectopwn |
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83 | (16) |
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9 Simplify: Supporting Working Memory |
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99 | (16) |
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10 Play: Supporting Flexible Thinking |
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115 | (16) |
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11 Choose Joy: Supporting Inhibition |
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131 | (20) |
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12 Pop! The Joy Choice Decision Tool and How to Use It |
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151 | (12) |
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13 Learning Lasting Change |
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163 | (12) |
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EPILOGUE: THE EVER-CHANGING SWEET SPOT OF LASTING CHANGE |
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175 | (34) |
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Appendix A Getting Started Picking the Joy Choice: An Eating Example |
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179 | (18) |
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Appendix B Professional Goals and Industry Cases |
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197 | (12) |
| Acknowledgments |
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209 | (4) |
| Notes |
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213 | (26) |
| Index |
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239 | |
Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, MS, author of No Sweat, award-winning sustainable behavior change scientist, and lifestyle coach, directs the University of Michigan's Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center. For nearly three decades, she has pioneered methods to create sustainable healthy behavior change that are widely used to boost patient health, employee well-being, and gym membership retention. She is frequently interviewed in major media outlets like The New York Times, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal and is a sought-after speaker, consultant, and trainer.
