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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 conIdeal Fitnesstions 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 is a Life Coach, specializing
in weight loss. Please e-mail
her for a sample session.
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