Change the Way You're Thinking about It
Well, here we are with another new year beginning. And it's that time of year again—when we once again make resolutions to lose weight. Articles like "Simple Ways to Cut 500 Calories" show up on home pages beckoning us to read them. Exercise gadgets are being advertised on every home shopping channel.
We tell ourselves, "This time I'm going to do it." And some of us will. But many of us will fall off the "weight loss wagon" before we even really get going. Why is that? Why do we start out with some zeal only to end up frustrated?
Some psychologists will tell you that this happens because you failed to set specific goals. In other words, set a goal like, "I will lose 10 pounds," rather than just saying, "I will lose weight." I tend to think it goes a little deeper than that—especially if you are an emotional eater, using food to comfort yourself in some way, the way an alcoholic uses alcohol. Oh, I believe that once an emotional eater makes peace with the fact that she (or he) uses food in such a way, she can begin some behavior change modification practices—like setting goals. But I think that simply setting goals won't solve the original problem. That issue is still lurking, ready to throw all of your goal setting out the window.
I was watching a program called, "Intervention." It seems that addicts view the world in black and white—an all or nothing mentality. It's the old, "Well, I ate one piece of candy, I may as well eat the rest" thinking. We can't seem to connect with reality when it comes to eating. Just because you ate one piece doesn't mean that it's over. All it means is that you ate one piece. So what? If I can't be perfect, I can't be anything? Not true.
You've got to change your thinking. That's the first step toward successful, permanent weight loss. And that's what I'm going to be working on this year—changing my thinking. I hope you'll join me.
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