Lose Weight and Stay on Track by Using the Wrong Hand

I recently figured out a secret that has helped me to lose weight, and accomplish other various goals. I hope the method can work for others.

Use Negative Reinforcement

Many people use some form of positive reinforcement to treat themselves when they do something right. This may mean doing silly things such as eating pie after a good workout. I found that this type of reinforcement was not working for me, so I decided to switch it up.

I decided to use negative reinforcement. One type of negative reinforcement that has worked very well for me is to use the wrong hand to complete tasks we normally take for granted, such as eating and brushing teeth.

I try to run for 10 minutes three times a day. I also brush my teeth three times a day. Each time I miss a run, I have to brush my teeth with my left hand (I'm right-handed). Using my left hand has been annoying enough to make me want to stay on track, but without being stressful enough to make me give up.

Give Yourself Reasonable Goals

Create goals you know you can attain. Running for 10 minutes three times a day may not be much of a workout, but it's something I know I am capable of doing. It's definitely better than doing nothing at all. Your goals can always expand as you become more proficient, and as your schedule changes.

This method can be expanded to food goals as well. If you want to eat healthier, start small. Maybe you can start by cutting out soda. This is how I improved my diet years ago. Each time you give in and drink a soda, that's one left-handed task.

Train Your Brain With Reminders and Repetition

In order to stay on track with your brain-training, you will need reminders for your goals and reinforcement. For my workouts, I keep the timer I use for running in a prominent place. To remember to brush with my left hand, I keep my toothbrush on the left side of the sink. It's always an instant reminder after so many years of having it on the right.

Reverse the Negative Reinforcement

Once you have gotten used to a regimen of reaching daily goals and using negative reinforcement, try reversing the way you think about the reinforcement. Once I started to get into a rhythm, I began to think of the negative reinforcement as the norm, and reaching my goal as positive reinforcement.

In other words, brushing my teeth with my left hand became the norm. When I completed my workout, my positive reinforcement was being able to brush my teeth with my right hand. When you reverse the reinforcement, being able to go back to normal is a huge relief! It will make you want to stay on track with your goals for a long time to come.