Mental Weight Loss

When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. “Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It’s so caloric and filled with saturated fat. I’m such a pig. I have absolutely zero willpower.” It’s no wonder you’ll eat that muffin with the butter and slather jelly on top to quiet that negative self-talk.

What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you’re using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought. In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to “I’m such a pig” which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with “Pigs are animals and I am human. I don’t have to be perfect.”

Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding “distorted” thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:

• Shoulds. Should statements are more about other people’s values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. “I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them.”
• All-or-Nothing. This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. “I’ve ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can’t stay on a diet and I’ll just always be fat.” Maybe the problem does not arise from the behavior… maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. “I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger.”
• Good Foods/ Bad Foods. If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo. When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, French fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of “I ate those fries which are so bad for me” to “I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me.”
• Body Distortions. Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which “looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago” tell yourself “my body has given life” or “my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun.”

Latest Articles

 

Talk to Your Doctor, Lose More Weight	released: 03/15/2010
Researchers from Brown University and the University of Pittsburgh found when doctors talk about weight loss, patients take their advice. The study showed that 80% of overweight patients dieted after talking to their doctors as compared to 50% who were not advised by them. If your doctor has not already addressed your weight, start the conversation today. Talk to Your Doctor, Lose More Weight originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 12:17:19. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Fast Food Foible?	released: 03/14/2010
Research from Cornell University says people who think they're eating a reduced-calorie dish at fast food eateries overcompensate by consuming an extra like cookies or drinking more beverage. Out of 518 who consumed either a Big Mac or a Subway 12-inch Italian sandwich, the burger eaters underestimated their calorie count by 7% while those in the Subway group shortchanged the calorie count by an astounding 52% and ordered additional sides. A solution? Check out the calorie counts of your favorite eateries before visiting by using About.com's Calorie Count and plan what you're going to order ahead of time instead of being tempted at the eatery. Fast Food Foible? originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 00:53:52. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Saturday "Smart Swap!": Save Loco Taco Calories	released: 03/12/2010
Save crazy calories with this week's swap at two Mexican style eateries ... if you order the Crispy Chicken Crisper tacos at Chili's, you'll be taking in nearly 2,000 calories! As the name implies, the tacos are made with crispy fried chicken which ratchets up the exact calorie count to 1,990 and over 100 grams of fat. Stop instead at Baja Fresh and order their Original Baja Chicken tacos and cut your calories down to 630 and you get three of them (same as the Crisper tacos!). That's savings of 1,330 calories! ¡Aye caramba! Saturday "Smart Swap!": Save Loco Taco Calories originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 03:36:18. Permalink | Comment | Email this
Tax Time Tips	released: 03/12/2010
If your fees for a weight-loss program are considered medical expenses, you may be able to write them off on your taxes! A weight-loss program prescribed by a doctor in order to treat a specific medical condition (i.e., obesity, diabetes) is required. While OTC diet products do not qualify for the break, if your doctor prescribes a special food or beverage you may be able to deduct the extra cost (if it is more than the cost of your normal food expenses). You can only deduct these or any other kind of medical expenses if you itemize and the expenses are greater than 7.5% of your AGI (adjusted gross income). For a list of qualifying expenses, see IRS publication 502 at irs.gov or talk to your accountant. Tax Time Tips originally appeared on About.com Weight Loss on Saturday, March 13th, 2010 at 00:28:39. Permalink | Comment | Email this