I’m back from the depths of my law textbooks and my mid-semester exams are FINALLY finished. Now it’s time to fully commit myself so you’ll be seeing me around here a lot more!!
I’m in the process of adding my old blogs since the beginning of September from another website because I’m moving here now — it’s wonderfully supportive.
SSM xx
Once I make changes at home and at work to remove whatever temptations I can, dieting will be easier.
Tempting foods need to be put out of sight and so out of mind. Think of the number of times you have a desire to eat something just because you’ve seen it on TV, or it’s sitting right in front of you begging for you to eat it. But if you hadn’t seen it in the first place, you wouldn’t have that desire.
I need to put wholesome foods allowed on my diet in plan view, and sometimes I find it’s better it I have less food in my cupboard and then go to the supermarket for fresh produce more regularly. I love it in the France how there is still the tradition of shopping for the day, so you tend to come back with fresh produce that you prepare and eat on the day you buy it. You can throw a divine lunch together with tomatoes, cheese, bread and olive oil. Fresh foods are more satisfying so you don’t get as hungry. I try to go to the local green grocer or the supermarket every couple of days. And somehow having less food in the fridge is easier to get my head around and I’m less tempted to binge.
Here is Beck’s advice that I’m going through, but I think I’m pretty good with most of these suggestions because I was brought up with no junk in the house - my problem is binging on healthy carbs and eating bad foods when I go out.
Remove personal temptations. There are no tempting foods in the car or on my desk because I won’t always have the mental energy to resist temptation. Also there are no tempting foods in my pantry and fridge - and if there is some I throw it away. Currently I have no naughty food anyway! Not even oats because I sometimes binge on them and I’m trying to have less gluten anyway. Although I do allow myself to have a 100-200 calorie treat each day, I don’t think it’s safe to even have these at home because I know they’re there. Instead I have my treats outside the house.
It’s either wasted in the trash or wasted on my hips.
Changing dishes. I use small plates and cutlery, leaving them within easy reach.
Consider others. I live in a share house, and so it’s important that they keep their tempting foods out of sight, which they do. And they guy that shares my fridge is rather healthy. I also have a problem because sometimes I borrow some of their food and then replacing it before they return home. I address this problem with the following Response Card:
Sabotaging Thought: I think I’ll just have a peek in my housemate’s cupboard and see if there’s anything yummy to eat.
Helpful response: No! Don’t even touch those cupboard handles. This is not okay - it’s not my food and it’s stealing. If I eat their food I’m wasting my own time (because I have to go to the supermarket later to replace it) and my money. And most of their food doesn’t even taste good, I can create better meals myself. If I eat that unplanned food I might not care now this second, but I will care A LOT when I get on the scale. Being thinner is so much more important than eating the food. Don’t even think about the cupboard because peeking is creating a bad habit, and I need to strength my resistance muscle. I’d never go sneaking around their bedrooms, and I have no more of a right to peek in their cupboards.
Do creative problem solving. Every week I enter a high risk environment when I go to my Dad’s who has chocolates galore and every ice cream under the sun in his freezer. There is nothing that I can do about this environmentally - he won’t get rid of them. Well, unfortunately this problem cannot be solved environmentally because it’s not my house, and we can’t meet anywhere else, but at least the food isn’t visible when I walk in the room. All I can do is arm myself mentally before I go there, in fact I went there today and did extremely well. Later weeks will give me more strategies to do this.
I don’t really know what changes I will have to make at work because I don’t have a job yet, but I know that I will have to be careful and do some problem solving when I do.
On the topic of environment, it’s interesting to note that in the past when I’ve been on diets and feeling deprived, I’d walk up and down the aisles of the supermarket just staring at food and longing for it - but not buying it. Even foods I don’t even usually go for (I don’t eat potato chips, and suddenly they look so appealing because I can’t have them). And so tor touring myself by exposing myself to all these naughty foods definitely isn’t a helpful activity because it leads to feelings of deprivation and that is not what I need anymore. I haven’t started the diet yet, but I have to prepare a response to the sabotaging thought that leads me to my crazy supermarket wanderings. It’s funny because when I was a kid my mum never pushed the trolley down the lolly aisle because we simply didn’t buy anything there.
