A Cognitive Behavioral Approach To Weight Loss
The ringing in of a new year has always been a marker for fresh starts, new beginnings and goal setting. While we reflect on the year 2020, which will likely be remembered for all the challenges it served up, many of us are eager to put this crazy year behind us and move on to a brighter future. To kick off 2021, I am excited to announce my Mind Over Food podcast series is expanding to include a variety of featured guests.
Tis’ the season for overeating! Celebrations filled with fun, friends and joy also tend to bring an overabundance of food. Whether at the neighbors, the office or a holiday party, everywhere we look it is food. As challenging as it is to not overindulge and lose control, there is reason to hope this season. Staying in control is not hard if you have the tools that can help make it happen. In my holiday toolbox, I always keep some basic goals and rules.
Acceptance is one of the hardest things to deal with when it comes to our bodies. We each have our personal struggles that we face every day when it comes to health and weight loss. For me, menopause presented a huge challenge that I wasn’t quite expecting. It has changed my body and my clothes don’t fit the way they used too. However, I understand that if I panic and go on a restrictive diet just to fit back into a pair of jeans, I will be in a much worse situation down the road.
When trying to lose weight, it is only natural that we seek results as quickly as possible. We want to see that the sacrifices we are making with eating or lifestyle changes are working for us. However, a “quick fix “is not quick, nor is it a fix. The age-old expression “slow and steady wins the race” could not be more true when we are working hard to obtain a healthy mind and body.
Why do we always tense up when we hear the word “calorie”? Definitively, a calorie is just a unit of heat that we use to describe how much energy our bodies get from eating or drinking it. We spend so much time counting them, reading about them and thinking about them, that sometimes we forget about the food itself and just plain eating healthy. Typically, most people think that the fewer calories they consume, the more weight they will lose. Then, they focus on killing those calories at any cost. However, the real cost could be the damage it could do to your metabolism and overall ability to lose weight – thereby defeating the real goal.
We are all human beings. But sometimes, as humans – we make mistakes. Unfortunately, we only seem to focus on our mistakes. Think about it. You have probably spent your life beating yourself up every time you make an unhealthy decision. But when was the last time you praised yourself for making a good one? I bet this process has not been working well for you but I wouldn’t expect it to be. We shouldn’t feel like we need to punish ourselves for making an unhealthy decision in order to change. We all need to be kinder to ourselves and celebrate all our positive choices.