Achieving Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise

In this 2024 conversation with Travis Glen Sebera, award-winning researcher and author, Michelle Segar, Ph.D. concedes that despite our strongest intentions, there are common reasons why we may find ourselves defeated in our efforts to make sustainable changes in eating and exercise. The then provides new frameworks for achieving our goals based on the science of sustainable change:  "The old story of behavior change is not based on the realities of people's busy, complex lives. Habit formation is very hard to achieve because behaviors like exercise and eating are impacted by many external factors." So Segar introduces a new story of behavior change that sets us up for success based on her "TRAP" and "POP" models. TRAP represents the four common traps that derail us: Temptation, Rebellion, Accommodation, and Perfection. Using the POP process of "Pause, Open and Play", we can flexibly adapt our plans to fit our day, leading to lasting change.

Michelle Segar, Ph.D., is an award-winning researcher at the University of Michigan and health coach. For nearly three decades, she has pioneered methods to create sustainable healthy behavior changes that are being used to boost patient health, employee well-being, and gym membership retention. She advises global organizations on these issues and delivers keynotes and trainings. Her books include:

• No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation Can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness (Harper Collins Leadership 2015)
• The Joy Choice: How to Finally Achieve Lasting Changes in Eating and Exercise (Hachette Go, 2022) 

Interview Date: 6/16/2024       Tags: Michelle Segar, sustainability, behavior change, habits, motivation, mindfulness, exercise, eating, self-compassion, flexibility, Health & Healing