Sabotaging Thought: I think I’ll go for a wander up and down the aisles to see what foods there are. I know I can’t eat them, but it’s so pleasurable to just look and long.
Helpful response: I shouldn’t torture myself like this, it’s not fair on myself. Why expose myself to foods like that? I plan my shopping list in advance before I go to the supermarket, get in and get out.
Overall today has been really great, I am feeling so happy because I had a lovely joyous day with friends. I think that’s so important when dieting - it’s so much easier to do when you’re feeling good about yourself and your life. When I’m just being lazy at home and not socializing dieting is a bitch. But when I’m with friends (but still keeping to me dieting goals) it’s hard to be depressed and feel sorry for yourself.
Credit:
I corrected myself every time I though about eating standing up.
I’m becoming a pro at eating slowly and putting the knife and fork down, it takes concentration but it’s wonderful.
Today’s To-Do List:
✔ I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.
✔ I read other Response Cards as needed.
✔ I ate slowly, sitting down and noticing every bite.
✔ I gave myself credit when I engaged in helpful dieting behaviours.
✔ I made changes at home.
Once I have a diet coach who is regularly supporting me and helping me, dieting will be easier.
A diet coach is really important because to loose weight I’ll need the help and support from another person. It’s good to have a real live person to talk to.
A diet coach will help keep me motivated and encourage me to remember why all your efforts are worthwhile, i.e. when I’m on the verge of giving into a craving due to sabotaging thoughts, or giving up due to discouragement. They can direct remind me of my reasons for loosing weight (ARC).
Having a diet coach will help build my self-confidence and make sure that I’m giving myself enough credit. They can help remind me of what I’ve learnt and how far I’ve come in my habits, even when I’m feeling discourages and helpless.
I will need help solving problems occasionally, like not having time end energy to put into dieting, or dealing with life changes etc etc. As Beck says: “two heads are better than one!”
Very importantly, it will keep me accountable. The relationship needs to be honest, and by blogging online what I eat I won’t want to overeat because I don’t want to have to report it back to you! I don’t want to look like a failure to you, especially if you’re putting effort into reading my blog.
Knowing that I have to report on my progress to someone else can motivate me to stick with my plan.
I have a diet coach in two ways:
Everyday I will report all the tasks that I’ve done, and how I’ve stuck with the diet. Every Monday I will report my weight change here. Then I will also reflect on the struggles and successes the the last week. I will write here whenever I’m going into a high-risk situations. like a party or travelling, when I’m concerned I might stray and will try create strategies and ask for help! Also, whenever I’ve stray from my plan, I’ll come here and make plans for getting right back on track. I will need help if I’m criticizing myself and feel like a failure.
I’m not sure what I’ll be doing with the therapist at the end of October, but I’m pretty sure that he will be supportive of my Cognitive Therapy efforts. By then I will have completed the 6-week Beck Diet Solution Plan, and will be continuing my efforts. I think it’s great that I’ll see him because I do need extra professional support when it comes to emotional and binge eating.
Sabotaging Thought: I can’t be bothered reporting back here everyday…
Helpful Response: Do I want to loose weight? Then I need help and I need to be accountable, and I can help myself by reporting my food intake, going over the principles here and talking about issues that come up. I need to make the time because this is really important to me.
Sabotaging Thought: I strayed from my diet plan, and I think I’ve gained weight. I don’t want to tell my blog / my diet coach.
Helpful Response: This is the time I need my diet coach most. In a few minutes, I’ll probably be glad I reported what happened. I won’t be criticized or thought of poorly. I need to get practical help and feedback. The reasons to lose weight that I wrote on my Advantages Response Card are still important to me, so I should go ahead and report.
Sabotaging Thought: I don’t want to talk about The Beck Diet Solution with my family because they will be reminded of my weight struggles, and how this is just another fruitless attempt of mine.
Helpful Response: My family will be supportive of my weight-loss efforts and using The Beck Diet Solution, especially because they’re read it themselves. They understand the the principles are to be used for life, just like I do, and they will be happy to see me loosing weight. Talk about it whenever I feel the need!
