What Does it Mean to Be “In the Box”?

Being “in the box” in the HMR Program means being on track with your diet, staying on the plan, and not cheating. It’s a handy sound bite that refers to a set of behaviors around making food choices that will support your weight loss. It is also the easiest way to take the guesswork out of losing weight. By staying “in the box” you increase your chances of reaching your goals. It puts the hazy gray world of dieting into crisp black and white. Being on time is black and white—you are or you aren’t. Spending money is black and white—you did or you didn’t. But living in a consumer culture often blurs black and white into many shades of gray.

Take ads that promise you’ll save money by buying this product, or save big by shopping at this store’s sale. You might spend less money relative to what you could spend, but you are not saving money in the absolute sense. You don’t save money by spending money—you just spend less money.

This is called third alternative thinking and it happens with dieting, too. We believe we can eat the “healthier” version of the cookies and still lose weight. The “healthier” cookies might be a low-fat version of Mrs. Field’s... but we only save calories relative to eating other cookies. Marketers tell us that the lower fat version of the high fat junk food will help us reach our weight-loss goals, but in the absolute sense, a cookie is a cookie, and will never be an apple, no matter what the label says.

We get fooled because we really want to believe that in order to change the number on the scale, we don’t really have to change what we eat—that much. So, we eat diet cookies instead of Mrs. Field’s cookies and the scale doesn’t move—that much—either.

The concept of being “in the box” moves dieting out of this third alternative thinking and into the realm of black and white—so it’s more like being on time—you are or you aren’t.

Here’s how HMR keeps it simple. If you are on the HMR Decision-Free Diet, HMR Shakes (including Chicken Soup and Multigrain Hot Cereal) and HMR Entrees and HMR Benefit Bars are “in the box.” Add in fruits and vegetables if you are on the HMR Healthy Solutions Diet. Certain flavorings, extracts and low-cal condiments are “in the box” too... to increase your variety and enjoyment.

It’s structured improvisation with food. You get to create, mix and match, plan and enjoy all the options you can imagine as long as the ingredients are “in the box.” It means there’s always an opportunity to try something new and keep the diet exciting!

But more important than the variety you can create “in the box” is the behavioral black and white it provides for your weight-loss experience. By taking out the guess work, you know exactly where you stand—you’re in or you’re out. By measuring your success on the diet by the number of days you stay “in the box,” you can predict what the results will be on the scale.

What a relief!

There’s no sort of “in the box” any more than there is sort of being on time. You are or you’re not —you’re in or you’re out. And that makes it easier to succeed. It makes your mission clear and your actions quantifiable. Every day “in the box” is a day closer to reaching your weight-loss goal.

The best news is that practicing “in the box” days will help you keep your weight off, too! Long term use of “in the box” days will support your weight-loss maintenance. You will become an expert at eating only the foods that make weight management easier, no matter what the labels say about how “healthy” their version of a cookie might be.

Grab a pen and paper and plan your “in the box” day right now!
 

 

by luv2run on 08/15/2012 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, motivation, in the box, strategies