Okay, I caved. Although I hate talking about dieting, apparently nobody around me does. So here are 5 innovative dieting tools using the Systematic Inventive Thinking (S.I.T.) method of creativity.
1. The Division template tasks us with dividing a project into its elements. Instead of looking at a diet as a 6 month, year-long or even lifetime project, focus on a few days at a time. I like to think in patterns of three. If you can do it for three days, you can do it for 30. The first three days of anything is the hardest, and a diet is no exception. Just tell yourself you are only making certain choices for three days. After that, your body will get used to a new routine and it will be easier for you to eat properly.
2. The Subtraction templates asks us to eliminate a component in a counterintuitive way. Imagine dieting without being allowed to eat any fruits or vegetables! What? No fruits or veggies? How can I lose weight? Well, how about not losing weight buy substituting chocolate for baby carrots? How about losing it by eating the same chocolate, but eating less of it, by drinking the same soda, but in a smaller cup. Fruit and vegetables can help with weight loss, but just cutting down on the amount of unhealthy food can help as well.
3. The Task Unification template has us assigning additional jobs to something or someone that previously had its own set of tasks. Think of the items in your home – can they help you lose weight? Can your phone remind you to eat healthy at certain increments? Can the refrigerator magnets remind you with motivational quotes? Can the can opener help you – by leaving it out on the counter each night, will you be reminded to snack on canned vegetables or fruit? Stop searching Amazon for new dieting gadgets – you have what you need right at home!
4. The Attribute Dependency template encourages us to create new relationships (or dependencies) that never existed before. Did your previous weight loss always depend on how diligently you threw out all the junk food or how many times you exercised each week? Well, what about if it depended on how much time you took for food prep or the length of your exercise routines (as opposed to the quantity)? Creating new dependencies can help you see dieting in a new light and give you different perspectives.
5. The Multiplication template ask us to multiply what we have in new ways. Instead of just cutting up raw vegetables for snacking, slice them for soups, salads and quiches! Cutting up grilled chicken for a salad? Make a few different recipes and have a few healthy grab-and-go meal options. Instead of just walking for 30 minutes on the treadmill, try getting into the habit of walking 30 minutes to the library as well. This way, once you’ve met your dieting goal, you still have a healthy habit that will ling continue.
I think I’m hungry just writing about dieting. Maybe I’ll divide up my donut later and only eat it in bite size pieces?:)