Credit:
I didn’t drink any diet coke or sugary drinks - instead I have water with lime juice!
I concentrated on eating slowly, really tasting food.
Whenever I caught myself eating standing up, I sat down immediately.
I went for a 30 minute walk.
I have enlisted help really well!
Today’s To-Do List:
✔ I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.
✔ I read other Response Cards as needed.
✔ I ate slowly, sitting down and noticing every bite.
✔ I gave myself credit when I engaged in helpful dieting behaviours.
✔ I decided on a diet coach or support group.
✔ I took steps to line up support.
Well done, I’m really feeling good about dieting.
Once I accept the fact that I have to eat slowly and notice every bite, dieting will be easier.
When I eat slowly, my brain will register that it’s full. It takes up to 20 minutes for the brain to register that the stomach is full. The slower I eat, the more time I give your brain to registe fullness.
When I notice and enjoy every mouthful, I feel more satisfied when the food is gone.
This is how I slow down:
This is how I notice what I’m eating:
I remember eat lunch with my svelt sister about a month ago. We were eating kangaroo mince with kidney beans, taco seasoning and salad. Both of us hadn’t eaten in a while. I managed to down the plate in about 2 minutes flat, while my sister savoured it and ate it over about 15 minutes or so. And afterwards I go the impression that she was much fuller than I was! Thin people eat slow.
So for the moment I have to go through the following:
Before my meal:
☐ Read Advantages Response Card
☐ Take HCA and Chromium supplements
During my meal:
☐ Eat sitting down
☐ Eat slowly and mindfully
After my meal:
☐ Give myself credit
There are lots of other Zen reasons to eat slowly:
Sabotaging Thought: I know I should be eating slowly but I can’t! I just love eating and eating fast increases the pleasure. I don’t even know if I have the will power. Eating slowly is so uncomfortable.
Helpful Response: Being uncomfortable is a wrong justification, and saying that I have no willpower if an exaggeration. Although it may feel slightly uncomfortable at the moment, if I practice and make it a habit I’ll actually be enjoying my food more, and give it the time it deserves. If I want to be thinner, I have to impose this rule on myself. I might not want to give up this behaviour, but I’ll enjoy being thinner so much more.
Credit:
I ate sitting down.
I concerntrated on eating slowly.
I filled out the To-Do list.
I wrote this blog well, and researched in other texts to fully convince myself of its importance.
Today’s To-Do List:
✔ I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.
✔ I read other Response Cards as needed.
✔ I ate slowly, sitting down and noticing every bite.
✔ I gave myself credit when I engaged in helpful dieting behaviours.
Brilliant! It’s becoming cemented in my brain, I’m on the right road.
Once I build my confidence by giving myself credit, dieting will be easier.
I need to give myself credit for everything I do right, like sitting down to eat, reading a Response Card and when using countless other dieting tools that will come up while using The Beck Diet Solution. It relates to all the daily principles.
Why should I give myself credit?
1. Reinforce my self-confidence
2. Build an awareness that I’m strong and in control
It’s all about building confidence. I shouldn’t be self-critical. Slips will happen, and it’s all part of the process, but you can’t view them as prosdiduous mistakes and therefore feel helpless and weak. In the end it’s all about solving the problems so that it’s easier next time it arises. Even when you do things wrong and you need to solve the problem, you should also give yourself credit with the things you did right. With practice, it will become more and more automatic.
Just say to youself “Good going!”, “I did it!”, or “Good, I’m glad I…”
All these habits in The Beck Diet Solution are like muscles that need to be trained. Credit is like steroids. For example, if I resist a craving and praise myself, I build up my confidence that I am capable of resisting cravings and I increases the likelihood that I’ll be able withstand the next craving I have. If I withstands a craving but don’t credit credit for it, then the next time I have a craving I won’t be sure if I’ll be able to hold out and may struggle a lot more.
