Give Yourself A High Five To Make Weight Loss Easier

Oh the amazing brain.  So rich with transformational possibilities.

I can’t wait to share this simple, easy tool with you to rewire your brain for the better.

Here’s what you do:

Look in that mirror of yours, every day, multiple times a day, and give that wonderful woman looking back at you a well-deserved  high five.

Popularized by Mel Robbins, an author, television host, lawyer, and motivational speaker, The High 5 Habit, is a companion  exercise to her other easy teaching, The 5 Second Rule.

I love how the High 5 Habit and, for that matter, The 5 Second Rule, can make weight loss easier.

Whenever you boost your mood, add a touch of humor to your day and experience a surge of energy, EVERYTHING becomes easier!

Melissa Urban, the founder of the Whole 30 movement, interviewed Mel about the High 5 Habit.  After I read their conversation, I knew I had to share the highlights with you.

I’ve taken the liberty of editing and adding a few thoughts of my own but if you’re interested in reading the whole interview verbatim, click here.

Mel describes how to give yourself the most effective HIGH FIVE possible.

Get in a celebratory mood with The High 5 Habit.

She instructs us to stand in front of the mirror every morning and get intentional:

1. Look yourself in the eye.
2. Promise, “Today, I’m going to show up for myself, no matter what.”
3. Seal that promise with a high five in the mirror.

She says it makes her feel validated and supported—the most empowering feelings on the planet. She says she spent her whole life waiting for others to make her feel validated and supported.

You cheer for everyone else in your life. You support them, and that’s great, but you need to do it for yourself.

So the next time you look in a mirror, give yourself a, high five.

Raise your hand in celebration!

A high five is an act of defiance against self-doubt.  It neurologically changes you.

Your brain gets a hit of dopamine with every high five because you’ve got a lifetime of positive associations with giving high fives to other people.

That’s why you feel more motivated, confident, and celebrated when you high five yourself.

Every morning, after you brush your teeth, make this High 5 Habit a ritual, and self-doubt has no chance of stopping you.

Just do it for five days, even if you’re skeptical.

Mel says it will take that long because you’re probably going to resist it for the first few days.  You’re probably not used to celebrating yourself on the regular. It might sound silly or frivolous.

But your amazing brain can change, despite your reservations.

Just do it anyway.  It’s science-backed and it works.

If you want to know more, her new book, The High 5 Habit, will give you the low down and much more!

Add more motivation and success by practicing The 5 Second Rule.

1. When you think about something you want to do, like putting away the bag of popcorn you’ve been munching, countdown 5-4-3-2-1.
2. When you hit 1, immediately take action—clip that popcorn bag and stash it in the pantry.  Send that difficult text.  Make that nagging call.  Pull on your workout clothes.
3. By counting backward, you move from thought to action and take control before your brain has a chance to know what’s happened and mount objections.

Melissa asks Mel her thoughts about self-sabotage.

Old habits are hard to break because they’re hardwired into your subconscious.

You may not realize this as it’s happening, but you’ve developed coping mechanisms for every uncomfortable emotion. When you feel frustrated, lonely, bored, angry, or anxious, instead of allowing the emotions, it’s so common to buffer against them.  Often with food.

That’s why you need to consistently practice new behaviors when you find yourself slipping into buffering behaviors.

Counting backwards 5-4-3-2-1 will interrupt the old pattern and give you a moment of control to insert a different response.

The High 5 Habit works even deeper because it silences the negative critic in your head, so you can tap into the confidence needed to build healthier habits.

Based on research, Mel explains that the most important part of behavior change is being kind to yourself along the way.

If you have a tough day, don’t throw your Food Plan out the window.  Don’t drop into an F-it attitude.

Instead, brush it off.  Be kind to yourself.

Say hello to The High 5 Habit. Look in the mirror, raise your hand, and high five yourself.  Honor your determination to keep trying to do your best. That deserves celebration.

Use The High 5 Habit to empower yourself, especially after you’ve broken a promise.

You’ll feel more motivated to focus on your weight loss again.

Melissa asks her how to stick to habits habits in your best interest when things get stressful.

Mel advises to take the thinking out of it.

Make your evening routine and your morning routine your best friends.

She believes a successful day begins the night before.

Here are three things Mel does when winding down at the end of the day.

1. Set the alarm intentionally. Some days it might need to be 30 minutes earlier. Some days it could be 30 minutes later. Give your body what it needs.
2. Set reminders. If you are committed to exercising, for example, lay out your exercise clothes the night before where you can see them first thing in the morning. Take the thinking out of it. When you see them in the morning, you can’t ignore them.
3. Find a friend. Studies prove change is easier with others. Set up a text chain with someone—nothing is more inspiring than getting a quick text, even if they are complaining. Their example will give you the inspiration to stick to your promises. And, you’ll inspire them too when you send them a reply.

Mel champions easy self-care.

Self care is just literally taking care of your physical and emotional needs.

Part of self-care is knowing how to manage your stress to regulate your nervous system.

She shares that the most essential emotional needs you have as a human being are to be seen, heard, and validated.

Here are four things Mel does to take care of herself.

She emphasizes that this advice is grounded in science.and it works.

1. She gets out of bed when the alarm rings. Say says, “I tend to feel most anxious in the morning. Lying in bed and marinating in fear is self-imposed self-destruction. Instead, I use 5-4-3-2-1 to get up and get going, and once I get going, I find that I can keep going.”
2. She puts her hands on her heart and says, “I’m okay, I’m safe, I’m loved.” She repeats it until she feels her nervous system calm down.
3. She begins her day with a high five in the mirror. Although it feels weird at first, she advises to make it a ritual,.  Then you’ll feel the energy of celebration, the boost of dopamine, and the conviction that comes from knowing that you have your own back.
4. She makes thoughtful food choices. Food is nourishment, fuel for our precious mitochondria.. Food choices can reflect a form of self-care.  When you are mindful about the kind of food you consume, you feel better and are motivated to make better choices in other areas of your life.

How to get back on track after neglecting healthy food habits.

Research shows that being kind to yourself has the greatest impact on your happiness and life satisfaction.

This is one of the reasons why Mel promotes The High 5 Habit.

Most of us make the mistake of believing that we only deserve a high five when we’re winning.  BINGO!

However, it’s in those moments when you fall behind or when you break a promise to yourself that you need encouragement and compassion more than ever.

She also tells NOT to:

1. Beat yourself up.
2. Tell yourself, “There I go again, screwing things up.”
3. Make yourself wrong.
4. Bail on your Food Plan or other commitments to yourself.

So on those mornings in particular, where you’re waking up knowing that yesterday you didn’t follow through––you ate the donuts, you didn’t exercise, you snapped at your partner––that’s the morning you need to really see yourself and acknowledge that life can be hard.  You’re human!

And then high five yourself!  Celebrate the fact that here you are, showing up again.

Make it easier to stay motivated or recover your weight loss mojo with my coaching support.

Designing a system of health-oriented habits of action and thought takes thoughtful planning.  Managing your inner critic and getting little dopamine hits from practicing simple habits rather than turning to food for comfort are skills you can learn.

Let’s discuss how you can get started.

Take me up on my offer for a FREE Strategy Call.

Schedule that call right here.  

I’m looking forward to meeting you soon.

It’s Never Too Late to make your weight loss journey easier. A year from now, you will thank yourself.

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P.S.  Want to hear and mind-blowing, mind expanding interview with Mel Robbins just, coincidentally, published this week?  don’t wait another minute, jump on the Mel Robbins bullet train right here. You’re welcome, my friend!