Weight Loss - It's in Your Head
By Helene Haber
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.”
The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped.
However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and
understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you
believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more
objective, coping thought. Although negative thoughts may not be stopped
entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring
voice. In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close
friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are
you’ll have greater weight loss success.
Helene Haber
Holistic Nutrition Coach
Helene Haber, HHC is a board certified health counselor. She designs
personalized wellness solutions for women of all ages looking to enhance
their lives, get their bodies back in shape and their health back on
track. Email: TopCatHelene@aol.com.
http://www.integrativenutrition.com/graduates/HHaber.aspx
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