My reminder system is:
This topic is strongly linked with self-esteem, which is adressed in the book Overcoming Binge Eating by Dr. Christopher Fairburn. Feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness are common among people with eating problems, including binge eating disorder. Giving myself credit will lift my mood and my feelings oinadequacy and worthlessness are common among people with eating problems, including binge eating disorder. Giving myself credit will lift my mood and my feelings of low self worth, escaping from the cycle of constant self-critisism. This may inded help with issues of demoralization and depression, which will improve as my eating problems are resolved.
Sabotaging Thought: I don’t deserve credit for doing things I should already be doing.
Helpful Response: If I don’t give myself credit for essential behaviours, I’ll be less likely to practice these behaviours constantly.
Credit:
I made a big effort to eat sitting down.
I put a lot of effort into reading the book.
I filled out the To-Do list.
Today’s To-Do List:
✔ I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.
✔ I read other Response Cards as needed.
✔ I made a reminder system for giving myself credit.
✔ I sat down while I ate.
✔ I gave myself credit for sitting down to eat.
Well done! I put in a lot of effort, feeling great.
Once I accept the fact that I have to eat sitting down, dieting will be easier.
I need to sit down when eating I’ll become absolutely conscious of everything I’m putting in my mouth. If I’m eating standing up, it’s likely to be impulse eating, not food that I planned to eat. I need to sit down and make a conscious decision to eat. Unplanned eating is also more likely to occur if I eat standing up.
When I eat sitting down I’ll feel more satisfied. I’ll see the food laid out in front of me and be more visually satisfied. If I stand up and wander around, I’ll eat too quickly and absentmindedly. The less food I see, the more deprived I’ll feel.
This also involves the following future scenarios:
My reminder system is:
I want to take it one step further and say that it is nice to make eating more of an experience. Make the food look as appetizing as possible, use nice plates and put on some music. I can even light candles like the Danes. Sophie Sarkozy, sister of French president Nicolas Sarkozy advised that: “the only difficult thing about diet is presentation. Of course if you sit down in front of the TV with a low-fat yoghurt and a banana, it’s depressing” - and she goes onto recommending creating a meal that looks appetising, like a wonderful fruit salad.
Sabotaging Thought: I’m busy on the run, and I’m really hungry and don’t have time to sit down.
Helpful Response: Is it really an emergency that you eat? No. And if it is, sit down! It isn’t optional. When I eat standing up, I’m eating mindlessly and I don’t notice what I’m eating. I could eat way too much without realizing it. If I want to be thinner, I have to impose this rule on myself. I might not want to give up this behaviour, but I’ll enjoy being thinner so much more.
Sabotaging Thought: It’s okay to eat standing up just this one time. I’ll eat my next meal sitting down.
Helpful Response: “Just this one time” is not okay. I have to face the fact that I probably can’t loose weight or keep it off if I refuse to change my habit of eating while standing up.
Today’s To-Do List:
✔ I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.
✔ I read other Response Cards as needed.
✔ I made a Response Card to encourage myself to sit while eating.
✔ I created a reminder system so I’ll remember to sit while eating.
✔ I sat down while I ate.
Once I accept the fact that I need to follow a healthy eating plan for life, getting and staying lean will be easier.
It’s now time to choose two reasonable diets: OPTION 1 which I plan on following, and OPTION 2 as a back up. I haven’t made this decision lightly because choosing the right diet can lead to heaven or hell. The two I have chosen are good for several reasons:
It’s important to be aware of my intake of calories, even if the diet doesn’t require me to count them. To loose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, simple as that.
OPTION 1 - The Best Life Diet by Bob Greene
I’ve been on this before and it works, and who can resist a diet with a cute guy on the cover playing with his adorable dog?
Meals are balanced and unprocessed. I have had problems in the past with diets that are too low in calories. This is suicidal if I’m working out a lot, and not right for long term weight loss. Slow and steady wins the race!
I will comple Phase One which doesn’t involve counting calories during the first two week of Cognitive Therapy which is set as a time to preapre for dieting. I begin using healthy strategies like:
In Phase Two which I’ll start on the 15th of September, I’ll start counting calories. Overall my meals will contain 1600 to 2000 calories - depending on my activity level:
If exercising I have a 200-calorie protein shake afterwards. I plan on using the following nutrient distribution using recommendations from The Food Doctor:
Eat will eat a wide variety of food, frequently every 2 to 3 hours so I don’t get hungry and so I keep my blood sugar steady.
With the help of Calorie King software, I count all my calories from the huge list of foods. It also allows me to look at micro-nutrients like protein, carbohydrates and fat. Just note: there’s an American and an Australian version, don’t download the wrong one if you’re interested!
YES please to…
berries, apples, kiwifruit, oranges, pears
spinach, tomato, onions, capsicum, broccoli, eggplant, zucchini, sweet potato, olives, carrots, squash
natural yoghurt, cottage cheese
seeds, walnuts, almonds
eggs, tuna, salmon, trout, prawns, tofu
quinoa, chickpeas, lentils, brown basmati rice
pinot noir, dark chocolate, acai
olive oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, fresh herbs
protein/spirulina shake
green, black, white and herbal tea, sparkling mineral water
NO thank you to…
transfats in cookies, popcorn and fried foods
white bread and pasta
high fat dairy and meat
refined sugar and sweets
high salt food and MSG
Careful with…
alcohol - keep within my treat allowance
diet Soda - maximum 1 per day
Eliminating whole food groups can be problematic and hard to keep up in the long run. But personally for me there are a few foods that I try only consume occasionally that other people tend to eat a lot:
There’s no need for me to be excessively strict on these avoidances, as long as I keep within my calorie allowance. I can also have other “NO foods” that were listed earlier within my daily treat allowance. According to Dr Christopher Fairburn, who wrote Overcoming Binge Eating, people who binge may avoid certain foods because they perceive them as fattening, or because they’ve triggered binging in the past. Being around these foods leads to anxiety and it’s best that they are re-introduced to the diet slowly. Why? Well, when you are not avoiding foods, you’re actually much less likely to binge on them. You need to be comfortable around them. You don’t have to eat these foods forever, especially if they are accepted to be unhealthy (like bad fats and simple carbohydrates).
SUPPLEMENTS
Using the advice of The Holford Low GL Diet by Patrick Holford, I will take the following stimulant-free supplements:
OPTION 2 - Lite n Easy. This will be my back up if I find calorie counting, food balancing and shopping for fresh produce too tiresome. They provide delivered meals that are convenient and tasty. I would choose the 1500-calorie option for 5 days per week, because on the weekends I don’t usually eat at home. Weekend meals when eating out, I will be vigilant in counting calories in line with the Best Life Diet. I will also incorporate:
I am aware that it’s important to not choose a fad diet. There are a lot of hopeless diets I’ve tried over the years, including The Cabbage Soup Diet, Atkins, and some strange diet given to me by a naturopath that only allowed me to drink 2 shakes a day, 1 serve of meat and 20g of carbohydrates in vegetables. They work, but they don’t last. For long term weight loss, the slower you loose the weight the better.
Now I know that it would be lovely to be at our goal weights in 2 months, but if you have to loose more than half a kilo (one pound) a week to do this, then forget it. You have to ask yourself the question: Do I want to loose this weight for the rest of my life?
Now I’ve sat there in the past and said: “Oh yes, I do!”, but then later sabotaged this assertion but over-exercising and under-eating, or going on some ultra-strict regime. Then I bounced back again! Trying to loose weight quickly lead to binging and then to depression and then to dieting again - a horrible cycle.
Sabotaging Thought: I want to loose weight very quickly with this regime I’ve heard about. So what if it’ll be extremely hard? I won’t be on it for long anyway and I’ll look fabulous sooner.
Helpful Response: A fad diet or overly harsh regime isn’t healthy. I’ll need to be on a diet for a long time. Promises that sound too good to be true invariably aren’t. And although the other Beck principles will help support your diet, they are not strong enough to help you with a spartan regime.
Today’s To-Do List:
✔ I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.
✔ I read my other Response Cards as needed.
✔ I investigated diets.
✔ I chose a reasonable primary diet and backup diet.
Once I continually remind myself of all the reasons I want to loose weight, dieting will be easier.
Today I created an Advantages Response Card to keep myself motivated.
