Michelle Segar On The Science Behind Sustained Behavioral Change & Why We FAIL at Building Positive Habits

Today’s guest is Michelle Segar. Michelle is a PhD and is an award-winning lifestyle coach and sustainable behavior change researcher at the University of Michigan. For nearly three decades, she has pioneered methods to create sustainable, healthy behavior change that are being used to boost patient health, employee wellbeing, and gym membership retention. She's an advisor to leading global organizations and frequently interviewed in major media outlets like the New York Times, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal.   We talk about how to effectively create a positive habit, the strategies to make lasting behavior changes, the odds of forcing physical activities that feel punishing, why health-related motivations don’t work long-term, and so much more!  Thanks to this episode's sponsor: Earth Echo Foods/Cacao Bliss: www.earthechofoods.com/dougbopst Use Promo code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off your order  Join Thrive Market today to get 40% off your first order and a free gift worth over $50. Visit thrivemarket.com/dougfitness. What to Listen For: 00:00 Intro 01:17 Misconceptions about how to form a new habit 03:07 The habit loop 05:29 The importance of mindfulness in stopping behaviors 10:27 What motivates the change? 14:10 Health-related reasons are poor motivators 19:37 Don’t pick physical activities that feel punishing 24:02 We all need a compelling reason to keep going 27:12 Staying in the path of lasting change 33:34 It’s better to bend than to break 37:46 Eating healthy can be very challenging 41:39 Sustainable healthy eating habit 47:45 Is there a timeframe for behavior change? 52:13 There are nuances in behavioral change  Episode Resources: Michelle Segar | Website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Books Follow me on Social Media: LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices