Back are fitness and health expert Jessie Pavelka and psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser as they guide this season’s tribe to making healthy changes in their lives and overcome many of the personal obstacles that have prevented them from losing weight.

Season 2 follows five friends for 120 days as they work together to motivate each other to endure some of the toughest workouts of their lives and adhere to the clean-eating plan they must follow in order to lose the 35-50 pounds that Jessie has challenged them with. In addition, the women must also compete in a triathlon at the end of their four-month journey.

Here’s a sneak peak at the colorful cast of characters that make up DietTribe’s Season 2 tribe:

Sisters Stephanie Taulealea and Tiffany Young have done pretty much everything together including sharing poor eating habits and enduring gastric bypass surgery. Having gained all of the weight back following the procedure, the sisters are committed to taking control of their weight and their lives, once and for all. Learn more about Stephanie and Tiffany from DietsInReview’s personal interview with them.

LaNessa Watson is the only non-mom of the tribe, but it was her rallying that inspired her four other friends to consider joining DietTribe. LaNessa is determined to lose 50 pounds and her low self-esteem, both of which have been weighing her down her whole life.

Mary Lasnier is finally putting herself first. This stay-at-home mom joins her friends in order to take control of her physical and emotional health after having just endured a painful divorce.

Rita Porter is a former athlete who desperately misses her once-fit self. Juggling motherhood and kids, Rita is also placing herself first in order to reclaim her athletic self and keep up with her husband and young children.

Season 2 premieres this Friday, October 2 at 9:00 p.m ET/PT.

DietsInReview.com will be watching all of the episodes and providing you with weekly updates of the tribe’s progress.

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DietTribe Season 2 Premieres October 2

This research utilized Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale to divide participants into a high-esteem and a low-esteem group. Participants were then asked to write down any thoughts and feelings they had during a four-minute period; every fifteen minutes throughout this period, a doorbell would ring prompting half of each group (high-esteem and low-esteem) to tell themselves “I am a lovable person.”

After this exercise, participants completed two questionnaires designed to assess mood and two questionnaires designed to assess current self-esteem. The researchers discovered that the positive statements increased the differences between the two groups; those with high self-esteem already felt better about themselves while those with low self-esteem felt worse after repeating a validation of their lovability.

Positive self-talk seems to only be helpful if you already believe what you are saying to yourself. If you are convincing yourself rather than reminding yourself, you are likely to internally contradict these statements and actually convince yourself that these statements are not true.

I have yet to find research that contradicts the power of our thoughts, but I am refining my strategy for teaching clients to harness this power. You must create your own script, rather than repeating those things that others tell you that you should believe. A friend, counselor, or loved one may be able to help you identify those things that you do believe. Create your own list of reminders of your positive characteristics and successes. Be realistic and focus on the small things, those things that truly make you unique. Repeating positive things that you do believe more often can keep you in a positive frame of mind and increase your self-esteem.

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Dangers of Positive Thinking

The study of martial arts is far more than an extracurricular activity -  it’s a unique training program that empowers children with techniques and strategies for lifelong success. Martial arts classes help children learn discipline, self-control, self-confidence, respect, concentration and courtesy. It’s awesome to see a group of 30 kids stand at attention and belt out, “Yes, SIR!” Kind of gives me hope that the grunts and groans I usually hear will not last forever!

There are other benefits as well:

• Many martial arts schools also offer leadership courses for kids, in conjunction with their karate for kids programs, or similar lessons.

• Martial arts is ideal for children who do not do well in team sports, giving them the ability to flourish this activity, while combining physical and mental practices.

• Many do not realize this, but martial arts training is safer than most school sports. My kids have learned how to fall correctly to minimize injury and also how to successfully overpower a much larger opponent without fear. The gym that they train at is well padded and maintained.

• Children with special needs, such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), learning difficulties and hyperactivity are often recommended to participate in martial arts for kids because of the clear benefits in its structured training techniques. I’ve seen this first hand with my son, who has a slow processing speed and needs extra time to focus; his speed has improved dramatically, as well as his overall ability to focus.

Not only all of those benefits, but the kids just look so gosh darned cute taking class!

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The Benefits of Martial Arts For Kids

In general people do not pay enough attention to how successful and powerful they actually are already. Preparing a healthy lunch rather than stopping at Taco Bell just one day is a major change for that day. A smaller change would be to go to the same eating establishment, but order lighter fare instead of the usual. Too often people do not even consider the accomplishment of altering one’s daily pattern and do not count a change until it is a habit. When you are not giving yourself credit for our achievements along the path to a larger goal, you will feel like you have not made any progress and all your hard work has been for naught. Reaching high goals takes time, but you can progress down the path every day. Recognize what you are doing and what you have done. This will encourage you to keep going and increase your self-esteem.

In the same way, recognizing your achievements can encourage you to undertake even higher goals and take bigger steps at a time. As I started back into my running habit, I remembered how far I had run during the Indy Mini without training or preparation. I doubled my normal first day’s run and felt fine the next day. I realized that my endurance is higher than that with which I was crediting myself, and I immediately achieved more. How much more quickly will I meet my recovery goals at this pace?

It is my guess that you have achieved more than you are considering. How have you been successful in your career? What have you done right? What do you do well on a regular basis? On what aspects do you receive compliments? Highlight your achievements, even the small ones. Every day (or every hour!) take stock of what you have done well. Did you order water rather than soda? Did you take the stairs rather than the escalator? Did you order your dressing on the side? These were conscious choices that took effort and discipline. Well done!

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Are You Already Closer to Your Goal Than You Think?

And, yeah, right on. Especially if you are a mom. Think about it. Moms are conditioned, from before the baby arrives to put the baby first. Think of the baby, do what’s best for the baby. In the beginning, of course, there is a lot of validity to this sentiment. But babies grow up, change and become interested in other things, and moms often stay in the same position, stagnant and directionless. It is an almost martyrdom, placing the wants and needs of every other member of the family above hers. In a far too often scenario, this leads to weight gain. And then the vicious cycle begins.

Doing the work necessary to get yourself in shape requires time.  It means taking classes, developing a running habit, learning to cook in a better manner. It means that you might not make your family the center of your universe every second of the day. That focus will shift a bit, to be centered on you.  There might be times where this evolution would make members of your family uncomfortable.

I certainly know that it feels safe to keep the weight on, to stay heavy and virtually invisible as you’ve always been. No one really notices the heavy mom behind the family. I did that for years and years, never taking the time to take care of myself, never wanting to spend money or time ON myself. But you are worth it – you are worth the time and the attention that you need to give yourself.  You aren’t selfish or petty to focus a bit of your hard earned time and money on yourself. I promise. Put yourself at the top of your list for a while, and I think you’ll be surprised at how good you feel.

You are worth any amount of time that it takes.  I promise.

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Mom, You are Worth It!

He could have resolved one day not to eat fast food ever again, looked up several new healthy recipes, gone to the grocery and bought all the ingredients; however, my guess is that after a week or so he would be looking for a break from all that cooking or disappointed in his skill or time management. Going to the grocery may seem overwhelming when you don’t know where everything is or even what you really want.

An option that might lead to more success would be to prove to overcome his self-doubt one meal at a time, even one hour at a time. He could have decided that instead of driving through Starbucks on his way to work, he would eat the cereal he already had at home. Maybe that night, it wouldn’t seem so difficult to pack the next day’s lunch rather than planning to drive through Wendy’s. Slowly, finding something to eat other than fast food would not seem nearly so difficult, as he starts to realize that he has been avoiding it.

Similarly, he could tell himself that he’ll eat a healthy lunch and wait at least an hour before finding a drive through. Each hour he could evaluate his hunger and cravings and determine if fast food is necessary. Perhaps he would only make it an hour the first day, but he might find that it is easier to go an entire day, especially if it gets busy at work.

Another method for overcoming self-doubt would be to remind yourself of past achievements, rather than focusing on the specifics of this hurdle. Consider times in the past when you have been able to practice self-restraint or avoid temptation, even if it seems to be an entirely different situation. The situation may be different but the process may be very similar. Focusing on the positive and those things that empower you can only help you to tear down the wall of self-doubt and make the hurdles in the path to your goal easily surmountable.

Also read The Hurdle of Self-Doubt, Part I

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The Hurdle of Self-Doubt, Part II

Even when we take each step individually, some steps can feel like a longer reach than others. A friend who has been reading my posts at Diets In Review shared with me recently that in his struggle to lose weight the biggest hurdle was not finding new information on nutrition and exercise that could help direct his behavior or modify his metabolism or even avoiding the temptation of his comfort foods, but rather the most difficult part for him was believing that he could actually make it over those hurdles. Self-doubt is a hurdle in itself.

Until I dated a marathoner I was pretty anti-running and it took him a while to convince me to even give it a try. Once I realized I could set my own pace and distance without feeling tortured, I began to work it into my routine. After I had been running casually for a while, watching him and others run races, I felt like I could give it a try. After I had run my first race, I was impressed with what I was able to accomplish, and I have set some higher goals for myself. Each was a step; being convinced that I was capable was a hurdle I had to jump before I was able to reach that achievement.

Also read The Hurdle of Self-Doubt, Part II.

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The Hurdle of Self-Doubt, Part I

Mini-marathon participants running through downtown Indianapolis.

In just under seven weeks, I will be running the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon for the second time. Part of the events leading up to the Indianapolis 500 each year, the Mini-Marathon is the largest half-marathon and the fifth largest running event in the United States. It is a major event for Indianapolis, including participants from all over the world, across age brackets, and of all speeds. I have fast new shoes and I am running more days than I’m not. I obviously have running on the brain. We write about the health benefits of running frequently, but there are several mental health benefits also.

1. Run when you are feeling angry or frustrated to burn off the extra energy. Research has shown that nothing relieves stress more than physical exercise.

2. Running increases endorphins which contributes to a general sense of well-being and mood elevation, so running can make you feel better when you are sad.

3. Running is an excellent way to fight anxiety. Naturally inducing and recovering from the adrenaline response allows your body to practice recovering from physical effects of anxiety.

Running around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

4. If you are feeling lonely or disillusioned with people in general, running on a local trail (like Indy’s Monon Trail, Canal Walk, or Cultural Trail) will expose you to several people enjoying the weather and/or exercising, as well as dogs and kids, and present many opportunities to enjoy and share a smile.

5. Running gives you an opportunity to experience freedom and can be the perfect escape from stressors, being inside all day, or the daily grind when you are feeling trapped.

6. You can increase your self-esteem and feel empowered by running by accomplishing goals, experiencing what your body can do, and re-defining yourself.

7. Running also gives you an opportunity to escape into your own world, tune out everything else with your iPod, refocus, and be refreshed. You may need a break from stressors or people or just to allow your brain to rest.

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7 Mental Health Reasons to Run

The people in our lives, the experiences we have had, and the lessons we have learned have shaped all the details of our lives, including our daily habits. It is not always easy to live a life without regrets, but you must forgive yourself for your past choices. Remind yourself that you made the best choice that you could at that moment based on the information that you had.

On the other hand, sometimes we consciously make choices that we know are not the absolute best, but we do so to meet some need or desire in that moment. A silly example would be ordering french fries instead of apple slices at McDonald’s because you don’t want cold food. Sometimes in life, we make the least best decision in areas that have a greater impact on our life, now and long-term. Most people can probably think of a friend who dated someone that just was not good enough of for him or her. Questioning my friend’s decision could hurt our friendship; instead I try to understand that there is some reason for my friend to make this (temporary) decision.

Life has brought you to this moment. You have done the best that you can, and you are a person of value. It is important to accept who you are right now. As you look to the future, there may be areas you would like to improve or things you would like to do differently. Rather than feeling negatively about what you have yet to achieve, think of these things as goals. Perhaps accepting who you are includes the assessment of yourself as someone who is constantly improving. DietsInReview can be a great place to get ideas about how to achieve your goals. No matter where you are in your journey of growth, do not forget that you have value just where you are right now.

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Valuing Your Past, Present, and Future

If you are struggling with self-esteem, let those around you tell you those things that make you special. Often those closest to you have a more accurate view of you than you do. If you have a healthy support team, you will hear positive things about yourself, not negative. Teach yourself to say “Thank you” to every compliment!

Would you allow someone else to put your child or best friend down in front of you or him/her? Do not allow people to do the same to you. Most importantly, do not accept negative comments from yourself! We are often our own harshest critics. The thoughts you have about yourself directly effect your self-esteem.

Have you ever listened to the messages you give yourself, the things you say within your own head or even say about yourself to others? How much of what you say is positive and uplifting v. negative and defeating? No matter how supportive those around you are, you cannot escape yourself and you have the most impact on yourself, your feelings, and your self-assessment. If you were choosing a roommate, best-friend, or significant other, someone that would be around you frequently, you would want to choose someone who wasn’t saying negative things about you. Are you treating yourself as well as you would treat someone else? Start responding to the negative things you say to yourself like you would respond to someone you care about if you heard them say those same things about themselves.

Instead of thinking about how slowly you’re losing weight, remind yourself of how often you are working out and how you are drinking more water every day. Instead of focusing on all the tasks that need to be done, remind yourself of all that you have achieved and that you are capable of doing the rest in time. Instead of focusing on your height, consider your adorable nose. I would love to hear some positive messages that you use and could help others!

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Treat Yourself Like You’d Treat Your Best Friend