1. I’ll look lean, toned and tanned. My face will be more angular, my limbs slender and Bambi-like. I’ll have a petit bottom and my stomach will be flat. Think Francoise Hardy, Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and Cameron Diaz.
2. Because I’m thin, I look iconic and exude timeless elegance and glamour. Think Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.
3. I feel comfortable around my parents, and they are proud of me knowing that I’m in control. We form a more cohesive family unit.
4. I’ll look happy, slender and radiant in photographs (rather than self-conscious) and enjoy looking at them.
5. When I wake in the morning I’ll feel invigorated and alive – I’m skinny and ready to seize the day!
6. Deciding what the wear will be less time consuming, all my clothes fit and are flattering. I’ll fit back into my previous small clothing.
7. I can shop for smaller, fashionable clothes like skinny jeans, short skirts, cocktail dresses & fancy underwear.
8. I’ll feel more comfortable socially when I’m around my skinny friends. Plus I’ll feel fabulous when I run into old friends, rather than embarrassed. Think uni friends like KD, SW, JT, FC. Think school friends like MJ, EB, DC, CD, KS, SQ, KP, JM, AL, EM. Think friends in Europe like Ana, Paola, Jack.
9. I’ll feel more attractive around men, including past boyfriends! Think BT, UM, EK.
10. I’ll make a better impression when meeting new friends, boys and associates.
11. I’ll enjoy going being in public more, including working out at the gym, walking into university lecture theatres, dancing in clubs and going shopping. I’ll feel confident and won’t continually feel fatter than everyone else.
12. I’ll move comfortably in shorter skirts and skimpy summer clothes like singlets & short shorts.
13. I’ll feel great when I see my reflection in the morning - a sexy silhouette in a cute nightdress, and my thighs won’t touch.
14. I am carefree when I travel and feel sensational as I gallivant around the Med looking divine in bikinis, shopping in Paris and London, clubbing in Copenhagen, diving into caves in Malta, and exploring Tibet and Africa. Think Peggy Guggenheim, Angelina Jolie, Sofia Coppola, Carla Bruni.
15. I’ll feel as if I’ve accomplished something important – I’ll be so proud of myself, moving towards my ideal self and living my best life.
I read my advantage cards at at set reading times:
My reminder system is:
Sabotaging Thought: I can’t be bothered reading my ARC card all the time and implementing a reminder system. I know it already and everything’s going fine!
Helpful Response: I need to read my Advantages Response Card at least twice a day if I want to resist temptation. It’ll only take a few seconds. It’s not a big deal. I might not need it today, but I’ll need it soon. I have to cement these reasons in my mind for when the going gets tough. Face reality, do it!
It’s important that these motivate me and so they feel compelling when I’m driven for a second serving or grab an unplanned snack. Going over these points need to begome a habit.
“Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going”
Today’s To-Do List:
✔ I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.
✔ I wrote and posted these advantages here online, in my phone, and in the pantry.
✔ I implemented a reminder system - my phone has an alarm set for twice a day.
Okay, I’ve had enough. Now I draw the line right here and now. I weigh the most I ever had in my life! My BMI has edged up the scale and I’m now officially overweight. There’s no denying that most of my (glorious) clothes no longer fit. I look terrible when I look in the mirror and I think I’m avoiding socializing! Yikes! This is strange for me. This is certainly not how I want to live my life.
Obviously things are out of balance. If I’m not overeating I’m binging, if I’m not binging I’m starving myself. It’s such an obvious cycle, hopefully I can address these issues head on at the end of October when I see a therapist for the first time.
But what can I do now? Well, what better day to begin than the first of Spring. I’m going to try to break the cycle by taking control of my thinking and feeling, and in turn my eating behaviour. The only method that I’ve used in the past to loose weight was The Beck Diet Solution, by Judith Beck. I am still terribly excited about using this book. I was on a diet for months, but before I used this book I’d usually last on a diet for 3 days! Most diet tell you what to eat, but this book tells you how to eat and can be used with any diet. The basic idea is that you begin to break down different parts of your thought and behaviour and deal with them one at time. It is based on the form of psychotherapy called Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which looks at the relationship between thinking, feeling and acting. This is linked with dealing with sabotaging thoughts and monitoring triggers.
So, why is dieting so hard? Well, according to Beck, there are several reasons:
The diet doesn’t actually start until the second week, so I won’t be counting calories yet, but I will be mindful and follow the principles.
Week 1 “Get Ready: Lay the Groundwork” - days 1 to 7.
Week 2 “Get Set: Prepare to Diet” - days 8 to 14.
Week 3 “Go: Start Your Diet” - days 15 to 21.
Week 4 “Responding to Sabotaging Thoughts” - days 22 to 28.
Week 6 “Overcome Challenges” - days 29 to 35.
Sabotaging Thought: Oh boy, here we go again. I’m back on the dieting bandwagon. Hope it doesn’t make me feel terribly deprived and hungry all the time.I feel like I’m in Cabaret singing “Maybe This Time”…
Helpful Response: Seriously girl, how do you want to live your life? Yes, I am going to need to make significant and permanent changes to my eating habits. But the payoff for going through with this plan is huge.
I am not “naturally thin” and so I’m going to have to be careful about what I eat for the rest of my life like most women in the world. I will still be eating delicious food at every meal and can even have a treat every day. Better to be happy and in control than at the mercy of my bad habits and emotions. This will work, I will loose weight and keep it off for good.
Sabotaging Thought: Life for the next few months is going to be tough, and my mind one-track and overbearing, then I’ll just give up.
Helpful Response: Although I’ll have to be determined and vigilant, I won’t be one-tracked because I’ll also focus on enriching my life (which can be useful in distracting myself!).
Sabotaging Thought: I hope it’s not opening up to more disappointment if I loose the weight then gain it all back by binging again like I have before. Wonder how long this is going to last? I’ve failed before, won’t I fail again - it’s inevitable!
Helpful Response: I will address my binge eating and overcome it for good. If issues arise along the way then I’ll deal with them and get back on track without beating myself up.
I won’t set unrealistic expectations of rapid weight-loss, which will only tip me over the edge. I’ll only set myself goals of loosing 2 kg at a time, and won’t make up grand charts for expected weight loss which are so depressing to alter. This time I’ll follow the book exactly because Dr Beck has had experience with hundreds of people and knows the pitfalls.
Boy, this is an Aha! moment, I got rather teary…
Sabotaging Thought: Could I be bothered? My life on this program is going to be an emotional rollercoaster.
Helpful Response:Yes, the next 6 months may be an emotional rollercoaster, but so is my life now everytime I look in the mirror, try on my clothes, see my parents, run into old friends, attend university lectures, go out clubbing and dancing, try to impress a boy, see photographs of myself, think about seeing my ex-boyfriend, leave Dad’s house after pigging out on icecream and junk. It’s incredible that I have any self-esteem at all the way I beat myself up!
When I follow the Beck principles, I will be on the road to loosing weight and feeling better in these situations. I will also have the tools to deal with the rocky emotions that may come up along the way.
Sabotaging Thought: I once read that are less likely to succeed with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for weight loss if it’s your second attempt. Because it’s my second attempt I’m doomed! I simply won’t succeed.
Helpful Response: Just because some people have failed on the second attempt doesn’t mean I will. Success if the only option for me. Just because I made some mistakes last time doesn’t mean I am a failure. Last time I lost 10kg and I can do it again, plus more, and keep it off! I learnt a lot from my last experience which will help me now. I’ve made a lot of positive steps in understanding my thoughts. I just I need stay focused on what I want and keep on track with the principles.
It’s interesting to note that there are very few “naturally thin” people. Most thin women stay so by being incredibly careful about what they eat - even if they don’t admit it. Therefore I need to be vigilant in restraining my eating and exercising vigorously. And this will become easier over time once I establish the habit of avoiding mindless and/or emotional eating. In addition, if I do put on a few pounds, I will have the confidence to easily reduce them by refocusing on those behaviours.
That’s why I’m going to blog here everyday, and in two weeks when I begin the diet I’ll record everything I eat. I’ll be completely honest, and would love to hear any feedback.
On your marks!
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